Michigan Archives and Libraries
United States Michigan
Archives and Libraries
These repositories preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Michigan.
Statewide
702 W. Kalamazoo St.
P.O. Box 30007
Lansing, MI 48909-7507
Telephone: 517-373-1300
Email: librarian@michigan.gov
Internet: Library of Michigan
Hours: Monday - Friday 10 am - 5 pm
- 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.[1]
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
Internet: Michigan Historical Center - Archives
- 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.[1]
- 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.[1]
Regional
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.[1]
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 They also have many unpublished family histories, research aids like indexes and cemetery <g class="gr_ gr_133 gr-alert gr_gramm Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="133" data-gr-id="133">guides,</g> and an obituary collection. Their family folder collection is large, as is their very good newspaper collection.[1]
- The Burton Historical Collection contains records pertaining to Detroit’s history from her days as a <g class="gr_ gr_131 gr-alert gr_spell ContextualSpelling multiReplace" id="131" data-gr-id="131">17th century</g> 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 <g class="gr_ gr_129 gr-alert gr_gramm Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="129" data-gr-id="129">is:</g>
- 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.[1]
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.[1]
Grace Dow Memorial Library
- This small library can boast some good genealogical indexes. Many of their references <g class="gr_ gr_127 gr-alert gr_spell ContextualSpelling" id="127" data-gr-id="127">are to</g> early settlers coming through Saginaw Bay into Michigan.[1]
Michigan State University Library
- They have a great manuscript collection. They also have newspapers, and unpublished pioneer, logger, and early settler records. [1]
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.[1]
Outside Michigan
Allen County Public Library900 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[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]
7358 S. Pulaski Rd.
Chicago, IL 60629-5898
Telephone: (773)948-9001
Fax: (773)948-9050
E-mail: chicago.archives@nara.gov
Internet: http://www.archives.gov/great-lakes/
- Includes federal censuses 1790–1930; selected military service indexes, pension indexes, passenger lists, and naturalizations. Free computers for Ancestry, Heritage Quest, or Fold3. <g class="gr_ gr_144 gr-alert gr_gramm Grammar multiReplace" id="144" data-gr-id="144">Federal</g> agency, civil, and criminal court records of Michigan.[5]
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.[6] They have over 17,000 printed genealogies. The collection is noteworthy for its colonial America, especially New England holdings. They have <g class="gr_ gr_149 gr-alert gr_gramm Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="149" data-gr-id="149">church</g>, 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 <g class="gr_ gr_148 gr-alert gr_gramm Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="148" data-gr-id="148">histories,</g> and <g class="gr_ gr_147 gr-alert gr_gramm Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="147" data-gr-id="147">strong</g> collection of county histories from the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. Their Civil War unit histories collection is one of the best.[7] 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[8] Since this index is old, be sure to use the online guide sheet to this collection before using the source.
- Genealogy Collection Guides and Research Tools for more information about the collections.
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 <g class="gr_ gr_126 gr-alert gr_gramm Grammar multiReplace" id="126" data-gr-id="126">discover</g> 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.[1]
Online Records
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.
- <g class="gr_ gr_157 gr-alert gr_gramm Grammar multiReplace" id="157" data-gr-id="157">University</g> of Michigan Library, "Finding Archives and Manuscripts: Identifying Collections"
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 William Dollarhide, and Ronald A. Bremer, America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers (Bountiful, UT: Heritage Quest, 1988), 61. At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 J54d.
- ↑ Allen County Public Library in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 28 April 2010).
- ↑ Genealogy Center in Allen County Public Library (accessed 28 April 2010).
- ↑ Genealogy Center Collections in Genealogy Center (accessed 27 February 2015).
- ↑ Genealogy in National Archives at Chicago (accessed 27 February 2014).
- ↑ Genealogy and Local History in The Newberry (accessed 27 February 2015).
- ↑ Dollarhide and Bremer, 39.
- ↑ The Genealogical Index of the Newberry Library. Boston, Massachusetts: G.K. Hall, 1960. WorldCat 83367401 FHL films 928135–928137 and FHL book 973 D22n vols. 1–4
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