Crawford County, Michigan Genealogy

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Guide to Crawford County, Michigan ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Grayling
Organized: March 22, 1879
Parent County(s): Mackinac[1]
Neighboring Counties
AntrimKalkaskaMissaukeeMontmorencyOgemawOscodaOtsegoRoscommon
See County Maps
Courthouse
Michigan, Crawford County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Michigan, Crawford County Locator Map.png

County Information

Description

The county was named for William Crawford. The county is located in the north-central area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Crawford County Courthouse
200 W Michigan Ave.
Grayling, MI 49738-1746
Phone: 989-348-3200
Crawford County Website

County Clerk has birth and probate from 1879, marriage, death and divorce records from 1878, court records from 1881 and land records from 1863. [3]

Crawford County, Michigan Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1879 1878 1878 1881 1863 1879 1820
*Statewide registration started in 1867 for births and deaths. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

  • 1840--Crawford County was created 1 April 1840 from Mackinac County.It was formerly Shawano County, until the name was changed to Crawford County 8 March 1843. It was attached to Mackinac, Cheboygan, Iosco, Antrim and Kalkaska Counties prior to organization 22 March 1879.
  • County seat: Grayling[5]
  • Michigan Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county
  • Michigan Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Michigan county boundary changes
  • County Evolution In Michigan, 1790-1897, by Richard W. Welch. Lansing, MI: Michigan Department of Education, 1972. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]

Cities
Townships


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Crawford County, Michigan online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Michigan Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1880 1,159
1890 2,962 155.6%
1900 2,943 −0.6%
1910 3,934 33.7%
1920 4,049 2.9%
1930 3,097 −23.5%
1940 3,765 21.6%
1950 4,151 10.3%
1960 4,971 19.8%
1970 6,482 30.4%
1980 9,465 46.0%
1990 12,260 29.5%
2000 14,273 16.4%
2010 14,074 −1.4%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".


State Census

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Michigan denominations, view the Michigan Church Records wiki page.


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Michigan Land and Property for additional information about early Michigan land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the Crawford County courthouse and where records are currently housed.

Online Land Indexes and Records


Local Histories

Local histories are available for Crawford County. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Michigan Local Histories.

Maps and Gazetteers

Antrim CountyOtsego CountyMontmorency CountyKalkaska CountyMissaukee CountyRoscommon CountyOgemaw CountyOscoda CountyMI CRAWFORD.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Civil War
Civil War service men from Crawford County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Crawford County.

World War I

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

Obituaries

Other Records

Voting Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

In most counties in Michigan, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate packets, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.

Online Probate Indexes and Records


School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

Michigan tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the Wiki page, Michigan Taxation.

Vital Records

  • Birth Records and Death Records from 1867 can be obtained from the Michigan Department of Community Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.
  • Marriage Records from 1867 and Divorce Records from 1897 can be obtained from the County Clerk.

Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Crawford County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Michigan Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Crawford County. For state-wide library facilities, see Michigan Archives and Libraries.

Museums

Societies

Listed below are societies in Crawford County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Michigan Societies.

Crawford County Historical Society
97 E Michigan Ave
PO Box 218
Grayling, MI 49738
Phone: 989-745-3493
Email: cchsgrayling@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Lovells Township Historical Society
8405 Twin Bridge Rd
Lovells, MI 49738
Phone: 989-889-5580
Email: lthsmuseums@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Websites

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The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.


Research Guides

References

  1. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Michigan.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. Wikipedia contributors, "Crawford County, Michigan" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, wikipedia
  3. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Michigan.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Michigan.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Michigan.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. Wikipedia contributors, "Crawford County, Michigan," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, wikipedia accessed 12 September 2019.