Putnam County: School land petitions, village audits and election papers
Look for early school land proceedings and later local government records in Putnam County, with careful attention to changing geography and the villages actually represented.
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 / NIU IRAD
School land petitions: start with a township and section
Early school land sale petitions provide a distinctive lead into public land administration. Original survey plats offer a separate geographic reference to investigate.
School Land Sale Petitions 1832–1836 · Accession 1/0228/02
Plat Record, Original Survey 1816–1875 · Accession 1/0313/01
A focused question to ask
How are the petitions arranged, and can you identify a petition and survey plat for this township, range and section?
Evidence limit: A petition is not proof that a sale occurred. Check the jurisdiction at the record date; a modern Putnam County location alone does not define the early records.
STOP 02 / NIU IRAD
Village audits: identify the municipality first
A short run of village audits may illuminate local administration when a family connection involves a municipal office or institution.
Village Annual Audit Reports 1963–1965 · Accession 1/0161/01
A focused question to ask
Which villages are included in this accession, and are reports available for the municipality and year I need?
Evidence limit: The catalog does not name the villages or establish the contents of individual reports. These are financial records, not resident directories.
STOP 03 / NIU IRAD
Election papers: ask which kind of election evidence survives
A precinct and election date can make a broad series of election papers more manageable than a surname-only request.
Election Papers 1831–1922 · Accession 1/0228/01
A focused question to ask
What types of election papers survive for this precinct and year, and is there an index or arrangement guide?
Evidence limit: Election papers can contain different record types. Do not assume this series is a continuous voter list or that every eligible voter appears.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Call to ask a question or schedule an appointment. The IRAD office is in Founders Memorial Library, Room 265, on the second floor. For a remote request, follow the statewide telephone/mail policy and confirm the current mailing address with staff.
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 Putnam County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Land Sale Petitions
1832–1836
1/0228/02
Plat Record, Original Survey
1816–1875
1/0313/01
Village Annual Audit Reports
1963–1965
1/0161/01
Election Papers
1831–1922
1/0228/01
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.