Van Buren County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Martin Van Buren before he became president. He was US Secretary of State and later Vice President under President Andrew Jackson. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1836, divorce and court records from 1837. Probate Court has probate records. Register of Deeds has land records.

History


The county is named after President Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) who was serving as United States Secretary of War at the time of the county's formation.

Parent County
1829--Van Buren County was created 29 October 1829 from unorganized territory. It was attached to Cass and Lenaww Counties prior to organization 3 April 1837. County seat: Paw Paw

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Michigan county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Michigan County Boundary Maps" (1790-1897) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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:

Neighboring Counties
Allegan •  Berrien  •  Cass  •  Kalamazoo  •  St. Joseph County

Census
State Census
 * 1894 - at FamilySearch — index

Church

 * 1819-1991 - at FamilySearch — index

Directories

 * 1869 - Van Buren County gazetteer and business directory containing historical and descriptive sketches ... and a list of post and money order offices in the State of Michigan. Decatur, Mich.: Hill & Leavens, 1869.
 * 1916 - Directory of Van Buren County Michigan. Published by Wilmer Atkinson Company. 1916. With Road Map of the County. also at FamilySearch
 * 1921 - The Farm Journal Illustrated Directory of Van Buren County Michigan 1916-1921. Published by Wilmer Atkinson Company.

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1929 - 1966 at FamilySearch — index and images

Local Histories

 * The Michigan County Histories and Atlases Digitization Project is comprised of 428 digitized titles (many composed of multiple volumes) published before 1923.


 * A History of Van Buren County, Michigan: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests, Volume 1. Oran W. Rowland, Lewis Publishing Company, 1912 also at Michigan County Histories
 * A History of Van Buren County, Michigan: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests, Volume 2. Oran W. Rowland, Lewis Publishing Company, 1912. also at Michigan County Histories
 * History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With ... biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers. Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885., Johnson, Crisfield., D.W. Ensign & Co. Philadelphia: D. W. Ensign & Co., 1880.
 * Portrait and biographical record of Kalamazoo, Allegan and Van Buren counties, Michigan, containing biographical sketches of ... citizens ... governors of the state, and ... presidents of the United States. Chapman Brothers. Chicago: Chapman brothers, 1892

Maps

 * Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * 1860 - Map of the counties of Cass, Van Buren, and Berrien Michigan
 * 1873 - Atlas of Van Buren County, Michigan / from actual surveys by and under the directions of D. J. Lake; assisted by B. N. Griffing...[et al.]. Lake, D. J., Griffing, B. N., Titus, C. O., Bourquin, F. (Frederick), b. 1808., Worley & Bracher. Philadelphia: C.O. Titus, 1873.
 * 1895 - Illustrated atlas of Van Buren County, Michigan / compiled from official records and local inspections by the Kace Publishing Company, 1895, Wangersheim, S. Racine, Wis.
 * 1912 - Standard Alas of Van Buren County, Michigan : including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county, map of the state, United States and world, patrons directory, reference business directory and departments devoted to general information ... / compiled and published by Chicago: Geo. A. Ogle & Co., 1912

Civil War
Civil War service men from Van Buren 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 Van Buren County.


 * - 12th Regiment, Michigan Infantry, Company H
 * - 70th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C

Online Records
 * at FamilySearch — index
 * 1876-1945 - at FamilySearch — index

World War I

 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1837-1993 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Obituaries

 * Southwest Michigan Obituary Index from the earliest date to 2000.
 * 1820-2006 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1784 – 1980 Michigan Wills and Probate Records 1784-1980 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1797 – 1973 at FamilySearch — images

Vital Records

 * How to order Michigan Vital Records

Birth

 * 1867-1917 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1867-1902 - Michigan Birth Registrations, 1867-1902-- Free name indexes and images at FamilySearch. Records include such information as name of child, birthdate and place, if still-born, illegitimate or twin, gender, race and record number.

Marriage

 * 1585-1945 - Michigan, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1820-1937 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1820-1940 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1868-1925 - Michigan Marriage Registrations, 1868-1925 -- Free name indexes at FamilySearch. Records include such information as names of bride and groom, date of license, ages, race, residences, birthplaces, occupations and names of the fathers of the bride and groom.

Death

 * 1850-1880 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1867-1897 - Michigan Death Registrations, 1867-1897 - Free name indexes and images at FamilySearch.  Records include such information as name of deceased, date and place of death, gender, color, marital status, age in years, months and days, disease or apparent cause of death, birthplace, names and occupations of parents, and the date the record was made.

Societies and Libraries
Van Buren County Historical Society 6215 E. Red Arrow Hwy.E., Box 45 Hartford 49057

Van Buren Regional Genealogical Society PO Box 143 Decatur 49045 Website

Van Buren County Historical Society PO Box 452 58471 Red Arrow Highway Hartford, MI 49057 Telephone: 269-621-2188 E-mail:[mailto:hsm@hsmichigan.org hsm@hsmichigan.org] Webstite


 * List of Michigan Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Public Libraries
The following public libraries in Van Buren county have collections of particular interest to genealogists.


 * Van Buren District Library Webster Memorial Library Building 200 N. Phelps Street Decatur, Michigan 49045 The Local History Collection houses books, periodicals, photographs, and records relating to Southwest Michigan and other localities. The room also houses the Southwest Michigan regional collection of the Van Buren Regional Genealogical Society (VBRGS). Telephone: (269) 423-4771


 * Michigan eLibrary - Michigana: Sources in U.S. History Online

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers


 * South Haven Michigan Family History Center 05272 73 1/2 St, South Haven, MI 49090 United States

Websites

 * Van Buren County, MI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Michigan Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Michigan Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Van Buren County MI Genealogy (Michigan Genealogy)
 * Van Buren County MI Genealogy (Michigan Genealogy)