Hillsdale County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for its rolling terrain. The County is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Hillsdale County Courthouse 29 N Howell St. Hillsdale, MI 49242 Phone: 517-437-3391 Hillsdale County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1835, and divorce and court records from 1845. Probate Court has probate records. Register of Deeds has land 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:

Census Records
 State Census
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
 * 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
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1819-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1833-1855 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1840-1930 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1872-1944 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Directories

 * 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust Digital Library — images
 * The Farm Journal Illustrated Directory of Hillsdale County, Michigan. By Farm Journal. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Wilmer Atkinson Company, 1919. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1929-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

Land and Property Records
Also see, Hillsdale County, Michigan, U.S., Farm Directory, 1919-1924 for a farm directory.

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 Article
 * 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 Article

World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1837-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

Newspapers

 * Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University

Obituaries

 * 1820-2006 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

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
 * 1835-1852 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1835-1915 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & 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 Article
 * 1867-1902 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

Marriage

 * 1585-1945 Michigan, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
 * 1820-1937 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
 * 1820-1940 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
 * 1868-1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

Death

 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
 * 1867-1897 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
 * 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

 * Adrian Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Jonesville Michigan FamilySearch Center


 * Adrian District Library - an affiliate library
 * Fremont Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Hillsdale County Genealogical Society 22 N Manning St Hillsdale, MI 49242 Website Hillsdale County Historical Society 180 N Wolcott St PO Box 306 Hillsdale, MI 49242 Email: [mailto:hillsdalehistoricalsociety@gmail.com hillsdalehistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Hillsdale 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.
 * Hillsdale 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.