Genealoger

Genealogy Resources

Michigan Genealogy Resources

Many of the early settlers in Michigan were transplants from New England and New York who migrated via the Great Lakes. Michigan remained under Canadian martial law until 1787.

• Archives of Michigan Circulars. Guides identify records on a given topic.
   
• Archives of the Michigan Digital Collections. Three digital collections are available for searching or browsing: Civil War images, early photograph collection, and former Michigan governors.
   
• Barry County Clerk's Office Vital Records Indexes. Birth and death indexes start in 1867; marriage index in 1839.
   
• Bentley Historical Library. Part of the University of Michigan.
   
• Branch County Clerk's Office Vital Records. Death index.
   
• Burton Historical Collection. Part of the Detroit Public Library.
   
• Central Adoption Registry. Maintained by the Michigan Department of Human Services, this site contains former parent and adult former sibling statements giving consent or denial to have information about themselves released to an adult adopted person.
   
• Charlevoix Courier Obituary Database. 1997 to 2005.
   
• Cheboygan County Index to Deaths and Marriages. Deaths, 1867 to 1933; marriages, 1869 to 1925.
   
• Clarke Historical Library. Part of Central Michigan University.
   
• Dalby Database. A unique archive of various names indexed in history books from the Owatonna Public Library, along with church records, Civil War veteran records, city directories and more.
  
  
• DeBoer, Shirley M. Research in Michigan. Arlington, Va: National Genealogical Society, 2008.
   
• Deed Records, 1766-1918; Grantee-Grantor Index, 1700-1903, Wayne County, Michigan. Microfilm of original records in the Wayne County courthouse, Detroit, Michigan. Early deeds are written in French and English. Additional indexes are at the front of some volumes. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1974, 210 rolls, beginning with FHL film #926443.
   
• Detroit, Michigan Territorial Census, 1827. Microfilm of typescript. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1976, 1 roll, FHL film #928180.
   
• The Dibean Michigan Marriage Index.  Is named for project coordinators Jack and Marianne Dibean, who've been collecting Michigan marriages for years. They now have more than 400,000 records in their index.
   
• Early Land Transfers, Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan: 1703-1869. Michigan Works Progress Administration, Vital Records Project, Michigan State Library and DAR, Louisa St. Clair Chapter, microfilm of original records (58 vols.) at the DAR Library, Washington, D.C. Includes index. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1971, 13 rolls, beginning with FHL film #857329.
   
• "1827 Michigan Territorial Census, Wayne County." Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, 19, 2 (Winter 1955)
  
  
• Family Tree Maker: Marriage Index Michigan and Wisconsin 1830-1900. Novato, California: Learning Co., 1998.
   
• 50 Best Michigan Genealogical Resources. Wide range of resources covering different time periods and groups of people.
   
• French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan. The French Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan was founded in 1980 as an educational, historical, cultural, and genealogical non-profit organization. It seeks to make people aware of the rich culture and history of French Canadians in North America, with special emphasis on those who explored and settled in Michigan.
   
• Freund, Hanns Egon. Emigration records from the German Eifel region, 1834-1911. Crystal Lake, Ill. : McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society, 1991. Alphabetical list of emigrants from the Eifel region, "with major emphasis on those emigrants whose final destinations were Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan."
   
• GENDIS (Genealogical Death Indexing System). Michigan Department of Community Health Death Index, 1867 to 1882.
  
  
• Genealogy Research at the Library of Michigan and the Archives of Michigan
   
• Genesee County Clerk's Vital Records Services. Death index begins in 1930; marriage index in 1963.
   
• Genesee County Death Index. 1867 to 1930.
   
• Genesee County Marriage Index. 1867 to 1934.
   
• Gorski, J. William. The J. William Gorski Polish Historical & Genealogical Collection at the Michigan State Library & Archives. Not for sale. This is an index to a notable collection of Polish records in the Library of Michigan.
   
• Grand Traverse County Records. Death and marriage indexes.
   
• Ingham County Records. Death and marriage indexes.
  
  
• Irwin I. Cohn Michigan Jewish Cemetery Index. Provides burial information for over 64,000 Jews who died between the mid-1800's and 1999.
   
• Isabella County Online Vital Statistics Index. Births, 1867 to 1904; deaths, 1867 to 1924; marriages, 1857 to 1890.
   
• Kalamazoo Public Library Local Indexes & Community Information. Kalamazoo Gazette, complete subject and name index, 1972 to 2005; Kalamazoo Gazette obituaries, 1857 to 1888, with more date information available from the Kalamazoo Public Library. When searching the database, select Local Indexes & Community Information under the library drop-down menu and choose a subject search.
   
• Leelanau Cemetery Database. A listing of the text on every gravestone in the county. Ongoing project.
   
• Library of Michigan 1870 Census Index. The Michigan 1870 Census Index is an alphabetical list of the family names in each household residing in every county and township in Michigan in 1870.
   
• Library of Michigan Genealogy Collection Guides.
   
• Library of Michigan Genealogy Collection virtual tour.
   
• Livingston County Michigan Death Index. 1867 to 1948.
   
• Macomb County Cemetery Master Index. A guide to the cemetery transcription work done by the Mount Clemens Public Library and the Macomb County Genealogy Group.
   
• Macomb County Clerk. Death index, 1867 to 1933.
   
• Macomb County Obituary Index. Complete coverage, 1968 to 2004; some coverage, 1880 to present.
   
• Making of Modern Michigan. Digitized local history materials, such as photographs, family papers, oral histories and genealogical materials, from around the state.
   
• Manistee County Records of Death Index. 1869 to 1973.
   
• McGinnis, Carol. Michigan Genealogy: Sources & Resources. 2nd edition. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2005.
  
  
• Michigan Births and Christenings, 1775-1995 – Name index to birth, baptism and christening records from the state of Michigan. FamilySearch.
  
  
• Michigan Births, 1867-1902 – Imaged Records – Name index and images of Michigan statewide birth registration entries. FamilySearch.
   
• Michigan Cemetery Sources. Lists published cemetery transcriptions located at the Library of Michigan. Identifies the location of more 3,700 cemeteries in Michigan. Links to online cemetery transcriptions.
   
• Michigan County Clerks Directory. Contact information, hours and genealogy research procedures.
   
• Michigan County Histories. Digitized reproductions of Michigan county atlases and histories dating from 1866 to 1926. Ongoing project.
  
  
• Michigan County Marriages, 1820-1935 - Images of marriage registers and certificates from county records. This collection does not include the following counties: Alger, Alpena, Barry, Eaton, Gladwin, Kalkaska, Kent, Lenawee, Missaukee, Monroe, Montmorency, Oceana, Oscoda, Schoolcraft, and Shiawassee. FamilySearch.
   
• Michigan Death Index, 1867-97.
   
• Michigan Deaths, 1971-96.  Ancestry.com. Fee. With over 2.75 million records, the Michigan Death Index covers the years from 1971 to 1996.
  
  
• Michigan Death Records, 1897-1920. This Library of Michigan collection of Michigan death certificates features nearly 1 million records.  This statewide collection offers researchers critical information in tracking Michigan ancestors during this time period.  Information includes the decedent's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplace, cemetery name and location, and much more.
   
• Michigan Family History Network.
   
• Michigan Genealogical Council
   
• Michigan Genealogical Council: Member Organizations. Contact information for member genealogy societies.
   
• Michigan Genealogical Death Indexing System. The current system contains information on 170,000 Michigan death records from 1867-1884. Additional records for 1883 and 1884 have been newly added to the system during the week of June 18, 2001.  GENDIS is updated regularly and reflects the most current efforts of the genealogists and data entry staff.
   
• Michigan Genealogist Newsletter. Genealogy newsletter from the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries.
   
• Michigan GenWeb Project.
   
• Michigan Grand Army of the Republic Records. List of known Michigan G.A.R. records and location.
   
• Michigan - Grand Traverse County Marriages Index.
  
  
• Michigan Marriages 1822-1995 - Name index to marriage records from the state of Michigan - 1,908,349 records as of 4 May, 2010. FamilySearch.org.
  
  
• Michigan Marriages 1868-1925 - Name index and images of marriages recorded in the State of Michigan. In some instances, marriages were celebrated and recorded in a county different from the county where the marriage license was issued. - 1,533,863 records as of 5 May, 2010. FamilySearch.org.
   
• Michigan Naturalization Record Indexes.
   
• Michigan Newspaper Holdings at the Library of Michigan. List of Michigan newspapers on microfilm, organized by county.
   
• Michigan Newspapers.
   
• Michigan Obituary Project. Links to Michigan counties with user-contributed, transcribed obituaries.
  
  
• Michigan Polonia. Polish research.
  
  
• Michigan State Census 1894 – (FamilySearch) Name index of the Michigan state census taken in June 1894. Due to destroyed and missing records, in addition to a partial acquisition of records, this collection includes the following counties: Barry, Benzie, Bay, Dickinson, Emmet, Gratiot, Ingham, Iosco, Kalamazoo, Kent, Keweenaw, Lapeer, Leelanau, Menominee, Montcalm, and Washtenaw.
   
• Michigan Technological University Archives & Copper Country Historical Collections
   
• Michigan Territorial Census, Detroit, 1827. compiled by F.F.H. Witherell, microfilm of original published by the Michigan State Library, 1960. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1973, FHL film #927477.
   
• Michigan Vital Records. Michigan birth, death and marriage records since 1867; Michigan divorce records since 1897.
   
• Michigan Vital Records: Adoptees Requesting a Birth Record.
   
• Mount Clemens City Directory Master Index. Business and personal names, 1896 to 1897, 1899 to 1906, 1911 to 1920. Ongoing.
   
• Muskegon County Death Index. 1867 to 1965; in progress.
   
• Newaygo County Local Records Database. Obituaries, marriages, births, anniversaries and military service.
   
• Online Michigan Death Records & Indexes. Guide to Web sites.
   
• Prins, Edward. Dutch and German ships : passenger lists, 1846-1856. [Holland, Mich.?] : E. Prins, 1972.ca. 300 leaves.  Many of those on the passenger lists settled in Holland, Michigan; no name index.
   
• Public Libraries of Saginaw Obituary Index. The Public Libraries of Saginaw maintains an index of over 200,000 obituaries from the Saginaw News.
   
• Russell, Donna Valley, editor. Michigan Censuses, 1710-1830, Under the French, British and Americans. Detroit, Michigan: Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, 1982.
   
• St. Joseph County Death Index. 1867 to 1929; 1997 to 1998.
   
• St. Joseph, Michigan Marriage Index, 1889-1925
   
• Saginaw County Death and Marriage Indexes. 1995 to present.
   
• Saginaw News Obituary Index. More than 200,000 obituaries. Project is ongoing.
   
• Sault Ste. Marie Evening News Index. Evening News, 1888 to present; other Sault Ste. Marie papers, 1887 to 1903. Ongoing.
   
• Southwest Michigan Obituary Index. More than 70,000 entries through 2000. Includes newspapers from Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties. Project is ongoing.
   
• Statewide Search for Subdivision Plats. Includes all plats in the State of Michigan beginning with the plats created under the 1821 territorial act for recording town plats. From the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth.
   
• Tuscola County Death Index. About 1872 to 1902
   
• Washtenaw County Clerk/Register's Office. Death index, 1960 to present; marriage index, 1965 to present.
   
• Western Michigan Genealogical Society Online Databases. Indexes to marriages, obituaries and more.
   
• Western Michigan University Archives and Regional History.