Sources checked October 29, 2026. Holdings checked against official catalogs and repository descriptions. Staff-confirmed details are identified below; other holdings are based on published sources. No name-level search; dates do not guarantee complete coverage or online images.
STOP 01 / SIU IRAD
School milestones: commencement and employment
Try a school-related event rather than another countywide name search.
School Commencement Record 1901–1920 · Accession 6/0339/10
School Teachers' Employment Record 1890–1929 · Accession 6/0339/05
A focused question to ask
Are pupils or teachers indexed, and which schools appear in the selected year?
Evidence limit: Commencement records do not represent every pupil, and employment is not residence proof.
STOP 02 / SIU IRAD
Road tax lists: a short early window
A narrowly dated road-tax source can be useful beside land and census evidence.
Road Tax Lists 1826–1827 · Accession 6/0243/02
A focused question to ask
How are the lists arranged, and do they identify a road district or location?
Evidence limit: A tax entry must be interpreted under the rules of the time; it is not automatically proof of land ownership.
STOP 03 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Wooten School attendance and Golconda lodge rolls
Harrisburg’s inventory lists Wooten School attendance, District 7, 1942–1958, and Golconda IOOF Lodge 292 membership rolls, 1860–1945.
A focused question to ask
Are these copies or transcripts, and can staff identify the original record custodian?
Evidence limit: A cataloged compilation is not necessarily an original ledger; lodge membership does not establish kinship.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Call before visiting the IRAD facility in the Library Storage Building, 1835 University Press Drive, Carbondale. It is separate from the main library. Follow the statewide telephone/mail request policy; reduced summer hours and university closures can affect access.
Start with no more than two names, approximate dates, the county and the record type. Include the township or school where known and the accession number above. Ask whether an index exists, which volumes survive and what copying will cost. For an unindexed series, agree on a manageable search before requesting a long period. The statewide policy directs research requests to telephone or mail rather than email; wait for a response before sending another request. See the statewide research policy ↗.
Request template: I am researching [person or place] in [locality] around [years]. Your catalog lists [title], accession [number]. Which volume covers that period, is it indexed, and how can I consult or obtain the relevant pages? Please let me know any gaps, restrictions and copying charges.
Collection dates at a glance
The table lists IRAD series with verified date spans. Community collections above may have different or unspecified coverage and separate access rules. Catalog spans are starting points, not guarantees of every year, locality or individual. Use the Research Planner to compare your years with these cataloged series.
Selected cataloged series for Pope County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Commencement Record
1901–1920
6/0339/10
School Teachers' Employment Record
1890–1929
6/0339/05
Road Tax Lists
1826–1827
6/0243/02
Keep the record and your interpretation separate.
Save the depository, collection, accession number, volume, page, dates and any copy correspondence. Record uncertain names as uncertain. A shared road, school or signature can suggest an association; it does not establish a family relationship.
Suggest a correction, an overlooked collection or an updated access detail. An official link or source helps us check it before making a change. Please leave out private family documents and sensitive personal information.