Wayne County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
Wayne County was named for the U.S. general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. The county is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Wayne County Courthouse 201 City Court Bldg Wayne, MI 48226 Phone: 313-224-6262 Wayne County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records for events that occurred in all of Wayne County. Wayne County Clerk Records Division at Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit, has marriage and divorce records. Probate Court at Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit, has probate records for all of Wayne County and the City of Detroit. Register of Deeds has land records for all of Wayne County and the City of Detroit.

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:

History Timeline
Additional Information The county is named after Revolutionary War General "Mad" Anthony Wayne (1745-1796).

Wayne County is the oldest county in the area known now as the State of Michigan and originally included areas that are counties in their own right. It includes the City of Detroit which was founded by the French on 24 July 1701 and which is now the state's largest.

Cemeteries

 * Old Baptist Cemetery, Plymouth
 * Presbyterian Cemetery, Plymouth
 * Riverside Cemetery, Plymouth
 * Shearer Cemetery, Plymouth
 * Woodmere Cemetery, Detroit 1868-2004 (Research Blog - personal research only. The site is copyrighted
 * Elmwood Cemetery Genealogy Inquiries (cost $)
 * Also available at the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library are:
 * Detroit City Cemetery Burial Records, 1854-1861
 * Elmwood Cemetery Record of Interments, 1846-1992
 * Mt. Elliot Cemetery Record of Interments, 1845-1861, 1865-1997
 * Woodmere Cemetery, 1868-1888

Census Records

 * 1796 - Stuart, Donna Valley. "Detroit 1796 Census," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 69 (1981):185-194. Digital version at National Genealogical Society website ($);.

State Census


 * 1850-1880 - 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

Church Records

 * 1819-1991 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * Detroit Dist
 * Detroit
 * Detroit E.
 * Detroit S.
 * Detroit W.
 * Mack

Lutheran


 * Detroit
 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Detroit, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).


 * Wayne County
 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Wayne County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Catholic

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * A large number of Roman Catholic church records from the Archdiocese of Detroit are available on microfilm at the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library. Depending on the church, the records range from 1704-1930 and can include baptisms, marriages, deaths, first communions, and confirmations.


 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 1861-1923 - Fold3.com by Ancestry.com($) has Detroit City Directories 1861-1923 available online.
 * 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust, images – includes business directories for towns across the state

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1929-1966 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Maps and Gazetteers
Detroit streets were renumbered 1 January 1921 (same house/different numbers). Keep that in mind when looking at various records, such as the US Census.


 * Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
 * Map of Detroit Land Annexation 1806 – 1926
 * 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust, images – includes business directories for towns across the state
 * Detroit annexations 1915-1925 : because of Detroit's annexations 1806-1926, especially during 1915-1925, MANY community names became extinct.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

City maps are often found in city directories.

Military Records
Civil War Civil War service men from Wayne 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 Wayne County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Michigan Cavalry, Companies A, C, G, H, K, and Unassigned Company
 * - 12th Regiment, Michigan Infantry, Unassigned Company
 * - 17th Regiment, Michigan Infantry, Company F


 * 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
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Veteran Burials, Plymouth

World War I


 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1837-1993 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers

 * 1817-1830 - Detroit Gazette at Google News
 * Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University

Obituaries

 * 1820-2006 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Probate Records
Probate records for Wayne County are available on microfilm at the Archives of Michigan, located in the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 W. Kalamazoo Street, Lansing, MI. The Archives holds Wayne County estate case files from 1797-1901 and the Probate calendar books from 1797-1914.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1784-1980 - Michigan Wills and Probate Records 1784-1980 at Ancestry $
 * 1797-1973 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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.

Birth

 * 1867-1902 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1917 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

 * 1585-1945 - Michigan, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
 * 1803-1893 - Wayne County Marriage Returns, 1803-1867 and 1868-1893. Original records are held at the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library. These records include marriages throughout Wayne County, including the City of Detroit.
 * 1820-1937 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1820-1940 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1868-1925 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Death

 * 1867-1897 - at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1897-1952 - Michigan Death Records at Michiganology - index and images, organized by county and then last name.
 * 1934-1953 Wayne County Death Index. An index to original records held at the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library. These records do not include deaths that occurred within the City of Detroit.
 * 1920 - Current - Detroit Death Index. Microfiche index of all deaths occurring in the City of Detroit.
 * Wayne County and Detroit Death Records and Obituaries - A Genealogy Records Guide

Divorce

 * 1897-1952 Michigan, Divorce Records, 1897-1952 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images

Family History Centers

 * Palmer Park Michigan Family History Center
 * Riverview Michigan Family History Center
 * Westland Michigan Family History Center

Libraries
Detroit Public Library 5201 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48202 Phone: 313-481-1300 Website


 * The main Library Location houses the Burton Historical Collection and all the databases.

Museums
Lincoln Park Historical Museum 1335 Southfield Road Lincoln Park, MI 48146 Phone: 313-386-3137 Website

Gayle Sweetwine Saini Memorial Library (JGSMI) Holocaust Memorial Center Library(2nd floor) 28123 Orchard Lake Road Farmington, Hills, MI 48334 Website

Societies

 * Dearborn Genealogical Society PO Box 1112 Dearborn Michigan 48121-1112 E-mail:[mailto:info@dgsmi.org info@dgsmi.org] Website


 * Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Detroit Public Library c/o Burton Historical Collection 5201 Woodward Ave Detroit, MI 48202 Website Facebook


 * Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society P.O. Box 94 Southfield, MI 48037 Email: [mailto:info@fhwgs.org info@fhwgs.org] Website


 * Northville Genealogical Society PO Box 932 Northville, MI 48167-0932 Website


 * Wayne Historical Society PO Box 486 Wayne, MI 48184 (734) 722-0113 Email: [mailto:waynehistoricalsociety@gmail.com waynehistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website Facebook


 * Western Wayne County Genealogical Society PO Box 530063 Livonia, MI 48153-0063 Email: [mailto:info@wwcgs.org info@wwcgs.org] Website Facebook


 * West Side Detroit Polish American Historical Society Detroit, MI Phone: 855-765-6642 Website

Websites

 * Wayne County, MI-Roots Michigan Roots is a member of the PA-Roots family of websites.
 * Wayne County USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Wayne County MI Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – 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.