Muskegon County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for the Muskegon River. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Muskegon County Courthouse 990 Terrace St. Muskegon, MI 49442 Phone: 616-724-6221 Muskegon County Website

County Clerk has birth, marriage, death, divorce and court records from 1859. 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:

History Timeline
Additional Information Muskegon County is located on the western side of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and borders Lake Michigan. Muskegon County was originally inhabited by the Ottawa Indians. The first visitors to the area now known as Muskegon County were the fur traders and missionaries in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The trading posts came and went during this period but regard is given to Jean Baptiste Recollett's trading post that was opened near the mouth of Bear Lake in 1812. Louis Baddeau bought a trading post in 1834 which is the present site of the Indian Cemetery on Morris Ave. Mr. Baddeau is generally given the distinction of being the first permanent white settler in the area. Muskegon's name comes from the Chippewa word - Muskego - meaning "river with marshes". The fur trading era, 1810 thru the late 1830's, was followed by a booming lumbering era from the late 1830's until 1900. The first sawmill construction, built by Benjamin H. Wheelock, began in 1837 on Muskegon Lake with operations commencing in 1838 and by the 1870s 26 mills were in operation.

Biographies

 * A short sketch of the life and services of Jonathan Walker: the man with a branded hand with a poem by John G, Muskegon, Mich., Chronicle Steam Printing House, 1879.
 * Portrait and biographical record of Muskegon and Ottawa Counties Michigan containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Chicago: Biographical Publishing Co. 1893
 * The industries of the city of Muskegon, with historical, descriptive, and biographical sketches of its business and business men in 1880.
 * White Lake reminiscences compiled by the Ladies Aid Society of the Congregational Church, Whitehall, Michigan, ED. J. Smith Printer 1898

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * A Civic and Industrial Survey of the Muskegon Area and Western Michigan Compiled/Published byGreater Muskegon Chamber of Commerce. Dana Printing Co., 1930?
 * Muskegon County log marks / by Lewis Torrent. 1956 Great Lakes Model Shipbuilders' Guild, Inc.

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

Dutch Reformed Church
 * De Eerste Christelijke Gereformeerde Gemeente, 1867-1917, Muskegon, Michigan. Published: Grand Rapids, Mich., The Cargill co., 1917 at babel.hathitrust.org. Free

First Congregational
 * History of First Congregational Church, Muskegon, Michigan, compiled by James W. Verduin, 1959 at babel.hathitrust.org. Free

First Reformed
 * Souvenir history of the First Reformed Church of Muskegon, Diamond Anniversary 1859-1934 at babel.hathitrust.org. Free

Lutheran List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Records of the Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Muskegon, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories
Muskegon County, Michigan Online Historical Directories - identifies historical city, county, business and other directories available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
 * 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

Local Histories

 * A Civic and Industrial Survey of the Muskegon Area and Western Michigan Compiled/Published byGreater Muskegon Chamber of Commerce. Dana Printing Co., 1930?
 * Annual of the Muskegon County Pioneer and Historical Society for the year 1887. Muskegon, Michigan, by Henry H. Holt., Muskegon County Pioneer and Historical Society. Published 1888
 * Headlight Flashes Along the Grand Trunk Railway System : Muskegon, Michigan Chicago, Ill. : Chicago Railroad Pub. Co., 1897 - Includes biographical sketches.
 * History of Muskegon County, Michigan: with illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Chicago: H.R. Page & Co. 1882.
 * An Account of Muskegon County. Edited by James Smith. 1924? Published by National Historical Association, Inc. Online at: Hathitrust; Univ of Michigan (Michigan County Histories and Atlases Digitization Project).
 * Memorials of the Grand River Valley. Chicago : Franklin Everett, The Chicago legal news company, 1878.
 * Muskegon and its resources. Sketches of Muskegon county; its soil, climate and agricultural producations-city of Muskegon; its material growth and resources, manufacturing and commercial interests, its scenery, and advantages as a place of residence and business, supplemented with short sketches of leading business houses and firms. Issued under the auspices of the Muskegon Board of Trade. W.M. Harford, editor. Published: Muskegon, Mich., Harford & Latimer, publishers, 1884
 * Romance of Muskegon, Michigan 1937, Centennial Year / by The Muskegon Chronicle
 * The advantages and surroundings of Muskegon, Published: Muskegon, Mich., 1892

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
 * County atlas of Muskegon, Michigan - 1877 - from recent and actual surveys and records under the superintendence of F.W. Beers. Published by F. W. Beers & Co., New York - 1877. Also archive.org
 * Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Muskegon - Library of Congress years vary between 1882-1950
 * Standard Atlas of Muskegon County, Michigan : Including a Plat Book of the Villages, Cities and Townships of the County. (1900) Compiled & Published by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. Chicago 1900. Also archive.org
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Civil War World War I
 * 1876-1945 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Muskegon County found on images 205-243,
 * Muskegon County found on images 547-561,
 * 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
 * From Civil War Centennial Observance Commission. Committee on Civil War Graves Registration. No index, but images have been digitized. Contains alphabetical listing: Name, Company, Regiment/State, Death Date, Cemetery, County, Lot, and Grave or section
 * 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
 * Montague Observer (1889-1977), White Lake Beacon (1983-2001), White Laker (1972), White Laker Observer (1976-1981), Whitehall Forum (1964-1972) provided by White Lake Community Library
 * Muskegon Chronicle, Muskegon, Michigan - Newspaper Archives (1869 - 1922) provided by GenealogyBank.com ($)

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 $
 * 1797-1973 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

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

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

Marriage

 * 1585-1945 - Michigan, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
 * 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.com ($) — 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.com ($) — index and images

Family History Centers

 * Grand Rapids Michigan Family History Center
 * Muskegon Michigan Family History Center


 * Grand Rapids Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Hackley Public Library - an affiliate library

Museums

 * Lakeshore Museum Center 430 West Clay Avenue Muskegon, MI 49440 Phone: 231-722-0278 Website
 * There are 6 different museums to visit.

Societies

 * Montague Museum Historical Association c/o Montague City Hall 8778 Ferry Street Montague, MI 49437 Website


 * Muskegon County Genealogical Society 316 Webster Ave. Muskegon MI 49440 Email: [mailto:1972mcgs@gmail.com 1972mcgs@gmail.com] Website Facebook


 * Muskegon County Historical Society 173 E. Apple Ave. Muskegon, MI 49442 Phone: 231-724-6271 Email: [mailto:fairchildma@co.muskegon.mi.us fairchildma@co.muskegon.mi.us] Website


 * Western Michigan Genealogical Society  c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library Street NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3268 Email: [mailto:wmgs@wmgs.org wmgs@wmgs.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Muskegon 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.
 * Muskegon 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.