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

The IRAD facility at the University of Illinois at Springfield is located at the Brookens Library in room 144 at Springfield One University Plaza, Springfield, Illinois. Hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (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.

Macon County Circuit Court Case Files Index (1829-1861)

• The Macon 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.

Macoupin County Coroner’s Inquest Files Index (1835-1928)

• Inquest papers include the verdicts of the coroner’s jury on the cause of death, transcripts of testimony given at the inquest, correspondence relating to the case, and copies of subpoenas, accident reports and death certificates. Coroner’s death certificates show the name, place of birth, race, residence, occupation and marital status of the deceased; the place and date of burial; the names of spouses and parents, and the cause of death.

Morgan County Poor Farm Records Index (1850-1932)

• Each entry found in the index contains the following categories of information: the name, age and occupation of the inmate; the date of admission to the almshouse; date of discharge from the almshouse; the volume and page number; and the supposed cause of pauperism. When an inmate died while staying at the almshouse, the date of death is also included.

Sangamon County Guardian’s Case Files Index (1825-1901)

• Guardian’s case files contain Petitions for Appointment of a Guardian, Guardian’s Bonds and Letters of Guardianship. Petitions show the court term; the names of the estate, petitioner, minor heir(s), guardian, and judge; the value of the estate; and the petitioner’s request for the appointment of a guardian. Bonds show the name of the guardian as principal; the names of the securities; and the date, amount, and terms of the bond. Letters show the court term; the names of the guardian, minor heir(s), and clerk; and the dates of appointment and filing.

Sangamon County Probate Case Files Index (1821-1906)

• Probate case files show the court term; the names of the estate, judge and court clerk; the petitions, bonds, oaths, and letters of estate administrators, executors, guardians and conservators; the court’s approval of estate inventories, appraisement bills, petitions to sell property, reports of sales, accounts, reports of receipts and expenditures, and final reports; and the orders and decrees of the court. The record may also show the names of heirs, claims against the estate, and recordation of wills.

These are the counties within the UIS region boundaries: Bond, Cass, Christian, Fayette, Greene, Jersey, Macon, Macoupin, Mason, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Sangamon, Scott

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