Isabella County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Queen Isabella I of Castile. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Isabella County Courthouse 200 N Main St. Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 Phone: 989-772-0911 Isabella County Website County Clerk has birth, marriage, death, divorce and court records from 1880.

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
The county is located close to the geographic center of the lower peninsula of Michigan. While primarily rural in nature, Isabella County is also noted for it's oil and gas production and the manufacturing of machinery for industry, food service and wood products. Mt. Pleasant is the home of Central Michigan University and the Clarke Historical Library, the second largest genealogy and historical library in the state. Central Michigan University was opened in 1893 as the Central Normal School and Business Institute. The school was operated by the city of Mt. Pleasant until 1895 when it was taken over by the State of Michigan and became Central Michigan Normal School. CMU became a four year institution in 1918 and a university in 1959. The county also encompasses the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Reservation, home of the Soaring Eagle Casino. City, Town and Village Names

Cemeteries

 * Riverside Cemetery Listings - from the City of Mt. Pleasant; database of over 9,000 burials listed in pdf.

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

Directories

 * 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust Digital Library — images

Emigration and Immigration

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

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

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
 * 1859-1976 (*); 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

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 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

 * Big Rapids Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Midland Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Mount Pleasant Michigan FamilySearch Center


 * Hoyt Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Genealogical Society of Isabella County PO Box 117 Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858-0117 Email: [mailto:isabellaco.genealogicalsociety@gmail.com isabellaco.genealogicalsociety@gmail.com] Website Facebook Isabella County Historical Society PO Box 107 Mt. Pleasant, MI 48804-0107 Email: [mailto:isabellacountyhs@gmail.com isabellacountyhs@gmail.com] Facebook Shepherd Area Genealogical Society 514 Maple St PO Box 505 Shepherd, MI 48883 Email: [mailto:sahs.inbox@gmail.com sahs.inbox@gmail.com] Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Isabella 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.