Michigan Archives and Libraries

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The FamilySearch moderator for Michigan is Sallyrose1.

United States

U.S. Archives and Libraries

Michigan

Archives and Libraries

These repositories preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Michigan.

Wiki Articles on Major Repositories in Michigan

Archives of Michigan · Library of Michigan · Detroit Public Library · National Archives at Chicago · Newberry Library · Allen County Public Library

Online Records of Michigan

Links to online databases and indexes that may include vital records, biographies, cemeteries, censuses, histories, immigration records, land records, maps, military records, naturalizations, newspapers, obituaries, or probate records.

National Repositories

National Archives at Chicago 7358 S. Pulaski Rd. Chicago, IL 60629-5898 Telephone: (773)948-9001 Fax: (773)948-9050 Website Email Includes federal censuses 1790–1930; selected military service indexes, pension indexes, passenger lists, and naturalizations. Free computers for Ancestry, Heritage Quest, or Fold3. Federal agency, civil, and criminal court records of Michigan. Statewide Repositories Library of Michigan 702 W. Kalamazoo St. P.O. Box 30007 Lansing, MI 48909-7507 Telephone: 517-373-1300 Website Email Hours: Monday - Friday 10 am - 5 pm, Saturday 10 am - 4 pm, closed State holidays A well-rounded and comprehensive genealogy collection with periodicals, county histories, and family histories for Michigan. Also includes good collections for states contributing to the Michigan population, such as Ohio, New York, and New England states. Seeking MichiganIncludes death and census records and more, with more than a million records. 'Western Michigan Genealogical Socitey, online searchable database. Online Searchable DatabaseIndexes marriage, deaths, obituaries, school census and more. Michigan Genealogical Council for a listing of Michigan Genealogical Societies Michigan Historical Center Archives 702 W. Kalamazoo Street Lansing, Michigan 48913 Telephone: 517-373-1408 Email: archives@michigan.gov Hours: Monday - Friday 1 - 5 pm, Saturday 10 am - 4 pm, closed State holidays Internet: Michigan Historical Center - Archives Michigan Historical Center Facebook They have early state records like land, licenses, notaries, probates, and Michigan department records. They also have records of every county in Michigan, especially vital records, deeds, and probate records.

• The Michigan Genealogical Council has published Guide to the Michigan Genealogical and Historical Collections at the Library of Michigan and the State Archives of Michigan. This book is organized by county and then by towns within the county. It lists county and church histories, atlases, censuses, newspapers, vital records, indexes to transcribed cemetery records, land records, probate records, naturalization records, church records, genealogical and historical society newsletters, and various other genealogical materials located at the two facilities. The book is also available at the FHL film 2055576 item 9; book 977.4 A3g both in book and microfilm. (See the "Societies" section for the address of the Michigan Genealogical Council.)
  
  

Historical Society of Michigan

This society has some county records which can be found nowhere else. They also have genealogies, Bibles, cemetery transcripts, newspapers, and obituaries.

Regional Repositories

Central Michigan University Park Library

This lesser-known facility has plenty of records of Michigan settlers in family folders, published genealogies, periodicals, newspapers, published court records, and American Indian sources.

Detroit Public Main Library

5201 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48202
Telephone: 313-481-1401

This is home to the Burton Historical Collection and to the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research. They also have many unpublished family histories, research aids like indexes and cemetery guides, and an obituary collection. Their family folder collection is large, as is their very good newspaper collection.

The Burton Historical Collection contains records pertaining to Detroit’s history from her days as a 17th century settlement to present day, with information about the Great Lakes Region including the role of Canada, the French and English influence. There are atlases, maps, photographs, pamphlets, bound newspapers, personal papers and much more. Some Vital records such as marriage, birth and death records are available. Federal population schedules along with family histories, personal papers, immigration records, some Detroit high school yearbooks, probate indexes and records plus city directories for most years and other supporting resources are also available. An inventory guide to this collection is:

• Bernice Cox Sprenger, Guide to the Manuscripts in the Burton Historical Collection (Detroit, Mich.: Detroit Public Library, 1985). At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 977.4 A3sb.

Flint Public Library

This library has genealogical books, periodicals, and family folders for residents from all over Michigan. Their collection is also good for the upper Midwest, New England, and Ontario.

Grand Rapids Public Main Library

Their genealogy collection is very good. They probably have more unpublished family histories than any other repository in Michigan because they have actively solicited family histories for many years.

Grace Dow Memorial Library

This small library can boast some good genealogical indexes. Many of their references are to early settlers coming through Saginaw Bay into Michigan.

Michigan State University Library

They have a great manuscript collection. They also have newspapers, and unpublished pioneer, logger, and early settler records.

University of Michigan Bentley Library
Bentley Historical Library
University of Michigan
1150 Beal Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2113
Telephone: 313-764-3482

This is a huge manuscript library with many unpublished histories, biographies, travel guides, and newspapers.

Outside of Michigan Repositories

Allen County Public Library

900 Library Plaza
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Telephone: 260-421-1225
E-mail: genealogy@acpl.info

This is the second-largest genealogy collection in the United States and the largest genealogy collection in a public library. Its holdings include more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items on microfilm and microfiche. It has a premier genealogical periodical collection, local histories, genealogies, databases, military, censuses, directories, passenger lists, ethnic sources, and Canadians. They have a great Michigan collection.

Newberry Library

60 West Waltron Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Telephone: 312-255-3512
Email: reference@newberry.org.
Internet: Newberry Library

A large Chicago repository with genealogies, local histories, censuses, military, land, indexes, vital records, court, and tax records some from Michigan, the Mississippi Valley, eastern seaboard, Canada, and the British Isles. They have over 17,000 printed genealogies. The collection is noteworthy for its colonial America, especially New England holdings. They have church, town, and county histories from all parts of the United States, Canada, and the British Isles. This includes a comprehensive set of New England town records and a strong collection of county histories from the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. Their Civil War unit histories collection is one of the best. This library has research guides on various subjects related to genealogy and library holdings cataloged from 1978.  See

• Genealogy Collection Guides and Research Tools for more information about the collections. 
  
• A surname index to genealogical periodicals and local history books in the Newberry Library was completed in 1915 and published as The Genealogical Index of the Newberry Library Since this index is old, be sure to use the online guide sheet to this collection before using the source.
  
  

Library and Archives Canada

395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N4
CANADA

• Telephone: 613-996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 (toll-free in Canada and the US)
  
• TTY: 613-992-6969 or 1-866-299-1699 (toll-free in Canada)
  
• Fax: 613-995-6274
  

E-mail: Genealogy and Family History inquiry form
Internet: LAC Internet Site the collection, genealogy and family history, censuses, military records, research by topics, copies and visiting, services and programs, forum, news, photo gallery.

Many Michigan settlers had their origins in Canada. Significant records from this collection may be about immigrants to Michigan including land, military, estates, tax lists, and church records. They are open 24/7.

Guides

• Wystan Stevens, Directory of Historical Collections and Societies in Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Historical Society of Michigan, 1973). At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Film 924606 item 13; Book 977.4 H24s.
• University of Michigan Library, "Finding Archives and Manuscripts: Identifying Collections"

References