| Sorted by Michigan census & voter lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Michigan, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1827-1870 | 299,144 |
| Michigan, U.S., State Census, 1894 | 173,120 |
| U.S., Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 | 171,563 |
| Statistical Returns from the Census of the State of Michigan, 1894 | 2,351 |
| Statistical Returns from the Census of the State of Michigan, 1904 | 1,647 |
| View all Michigan census & voter lists (8) |
| Sorted by Michigan birth, marriage & death | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Michigan, U.S., Marriage Records, 1867-1952 | 15,032,931 |
| Michigan, U.S., Death Records, 1867-1952 | 8,380,545 |
| U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 | 4,566,787 |
| Michigan, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1822-1940 | 4,451,095 |
| U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947 | 3,655,095 |
| View all Michigan birth, marriage & death (51) |
| Sorted by Michigan military | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 | 54,144,553 |
| U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 | 14,501,913 |
| Record of service of Michigan volunteers in the Civil War, 1861-1865 | 7,479 |
| Michigan casualties, World War | 2,901 |
| Statistical Returns from the Census of the State of Michigan, 1894 | 2,351 |
| View all Michigan military (47) |
| Sorted by Michigan immigration & emigration | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Index to Alien Arrivals at Canadian Atlantic and Pacific Seaports, 1904-1944 | 4,355,886 |
| Michigan, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1887-1931 | 521,006 |
| Michigan, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1903-1965Free | 377,263 |
| U.S., Applications for Seaman's Protection Certificates, 1916-1940 | 320,331 |
| Michigan, U.S., Index to Eastern District Naturalizations, 1837-1903 | 60 |
| View other immigration & emigration collections related to Michigan (47) |
| Sorted by Michigan newspapers & periodicals | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Michigan, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current | 323,066,462 |
| Marriages and deaths mentioned in the Lansing state republican, 1855-1870 | 94 |
| View other newspapers & periodicals collections related to Michigan (40) |
| Sorted by Michigan pictures | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| There are no pictures collections unique to Michigan | |
| View other pictures collections related to Michigan (15) |
| Sorted by Michigan directories & member lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 | 465,389 |
| U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970 | 210,143 |
| U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970 | 52,945 |
| Northern Michigan, U.S., Newspaper Surname Index, 1890-1934Free | 52,145 |
| Polk's Bay City directory, year ending October 15th, 1906 | 1,098 |
| View all Michigan directories & member lists (19) |
| Sorted by Michigan court, land, wills & financial | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Michigan, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1784-1980 | 423,278 |
| U.S., Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 | 171,563 |
| Michigan, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 | 160,962 |
| Trial of Charles A. Edmonds, commissioner of the Land Office of the state of Michigan | 1,890 |
| The laws of the Northwest Territory, 1788-1800 | 616 |
| View all Michigan court, land, wills & financial (18) |
| Sorted by Michigan dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Alphabetical general index to public library sets of 85,271 names of Michigan soldiers and sailors individual records | 1,081 |
| Bibliography of the printed maps of Michigan, 1804-1880 | 503 |
| Cyclopedia of Michigan | 482 |
| A trip through the lakes of North America | 392 |
| Trouting on the Burlé River, or, Summer-wayfaring in the northern wilderness | 294 |
| View all Michigan dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference (22) |
| Sorted by Michigan maps, atlases & gazetteers | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| There are no maps, atlases & gazetteers collections unique to Michigan | |
| View other maps, atlases & gazetteers collections related to Michigan (7) |
| Sorted by Michigan stories, memories & histories | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Record of service of Michigan volunteers in the Civil War, 1861-1865 | 7,479 |
| Michigan, a centennial history of the state and its people | 3,341 |
| Michigan casualties, World War | 2,901 |
| Statistical Returns from the Census of the State of Michigan, 1894 | 2,351 |
| Trial of Charles A. Edmonds, commissioner of the Land Office of the state of Michigan | 1,890 |
| View all Michigan stories, memories & histories (309) |
A genealogical history
Statehood: 26 January 1837
Capital: Lansing
Largest City: Detroit
Counties: 83
State motto: Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam, Circumspice (If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you)
State nickname: Great Lakes State, Wolverine State
Neighboring states: Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana
Ford Motor Company, Detroit, Michigan, c. 1917
Interesting facts
- Sault Ste. Marie is the oldest settlement in Michgan and one of the oldest continuous settlements in the U.S. First explored by French missionaries and fur traders, Jesuit missionary, Fr. Jacques Marquette named the settlement.
- Fort Ponchartrain (now Detroit) was established in 1701 to enable trade on the Great Lakes and to defend the then-French territory.
- Michigan borders on four of the five Great Lakes and is home to 124 lighthouses.
Featured Michigan collections
Famous people
Help and advice
Resources
Michigan Census Research
Federal censuses in Michigan began in 1820, and were taken every ten years after that. The 1820 census includes only the seven counties of Brown, Crawford, Macomb, Michilimackinack, Monroe, Oakland and Wayne.
Although many state and territorial censuses were taken in Michigan, including the censuses of 1845, 1854, 1864, 1874, 1884, and 1894, few of these records survive.
Michigan Vital Records
- Michigan Vital Records Office: Holds records of births and deaths after January 1867, and marriages after April 1867. Marriages prior to that time may be found at the county level.
- Michigan State Archives
- Seeking Michigan: This growing digital archive of Michigan records includes images of Michigan death records from 1897-1920.
Michigan Research Resources
The organizations listed below provide information about Michigan history and genealogy. In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.
Statewide Research Resources
- Archives of Michigan
- Library of Michigan - Family History page
- Historical Society of Michigan
- Michigan Genealogical Council
- Michigan GenWeb
- Michigan County Histories and Atlases: Digitized, searchable collections of more than 420 titles published before 1923.
- The National Archives at Chicago: This facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in Michigan, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) General Land Office Records: The BLM administers Federal Land for public land states including Michigan, and maintains records of land patents which granted land from the Federal Government to individuals. Use the Land Patent Search to locate land grants by name. Many record images are available on the web site. See the FAQ for more information on how to locate and use land patents.
Specialty and Regional Research
- Detroit Public Library - Burton Historical Collection
- Detroit Society for Genealogical Research
- Wayne County GenWeb
- Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca 1820-1910: This digital archive from the Library of Congress’ American Memory project uses information from first-person accounts, local histories, biographies, and other sources to describe life in the upper midwest in the early nineteenth to early twentieth centuries.