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 / ISU IRAD
Cazenovia Township: compare meetings with highway decisions
A named road, section or local issue can connect township meetings with the highway commissioners’ record during their overlapping years.
Cazenovia Twp: Highway Commissioners' Record 1882–1926 · Accession 3/0175/03
Which volume covers this road or section, and do the meeting minutes refer to the same highway action?
Evidence limit: These are Cazenovia Township records, not countywide coverage. A related entry in both series remains a research question until inspected.
STOP 02 / ISU IRAD
School funds and school plats: separate finance from geography
School fund loans and school plats offer two different approaches to local school history, especially when the question involves land rather than attendance.
School Fund Loan Record 1843–1861 · Accession 3/0123/06
How is the loan record indexed, and what places or districts are represented in the school plat record for my target year?
Evidence limit: Neither series is a pupil list. The catalog does not prove that a loan and a plat concern the same property, or that every school is mapped.
STOP 03 / ISU IRAD
Township officials and road tax lists: test a local service connection
Use the officials’ registers for a possible officeholding connection and road tax lists as a separate lead for the same township and period.
Which townships and years are represented, and are the officials’ registers and road tax lists indexed by name?
Evidence limit: The series spans are not a guarantee of continuous township coverage. A road tax entry does not by itself establish residence, ownership or family relationship.
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 Woodford County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Cazenovia Twp: Highway Commissioners' Record
1882–1926
3/0175/03
Cazenovia Twp: Township Meeting Minutes
1883–1942
3/0175/01
School Fund Loan Record
1843–1861
3/0123/06
Plat Record, Schools
1849–1949
3/0124/04
Township Officials' Registers
1841–1921
3/0124/02
Road Tax Lists
1842–1918
3/0121/01
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.