Alger County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Russell A. Alger. The County has Munising as its seat and the County was created March 17, 1885. The County is located in the north-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Alger County Courthouse 101 Court St. Munising, MI 49862 Phone: 906-387-2076 Alger County Website County Clerk has birth, death and land records from 1884, marriage records from 1887, divorce and court records from 1885. Probate Court has probate records.

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:

Cemeteries

 * 1799-1999 at FamilySearch — index and images

Census Records
Munising School Public Library 810 State Hwy. M-28 West, Ste. A Munising, MI 49862 Phone: 906-387-2125 Facebook website
 * United States Census: Schoolcraft County 1850-1910
 * Alger County 1900-1920; Territory 1820-1840
 * Michigan Indian Census:
 * Bay Mills [Chippewa] Great Lakes 1935-1937
 * Great Lakes [Chippewa &amp; Potawatomi] 1938-1940

 State Census


 * 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
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1819-1991 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 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

 * Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
 * 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust, images – includes business directories for towns across the state
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Civil War
 * 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 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

World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1837-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images

Newspapers

 * Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University

Alger County newspapers available at the Library of Michigan in Lansing include:
 * Au Train
 * Alger County Republican (1888-1896)
 * Grand Marais:
 * Grand Marais Gazette (1994-2004)
 * Grand Marais Herald (1899, 1903, 1905, 1910)
 * Grand Marais Pilot Pictured Rocks Review (1971-1994)
 * Munising
 * Alger County Democrat (1891-1892)
 * Alger County Independent (1938-1940)
 * Cloverland Farmer (1915-1923)
 * Lake Superior Breeze (1906-1907)
 * Lake Superior Pilot (1901-1901)
 * Munising News (1898-1899, 1901, 1904-1939, 1989-1991)
 * Munising Republican (1896-1906)
 * Wright's Illustrated Weekly (1923-1928)

Munising School Public Library 810 State Hwy. M-28 West, Ste. A Munising, MI 49862 Phone: 906-387-2125 Facebook website has the following Newspaper's
 * Munising News 1896-current
 * Munising Republican, 1892-1902
 * Cloverland Farmer 1915-1923
 * Sunday Morning Star, 1890-1891
 * Weekly Tribune, June-Dec 1893
 * Manistique Courier 1896-1899
 * Schoolcraft County Pioneer, 1880-1896
 * Semi-Weekly Pioneer, 1886-1888
 * Manistique Tri-Weekly Pioneer, 1888-1892
 * Tri-Weekly Pioneer 1892-1894
 * Semi-weekly Pioneer, 1894-1895
 * Manistique Tribune 1896-1899
 * Grand Marais Pilot and Pictured Rocks Review 1971-1974
 * Alger County Republican 1888-1903
 * Alger County Independent, 1938-1940
 * Wrights Weekly, 1924-1928
 * Lake Superior Breeze, 1906-1907
 * Lake Superior Pilot, 1901
 * Grand Marais Gazette, 1994-2004
 * Grand Marais Herald, 1895-1910

Obituaries

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


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

School Records
Munising School Public Library 810 State Hwy. M-28 West, Ste. A Munising, MI 49862 Phone: 906-387-2125 Facebook website
 * Munising High School Yearbooks &amp; Senior Photos

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

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

Marriage

 * 1585-1945 Michigan, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
 * 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

 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1897 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1952 Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1897-1952 Michigan Death Records at Michiganology - index and images, organized by county and then last name.

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Escanaba Michigan Family History Center
 * Marquette Michigan Family History Center


 * Olson Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Munising School Public Library 810 State Hwy. M-28 West, Ste. A Munising, MI 49862 Phone: 906-387-2125 Facebook Website

Societies

 * Alger County Historical Society 1496 Washington St./PO Box 201 Munising, MI 49862 Phone: 906-387-4308 Email: [mailto:algerchs@jamadots.com algerchs@jamadots.com] Website Facebook


 * Grand Marais Historical Society PO Box 139 Grand Marais, MI 49839 Phone: 906-494-2404 Email: [mailto:grandmaraischamber@gmail.com grandmaraischamber@gmail.com] Website


 * Northeast Michigan Genealogical Society 491 Johnson St. Alpena, MI 49707 [mailto:northeastmichigangenealogy@gmail.com northeastmichigangenealogy@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * The Alger County MIGenWeb Project, an member of The MIGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Alger County MI Genealogy (Michigan Genealogy)
 * – 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.