Sanilac County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for a Wyandot (Huron) chief named Sanilac. The County is located in the east area of the state.

County Courthouse
Sanilac County Courthouse 60 W Sanilac Ave. Sandusky, MI 48471 Phone: 810-648-3212 Sanilac County Website

County Clerk has birth records from 1860, death records from 1867, marriage records from 1849, and divorce and court records from 1854 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:

Biographies

 * Graham, John W. Biographical Sketches of Sanilac County's War Heroes FamilySearch Digital Library 1, 1919.

Census Records
 Federal Census
 * 1840 Census: 1840 US Census
 * 1850 Census: 1850 Census Index
 * 1880 Census: Michigan - Sanilac County is missing about 1,600 people.

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
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 Digital Library — images

Emigration and Immigration

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

Genealogies

 * Sanilac County Family Sites

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 Civil War service men from Sanilac 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 Sanilac County.


 * 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

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

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 at FamilySearch

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

 * Blue Water Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Caro Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Rochester Michigan FamilySearch Center


 * Sandusky District Library - an affiliate library
 * St Clair County Library System, Burtchville - an affiliate library
 * St Clair County Library System, Main Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Sandusky District Library 55 East Sanilac Avenue Sandusky, MI 48471 Phone: 810-648-2644 website

Societies

 * Sanilac County Genealogical Society PO Box 293 Sandusky, Michigan 48471 Email: [mailto:sanilaccgs@gmail.com sanilaccgs@gmail.com] Website


 * Sanilac County Historical Society 228 S. Ridge Street Port Sanilac, Michigan 48469 (810)-622-9946 Email: [mailto:sanilacmuseum@gmail.com sanilacmuseum@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Sanilac 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.
 * Sanilac 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.