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 / UIS IRAD
Springfield: the work behind a school system
Teachers’ institute records provide a different starting point from pupil lists. School-board minutes can place educational decisions in their administrative setting.
Springfield: School Teachers' Institute Record 1858–1919 · Accession 4/0291/05
Springfield: School Board Minutes 1855–1956 · Accession 4/0291/01
A focused question to ask
Which institutes or meetings are represented, and can staff identify an index or dates relevant to the teacher or school I am researching?
Evidence limit: An institute record does not establish employment at a particular school. Board minutes are not a complete pupil enrollment list.
STOP 02 / UIS IRAD
Springfield: water assessments and local improvements
A short run of water-rent assessment files and a later improvement-board minute book invite research by street, project and year.
Springfield: Water Rent Assessment Warrant Files 1869–1873 · Accession 4/0143/01
Springfield: Local Improvements Board Minutes 1927–1958 · Accession 4/0259/05
A focused question to ask
Are the warrant files arranged by property, street or name? Which projects and indexes are represented in the improvement minutes?
Evidence limit: These are distinct series from different periods. An assessment does not prove who lived at a property, and an improvement proposal does not establish completion.
STOP 03 / UIS IRAD
Spaulding: a single-year WPA project trail
The catalog singles out maintenance project files for 1937. Village trustees’ minutes provide a separate route for investigating the local decisions surrounding that period.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: University of Illinois Springfield. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Call first. UIS official pages differ about appointment availability and whether email research requests are accepted. Mail is a listed request route; confirm current staffing, the mailing address, appointments and copying arrangements directly before visiting.
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 Sangamon County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Springfield: School Teachers' Institute Record
1858–1919
4/0291/05
Springfield: School Board Minutes
1855–1956
4/0291/01
Springfield: Water Rent Assessment Warrant Files
1869–1873
4/0143/01
Springfield: Local Improvements Board Minutes
1927–1958
4/0259/05
Spaulding: WPA Maintenance Project Files
1937
4/0279/05
Spaulding: Village Trustees' Minutes
1905–1993
4/0279/03
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.