The Illinois State Archives has seven Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD) to manage archives and records of local governments. One of these is the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Regional Depository.

The IRAD facility at the Northern Illinois University is located at the Founders Memorial Library, room 400, Northern Illinois University, 217 Normal Road, DeKalb, Illinois. Hours: Mon.-Fri., 10 am – 3 pm, closed noon-1 each day (except state holidays). Holdings can be searched on the IRAD Search system but need to be viewed onsite at the appropriate regional depository.

Search the Name Index to Illinois Local Governments

• basic info on name, form of government, county, date established, date incorporated, certified, previous names

Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900  “The IRAD holdings include marriage records for over seventy of the 102 counties in Illinois. …Illinois marriages were not required to be performed in the county of the bride’s or groom’s residence. If your search does not find a marriage in the county you expected it to occur, try selecting STATEWIDE in the location option box.”

Search the IRAD Inventories (list of possible inventories below)

Depositories house local government records that have been deemed significant enough to archive including:

• county board proceedings files and meeting minutes
• records of births, deaths and marriages
• land deeds, mortgage and tax sale records
• assessors’ and collectors’ tax books
• poll books and voter registers
• naturalization records, including declarations of intent
• probate records, including wills and will records, case files, administrators’ and executors’ records, guardianship records, and inventory and appraisement records
• civil and criminal court case files, chancery court case files (including divorces), docket books and court proceedings, and insanity proceedings and records
• coroner’s inquest records and inquest files
• miscellaneous county records, including almshouse/county home records and jail registers
• school records, including school trustees’ minutes, pupil registers and school land sale records
• township records, including township meeting minutes and highway commissioners’ minutes
• municipal records, including city council proceedings files and meeting minutes, ordinance records, and city election records.

Carroll County Birth Certificates Index (1877-1913)

• The database indexes nearly 10,000 births that were recorded by the county clerk’s office in Carroll County.

JoDaviess County Almshouse Registers Index (1846-1938)

• Register shows the name, sex, color, birthplace, occupation before admission, age, marital status and former residence of the inmate; the nativity of the inmate’s mother and father; health status; habits (e.g. abstinent, temperate or drunkard); a list of property brought to the almshouse; the dates of admission and discharge; the date of death (when the inmate died while staying at the almshouse); and remarks. The register may indicate whether the inmate could read or write.

Search the Name Index to Illinois Local Governments

Kane County Circuit Court Case Files Index (1836-1870)

• The Kane County Circuit Court Case Files include chancery, criminal and common law proceedings. These case files generally show the names of the plaintiff, defendant, judge and clerk of the court; the court dates; and usually the charge or cause of action.

Lake County Circuit Court Case Files Index (1840-1898)

• The Lake County Circuit Court Case Files show the names of the plaintiff, defendant, judge and clerk of the court; the court dates; and usually the charge or cause of action. Documents contained in these case files include: summonses; injunctions; affidavits of witnesses; bonds; receipts; depositions; petitions; decrees and court orders. Criminal cases also include: jury and witness lists, indictments, warrants, writs of habeas corpus, verdicts, dismissals and transcripts of coroner’s inquests.

Ogle County Almshouse Register Index (1878-1933)

• Register shows the name, sex, color, birthplace, occupation before admission, age, marital status and former residence of the inmate; the nativity of the inmate’s mother and father; health status; habits (e.g. abstinent, temperate or drunkard); a list of property brought to the almshouse; the dates of admission and discharge; the date of death (when the inmate died while staying at the almshouse); and remarks. The register may indicate whether the inmate could read or write.

Ogle County Naturalization Papers (County Court) Index (1872-1906)

• The Ogle County naturalization papers contain: Declarations of Intent; Petitions for Final Papers; Naturalization Final Oaths; Minor’s Petition and Final Oath; and Soldier’s Petition and Final Oath. These naturalization papers were filed in the County Court in Ogle County between 1872 and 1906. Normal adult naturalization papers usually include a declaration of intent, petition for final papers and a naturalization final oath. Minor’s and Soldier’s naturalization papers are usually a single document.

These are the counties within the NIU region boundaries: Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, DuPage, JoDaviess, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Putnam, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago.

Follow NIU Founders Memorial Library on Flickr.