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
A school superintendent’s diary
An official diary offers a different route into school administration. Pair it with annual reports for the same period.
School Superintendent’s Diary 1871–1884 · Accession 1/0068/02
School Superintendent’s Annual Reports 1848–1883 · Accession 1/0068/01
A focused question to ask
Does the diary have an index to schools or teachers, and can I request entries for a particular district and date?
Evidence limit: An official diary is not automatically a personal narrative or pupil list. The content still needs examination.
STOP 02 / NIU IRAD
Homer Township: papers and proceedings
The road papers, road record and meeting files are separate series. Ask how to connect a file to the corresponding decision.
Homer Twp: Road Papers 1837–1878 · Accession 1/0286/02
Homer Twp: Road Record 1850–1909 · Accession 1/0286/01
Homer Twp: Township Meeting Proceedings Files 1854–1947 · Accession 1/0286/03
A focused question to ask
Is there a file for this road or section, and can the related order or meeting entry be identified?
Evidence limit: A petitioner’s signature does not prove land ownership or kinship. Verify the role and final action.
STOP 03 / NIU IRAD
Plainfield village trustees’ minutes
Use a village business question, such as a street or license, to narrow the search in this nineteenth-century run.
Plainfield: Village Trustees’ Minutes 1881–1898 · Accession 1/0348/01
A focused question to ask
Are the minutes indexed, and which pages cover this business or street in my target year?
Evidence limit: Village minutes and township records concern different governments. Confirm that the location was within the village at the time.
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 Will County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Superintendent’s Diary
1871–1884
1/0068/02
School Superintendent’s Annual Reports
1848–1883
1/0068/01
Homer Twp: Road Papers
1837–1878
1/0286/02
Homer Twp: Road Record
1850–1909
1/0286/01
Homer Twp: Township Meeting Proceedings Files
1854–1947
1/0286/03
Plainfield: Village Trustees’ Minutes
1881–1898
1/0348/01
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.