Houghton County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Douglass Houghton. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Houghton County Courthouse 401 E Houghton Avenue Houghton, MI 49931 Phone: 906-482-1150 Houghton County Website County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1855, divorce and court records from 1853, land records from 1847, naturalization records from 1848 and military records. Probate Judge has probate 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

 * 1853-1973 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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

Local Histories

 * History of Ingham and Eaton Counties Michigan. By Samuel W. Durant. 1880. Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

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 Wills and Probate Records 1784-1980 at Ancestry($)
 * 1797-1973 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

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 Certificates, 1897-1952 at Michiganology

Divorce

 * 1897-1952 Michigan, Divorce Records, 1897-1952 at Ancestry ($) — index and images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Houghton Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Marquette Michigan FamilySearch Center


 * Peter White Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI 49931 Phone: 906-487-2505 Fax: 906-487-2357 Email: [mailto:copper@mtu.edu copper@mtu.edu] Website

Societies

 * Houghton County Historical Society 53102 Hwy M-26/ PO Box 127 Lake Linden, MI 49945 Phone: 906-296-4121 Email: [mailto:info@houghtonhistory.org info@houghtonhistory.org] Website Facebook


 * Houghton-Keweenaw County Genealogical Society PO Box 72 Houghton, MI 49931 Phone: 906-369-5986 Email: [mailto:HKCGSociety@gmail.com HKCGSociety@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Houghton County MI Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * French-Canadians in Houghton. French-Canadian Genealogical Research in Houghton County, Michigan.
 * – 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.

Research Guides
A Guide to Genealogical Resources and researching their special collections may be viewed at MTU Archives. Perhaps the most interesting item in the collection are the employment records of now defunct mining companies that give names, birth date and place of birth and the names, ages of children and also extended family employed worked for the mining companies from 1880 to 1920. This is especially valuable since the majority of the miners were immigrants from Europe. Please read the guide carefully for the resources that will help you 'cross the pond'.