Sources checked October 28, 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
Pupil examination workbooks
Ask about the actual surviving workbooks, then use the diploma record as a separate research target rather than assuming the same pupils appear in both.
School Pupil Examination Work Books 1887–1888 · Accession 1/0300/17
School Pupil Diploma Record 1887–1956 · Accession 1/0300/08
A focused question to ask
Which schools and pupils are represented in the 1887–1888 workbooks, and is the diploma record indexed by name?
Evidence limit: Surviving workbooks may be selective. A missing name does not prove nonattendance, and the diploma series does not imply all pupils graduated.
STOP 02 / NIU IRAD
The superintendent’s 1912 inspection
Pair a school-specific inspection inquiry with a register request to separate institutional conditions from individual attendance evidence.
School Superintendent's Inspection Record 1912–1912 · Accession 1/0300/16
School Teachers' Daily Registers 1888–1941 · Accession 1/0300/15
A focused question to ask
Does the 1912 inspection record include [school], and is a daily register available for that school in the same period?
Evidence limit: The inspection series is cataloged for one year. Confirm the schools covered and what each register actually records.
STOP 03 / NIU IRAD
Freeport Township auditors’ record
A township audit book is a small, specific administrative source worth checking for a dated public transaction.
Freeport Twp: Township Auditors' Record 1884–1888 · Accession 1/0258/01
A focused question to ask
Is the auditors’ record indexed, and does it identify claims or payees concerning [transaction] around [year]?
Evidence limit: Freeport Township is not the city government. An audited claim requires context and does not by itself prove occupation, residence or family connection.
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 Stephenson County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Pupil Examination Work Books
1887–1888
1/0300/17
School Pupil Diploma Record
1887–1956
1/0300/08
School Superintendent's Inspection Record
1912–1912
1/0300/16
School Teachers' Daily Registers
1888–1941
1/0300/15
Freeport Twp: Township Auditors' Record
1884–1888
1/0258/01
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.