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Research Guides / Illinois / Tazewell County

ILLINOIS / LOCAL RECORDS

Tazewell County:
Road decisions and township meeting trails

Explore Groveland and Little Mackinaw township records, then Morton Township’s cemetery and meeting records at Illinois State University.

Match your research years in the planner → · Explore historical county boundaries →

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 / ISU IRAD

Groveland Township road decisions

Compare the highway minutes with the road record rather than relying on one isolated entry.

Groveland Twp: Highway Commissioners’ Minutes
1850–1918 · Accession 3/0168/01

Groveland Twp: Road Record
1875–1916 · Accession 3/0168/03

A focused question to ask

Can I locate this road in both series, and are entries indexed by name, road or date?

Evidence limit: A proposal and an approved route are different evidence. Check the recorded outcome.

STOP 02 / ISU IRAD

Little Mackinaw Township: a long local record

Begin with a narrow time window in the township record, then consult the shorter road series for early road questions.

Little Mackinaw Twp: Township Record
1850–1984 · Accession 3/0193/01

Little Mackinaw Twp: Road Record
1852–1887 · Accession 3/0165/03

A focused question to ask

Which volume and index cover this event and year?

Evidence limit: The catalog span does not imply that every year or type of township business is present.

STOP 03 / ISU IRAD

Morton Township: cemetery administration and meetings

The cemetery record is a distinct administrative lead. Ask what cemetery and information it covers before treating it as a burial list.

Morton Twp: Cemetery Record
1959–1988 · Accession 3/0171/03

Morton Twp: Township Record
1850–1995 · Accession 3/0171/02

A focused question to ask

Which cemetery does this record concern, and does it record burials, lot ownership, accounts or another activity?

Evidence limit: The catalog title does not establish the record’s fields. A lot owner is not necessarily the person buried there.

BEFORE YOU TRAVEL OR ORDER

Request records from the IRAD regional depository

IRAD regional depository · 309-452-6027

IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Illinois State University, Normal. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.

Research visits are by appointment only. Call ahead. ISU accepts IRAD research inquiries by telephone or mail, not email. Confirm the mailing address and any copying charges before sending a request or traveling.

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 Tazewell County
Record seriesCatalog datesAccession
Groveland Twp: Highway Commissioners’ Minutes1850–19183/0168/01
Groveland Twp: Road Record1875–19163/0168/03
Little Mackinaw Twp: Township Record1850–19843/0193/01
Little Mackinaw Twp: Road Record1852–18873/0165/03
Morton Twp: Cemetery Record1959–19883/0171/03
Morton Twp: Township Record1850–19953/0171/02

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.

Return to the Illinois county map →

HELP KEEP THIS GUIDE USEFUL

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