Kent County, Michigan Genealogy

United States

Michigan

Kent County

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

This article is about a county in the state of Michigan. For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation).

Michigan Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Grand Rapids Organized: 4 April 1836 Parent County(s): Mackinac Neighboring Counties Allegan • Barry • Ionia • Montcalm • Muskegon • Newaygo • Ottawa See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

The county was named for James Kent, who represented the Michigan Territory in its dispute with Ohio over the Toledo Strip. The county is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse

Kent County Courthouse
300 Monroe Ave. NW.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: 616-632-7590
Kent County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1845 and burial records from 1959.
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1867.
Probate Court has probate records; Register of Deeds has land records.

Kent 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
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1867	1845	1867	1867	1860	1898	1820
*Statewide registration started in 1867 for births and deaths. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

1844 Courthouse was destroyed by fire, but there is no indication regarding lost records. The offices of the County Clerk, Register and Treasurer were never kept in the replacement buildings. Beginning in 1852, the county rented rooms in the city for county offices.
1860 Rented rooms used by the county were destroyed by fire; county records were lost.

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

• Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle.
• When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog.
• Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
• List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

1831--Kent County was created 2 March 1831 from Mackinac County and unorganized territory. It was organized 4 April 1836. County seat: Grand Rapids 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:

Cities
Cedar Springs East Grand Rapids Grand Rapids	Grandville Kentwood Lowell	Rockford Walker Wyoming
Villages
Caledonia Casnovia	Kent City Sand Lake	Sparta
Unincorporated communities
Ada Alaska Alto	Belmont Cannonsburg Cascade	Dutton
Census-designated places
Byron Center Comstock Park	Cutlerville Forest Hills	Northview
Townships
Ada Algoma Alpine Bowne Byron Caledonia Cannon	Cascade Courtland Gaines Grand Rapids Grattan Lowell Nelson	Oakfield Plainfield Solon Sparta Spencer Tyrone Vergennes

History Timeline

• The earliest permanent settler in Kent County was Rix Robinson. Born in Berkshire, Massachusetts in 1789, he came to Michigan to avoid the draft during the War of 1812. Working initially at Detroit, in 1820, the American Fur Company chose Robinson to be their central fur trader in west Michigan when Madeline La Framboise retired to Mackinac Island. He took over her trading post located where the Grand River meets the Thornapple River in what is now known as Ada, Kent, Michigan. In 1821 Robinson married an Ottawa woman, Pee-miss-a-quot-oquay. They had one son, John R. Robinson born March 5, 1826. She and Rix separated, and she died of consumption in 1848. By 1827, Robinson was successfully managing twenty trading posts along the shores of Lake Michigan. Robinson was elected township supervisor when Kent County was established in 1831.
  
• By the time Michigan joined the union in 1837, Robinson, who was a wealthy man, had closed all his trading posts and was appointed to the State Board of Commissioners of Internal Improvements. He was a Michigan State Senator from 1847 to 1849, representing Kent County. During that time he presented a bill to give women the right to vote. It was defeated during the drafting of the state constitution of 1850, but in a step forward in the women's rights movement, a bill allowing married women the right to control property they owned prior to marriage did pass. He was a delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention of 1850 and a presidential elector. He was a strong contender for governor but declined the nomination because his second wife, Se-be-quay, a native American, would not have been accepted as a governor's wife. Rix Robinson died of consumption January 12, 1875. He is buried in Ada, Michigan.
  

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Kent County, Michigan online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find a Grave USGenWeb MIGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project MIInterment BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com FamilySearch Places
See Michigan Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	2,587	—
1850	12,016	364.5%
1860	30,716	155.6%
1870	50,403	64.1%
1880	73,253	45.3%
1890	109,922	50.1%
1900	129,714	18.0%
1910	159,145	22.7%
1920	183,041	15.0%
1930	240,511	31.4%
1940	246,338	2.4%
1950	288,292	17.0%
1960	363,187	26.0%
1970	411,044	13.2%
1980	444,506	8.1%
1990	500,631	12.6%
2000	574,335	14.7%
2010	602,622	4.9%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

State Census

• 1850-1880 Michigan Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1894 Michigan State Census, 1894 at FamilySearch. This is one of 16 counties that have a full, searchable census with links to images. - How to Use this Collection
• 1894 Michigan Department of State. Census of the State of Michigan, 1894. Vol 3. Lansing, MI: R. Smith & co., state printers, 1896. (Civil War veterans only) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library

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. AR

• 1819-1991 Michigan, Church Records, 1819-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Grand Rapids

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Court Records

• 1875-1919 Chancery Records, 1875-1919(*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1880-1921 Chancery Records, 1880-1921(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Directories

• 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust Digital Library — images
  
• 1870 History and directory of Kent County, Michigan : containing a history of each township, and the city of Grand Rapids at FamilySearch
  
• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
  

Emigration and Immigration

• 1929-1966 Michigan, Crew Lists for various ports, 1929-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Funeral Homes

• Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuaries in Grand Rapids and Walker.
• Barto and Son Funeral Home in Grand Rapids.
• Beuschel Funeral Home in Comstock Park.
• Brown's Funeral Home Ltd. in Grand Rapids.
• Cook Funeral and Cremation Services in Byron Center and Grandville.
• Gerst Funeral Care in Lowell and Grand Rapids.
• Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes in Grand Rapids.
• Ivy K. Gillespie Memorial Chapel in Grand Rapids.
• Grand Rapids Cremation Services in Grand Rapids.
• K.E. Pike Funeral Home in Cedar Springs.
• Memorial Alternatives in Grand Rapids.
• Metcalf and Jonkhoff Funeral Service in Grand Rapids.
• Michigan Cremation and Funeral Care in Grand Rapids.
• MKD Funeral Homes in Belmont, Caledonia, Grandville, Kentwood and Wyoming
• Neptune Society in Grand Rapids.
• Ofield Funeral Home in Grand Rapids.
• Pederson Funeral Home in Rockford and Sparta.
• Plaisier Funeral Home Inc. in Rockford and Sparta.
• Reyers North Valley Chapel in Grand Rapids.
• Stroo Funeral Home in Grand Rapids.
• Zaagman Memorial Chapel in Grand Rapids.

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 Kent County courthouse and where records are currently housed.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Kent 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

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
• 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust, images – includes business directories for towns across the state
  
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

Civil War
Civil War service men from Kent 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 Kent County.

- 1st Regiment, Engineers and Mechanics, Michigan - Companies A, B, C, D, F, and Company unassigned

- 1st Regiment, New York Veteran Cavalry, Company K

• 1861-1865 Record of Service of the Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War 1861-1865 at Michiganology — images, multiple volumes organized alphabetically by surname
• 1876-1945 Michigan, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1876-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1894 - Michigan Department of State. Census of the State of Michigan, 1894. Vol 3. Lansing, MI: R. Smith & co., state printers, 1896. (Civil War veterans only) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
• Michigan, Civil War Centennial Observance Commission, Committee on Civil War Grave Registration, Burial Records at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War I

• 1917-1919 Michigan, Census of World War I Veterans with Card Index, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1837-1993 Michigan, Eastern and Western Districts, Naturalization Records, 1837-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers

• 1800s-Current Michigan, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1894-1916 - Grand Rapids Public Library Digital Collection, Grand Rapids Herald 1894-1916 Website
• Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University

Obituaries

• 1820-2006 Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Other Records

Voting Records

• 1850-Onward Michigan Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

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

• 1784-1980 Michigan, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1784-1980 at Ancestry.com ($) — index & images
• 1797-1973 Michigan Probate Records 1797-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
• 1835-1906 Record of Deeds, 1835-1906; Index, 1835-1899(*); Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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

• 1867-1902 Michigan Births, 1867-1902 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1867-1917 Michigan, County Births, 1867-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

• 1585-1945 Michigan, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
• 1820-1937 Michigan, County Marriages Index, 1820-1937 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1820-1940 Michigan, County Marriages, 1820-1940 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1828-Onward Michigan Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
• 1868-1925 Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Death

• 1850-1880 Michigan Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch and images. - How to Use this Collection
• 1867-1897 Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
• 1867-1952 Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
• 1897-1952 Michigan Death Records at Michiganology - index & images, organized by county and then last name.
• 1935-2019 Michigan, Kent County Death Index, 1935-2019 at MyHeritage - index

Divorce

• 1897-1952 Michigan, Divorce Records, 1897-1952 at Ancestry ($) — index & images

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Kent 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

• Grand Rapids Michigan FamilySearch Center
• Greenville Michigan FamilySearch Center
• Lansing Michigan FamilySearch Center
• Library of Michigan - an affiliate library
• Hackley Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

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

Grand Rapids Public Library
111 Library St NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: 616-988-5400
Website
Facebook

Societies

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

Algoma Township Historical Society
10531 Algoma Ave NE
Rockford, MI 49341
Phone: 616-433-1425
Website
Facebook

Bowne Township Historical Commission
11735 92nd St
PO Box 35
Alto, MI 49302
Email: srjohnson4@charter.net
Website
Facebook

Byron Center Museum and Historical Society
2506 Prescott St SW
PO Box 20
Byron Center, MI 49315
Phone: 616-878-0888
Email: byronmuseum@sbcglobal.net
Website
Facebook

Caledonia Historical Society
PO Box 110
Caledonia, MI 49316
Phone: 616-891-5682
Email: Caledoniahistoricalsociety@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Cascade Historical Society
2865 Thornhills Dr SE
Grand Rapids MI 49506
Phone: 616-949-1500
Email: cascadehistory@yahoo.com
Website

Kent City Area Historical Society
PO Box 11
Kent City, MI 49330
Phone: 616-262-7598
Website

Oakfield Pioneer Heritage Society and Museum
11009 Podunk Rd NE
Greenville, MI 48838
Phone: 616-754-1970
Website
Facebook

Websites

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

• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
• Western Michigan Genealogical Society, founded in 1954
• Kent County MI Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

County boundary maps are currently unavailable. Download information instead.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

Due to contractual agreements, some images and/or databases on FamilySearch.org may only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.

Users should verify which locations and dates are included in this collection.

“Current” indicates records are available as recently as privacy laws allow. This date can change from year to year. To determine the exact dates available, contact the respective organization/repository.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.