Van Buren County, Michigan Genealogy
Guide to Van Buren County, Michigan ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
The county was named for Martin Van Buren before he became president. He was US Secretary of State and later Vice President under President Andrew Jackson. The county is located in the southwest area of the state. [1]
County Courthouse
Van Buren County Courthouse
212 E Paw Paw St.
Paw Paw, MI 49079-1492
Phone: 616-657-8218
Van Buren County Website
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1836, divorce and court records from 1837.
Probate Court has probate records.
Register of Deeds has land records. [2]
Van Buren 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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1867 | 1836 | 1867 | 1837 | 1836 | 1837 | 1820 |
Record Loss
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline
Additional Information
The county is named after President Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) who was serving as United States Secretary of War at the time of the county's formation.[6]
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 5 | — |
| 1850 | 1,910 | 38100.0% |
| 1860 | 5,800 | 203.7% |
| 1870 | 15,224 | 162.5% |
| 1880 | 28,829 | 89.4% |
| 1890 | 30,807 | 6.9% |
| 1900 | 30,541 | −0.9% |
| 1910 | 33,185 | 8.7% |
| 1920 | 30,715 | −7.4% |
| 1930 | 32,637 | 6.3% |
| 1940 | 35,111 | 7.6% |
| 1950 | 39,184 | 11.6% |
| 1960 | 48,395 | 23.5% |
| 1970 | 56,173 | 16.1% |
| 1980 | 66,814 | 18.9% |
| 1990 | 70,060 | 4.9% |
| 2000 | 76,263 | 8.9% |
| 2010 | 76,258 | −0.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
- 1850-1880 Michigan Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - FamilySearch Historical Records|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.
- 1819-1991 Michigan, Church Records, 1819-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
- 1844-1897 Van Buren County, Michigan, Circuit Court Index, 1844-1897. By Van Buren County, Michigan. Van Buren County, Michigan : Van Buren County, Michigan, 1844-1897. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- 1848-1939 Chancery Records, ca. 1848-1939(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust Digital Library — images
- 1869 Van Buren County Gazetteer and Business Directory at Michigan County Histories
- 1916 Directory of Van Buren County, Michigan, (with a Complete Road Map of the County). By Wilmer Atkinson Company. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Wilmer Atkinson Company, 1916. 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
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
- Adams Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Paw Paw.
- Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes in Paw Paw.
- Calvin Funeral Home in Hartford.
- D.L. Miller Funeral Home, Inc. in Bangor, Bloomingdale and Gobles.
- Starks Funeral Homes and Cremation Services in Decatur and South Haven.
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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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.
- The Michigan County Histories and Atlases Digitization Project is comprised of 428 digitized titles (many composed of multiple volumes) published before 1923.
- A History of Van Buren County, Michigan: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests, Volume 1. Oran W. Rowland, Lewis Publishing Company, 1912 also at Michigan County Histories
- A History of Van Buren County, Michigan: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests, Volume 2. Oran W. Rowland, Lewis Publishing Company, 1912. also at Michigan County Histories
- History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With ... biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers. Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885., Johnson, Crisfield., D.W. Ensign & Co. Philadelphia: D. W. Ensign & Co., 1880.
- Portrait and biographical record of Kalamazoo, Allegan and Van Buren counties, Michigan, containing biographical sketches of ... citizens ... governors of the state, and ... presidents of the United States. Chapman Brothers. Chicago: Chapman brothers, 1892
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
- 1860 - Map of the counties of Cass, Van Buren, and Berrien Michigan
- 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust, images – includes business directories for towns across the state
- 1873 - Atlas of Van Buren County, Michigan / from actual surveys by and under the directions of D. J. Lake; assisted by B. N. Griffing...[et al.]. Lake, D. J., Griffing, B. N., Titus, C. O., Bourquin, F. (Frederick), b. 1808., Worley & Bracher. Philadelphia: C.O. Titus, 1873.
- 1895 - Illustrated atlas of Van Buren County, Michigan / compiled from official records and local inspections by the Kace Publishing Company, 1895, Wangersheim, S. Racine, Wis.
- 1912 - Standard Atlas of Van Buren County, Michigan : including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county, map of the state, United States and world, patrons directory, reference business directory and departments devoted to general information ... / compiled and published by Chicago: Geo. A. Ogle & Co., 1912
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
Civil War
Civil War service men from Van Buren 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 Van Buren County.
- - 12th Regiment, Michigan Infantry, Company H
- - 70th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C
- 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
- Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University
- 1800s-Current Michigan, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Obituaries
- Southwest Michigan Obituary Index from the earliest date to 2000.
- 1820-2006 Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Other Records
Voting Records
- 1850-Onward Michigan Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
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
- 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
- 1837-1845 Record of Intestate Proceedings, 1837-1845(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1839-1960 General Probate Index, Vols. 1-2, 1839-1960(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1845-1866 Record of Guardianship, 1845-1866(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1846-1912 Court Cases, 1846-1912(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1848-1874 Record of Wills, 1848-1874(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1848-1915 Probate Journal, Vols. 1-3, 1848-1915(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1852-1895 Assessment Rolls, 1852-1895(*); County Treasurer at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1859-1904 Probate Records Concerning Real Estate Sales, 1859-1904(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1860-1920 Records of Administrators, Executors, Guardians, Appraisers in Estates of Deceased Persons, 1860-1920(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1864-1906 Petition for Assignment of Dower, 1864-1906(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1865-1904 Record of Wills, 1865-1904(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1879-1916 Record of Mortgages on Estates of Deceased Persons, 1879-1916(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1887-1907 Miscellaneous Orders of Adoption, 1887-1907(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
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
- 1867-1917 Michigan, County Births, 1867-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1867-1902 Michigan Births, 1867-1902 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 ($)
- 1868-1925 Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Death
- 1850-1880 Michigan Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch -How to Use this Collection
- 1867-1897 Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1867-1952 Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
- 1897-1952 Michigan Death Records at Michiganology - index & images, organized by county and then last name.
Divorce
- 1897-1952 Michigan, Divorce Records, 1897-1952 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Van Buren 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
- Hartford Public Library - an affiliate library
- Van Buren District Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Van Buren County. For state-wide library facilities, see Michigan Archives and Libraries.
Van Buren District Library
200 N Phelps St
Decatur, MI 49045
Phone: 269-423-4771
Email: info@vbdl.org
Website
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Van Buren County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Michigan Societies.
Van Buren County Historical Society
58471 Red Arrow Hwy
PO Box 452
Hartford, MI 49057
Phone: 269-621-2188
Facebook
Facebook
Van Buren Regional Genealogical Society
12 Church St
PO Box 243
Decatur, MI 49057
Phone: 269-588-5103
Email:VBRGS@VBRGS.ORG
Website
Facebook
Websites
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- Van Buren County, MI-Roots Michigan Roots is a member of the PA-Roots family of websites.
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- Van Buren 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.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Van Buren County, Georgia" in wikipedia accessed 8 Nov 2018
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Van Buren County, Michigan," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, wikipedia accessed 14 November 2019.
- ↑ "Martin Van Buren," Wikipedia.