Jackson County, Michigan Genealogy

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



Description
The county is named after President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845). The County is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Jackson County Courthouse 312 S. Jackson Street Jackson, MI 49201 Phone: 517-788-4265 Jackson County Website County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1830’s, divorce records from 1800’s and naturalization records. Probate Court has probate records. Register of Deeds has land records. Clerk of the District Court has court 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:

Bible Records

 * Jackson County Family Bibles at MIGenWeb
 * Michigan Bible Records and Genealogical Notes, Part 1 at Ancestry $

Census Records
 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

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Jackson
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1836-1892 (*); Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1860-1879 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust Digital Library — images
 * 1887-1890 Jackson, Michigan, U.S., City Directories, 1887-1888, 1890 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1918-1923 Jackson County, Michigan, U.S., Rural Directory, 1918-1923 at Ancestry ($)
 * The Farm Journal Illustrated Rural Directory of Jackson County, Michigan; Jackson County, Michigan, Rural Directory. By Farm Journal. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Wilmer Atkinson Co., 1918. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Emigration and Immigration

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

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * History of Jackson County, Michigan. Interstate Publishing Co., 1881. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library


 * De Land, Charles Victor. DeLand's history of Jackson County, Michigan : embracing a concise review of its early settlement, industrial development and present conditions, together with interesting reminiscences, Vol. 1. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

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


 * - 12th Regiment, Michigan Infantry, Company D
 * - 17th Regiment, Michigan Infantry, Companies F, G, K, and Unassigned

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

Naturalization and Citizenship

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

Newspapers

 * Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University

Obituaries

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1784-1980 Michigan, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1784-1980 at Ancestry.com ($) — index & images
 * 1797-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1832-1963 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1836-1892 (*); Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog — images

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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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

 * Ann Arbor Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Jackson Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Jonesville Michigan FamilySearch Center


 * Manchester Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Jackson County Genealogical Society and Library 211 W Ganson St, Ste 170 Jackson, MI 49201 Phone: 517-768-9266 Email: [mailto:jcgs.library@yahoo.com jcgs.library@yahoo.com] Website Facebook

Societies
Jackson County Genealogical Society 211 W Ganson St, Ste 170 PO Box 188 Jackson, MI 49204 Phone: 517-768-9266 Email: [mailto:jcgs.library@gmail.com jcgs.library@gmail.com] Website Facebook Jackson County Historical Society PO Box 1856 Jackson, MI 49201 Phone: 517-740-1168 Email: [mailto:jxnhistorical@gmail.com jxnhistorical@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Jackson County, MI-Roots Michigan Roots is a member of the PA-Roots family of websites.
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Genealogy Trails Jackson County Michigan
 * Jackson 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.