Alger County, Michigan Genealogy

Guide to Alger 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 Russell A. Alger. The County has Munising as its seat and the County was created March 17, 1885. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth, death and land records from 1884, marriage records from 1887, divorce and court records from 1885. Probate Court has probate records.

Parent County
1885--Alger County was created 17 March 1885 from Schoolcraft County. County seat:  Munising

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
Delta •  Luce  •  Marquette  •  Schoolcraft

Census
Available at Munising School Public Library 810 State Hwy. M-28 West, Ste. A Munising, MI 49862
 * United States Census: Schoolcraft County 1850-1910
 * Alger County 1900-1920; Territory 1820-1840
 * Michigan Indian Census:
 * Bay Mills [Chippewa] Great Lakes 1935-1937
 * Great Lakes [Chippewa &amp; Potawatomi] 1938-1940

 State Census
 * 1894 - at FamilySearch — index

Church

 * 1819-1991 - at FamilySearch — index

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1929 - 1966 at FamilySearch — index and images

Maps

 * Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Alger 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 Alger County.

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

Newspapers
Available at Munising School Public Library 810 State Hwy. M-28 West, Ste. A Munising, MI 49862


 * Munising News 1896-current
 * Munising Republican, 1892-1902
 * Cloverland Farmer 1915-1923
 * Sunday Morning Star, 1890-1891
 * Weekly Tribune, June-Dec 1893
 * Manistique Courier 1896-1899
 * Schoolcraft County Pioneer, 1880-1896
 * Semi-Weekly Pioneer, 1886-1888
 * Manistique Tri-Weekly Pioneer, 1888-1892
 * Tri-Weekly Pioneer 1892-1894
 * Semi-weekly Pioneer, 1894-1895
 * Manistique Tribune 1896-1899
 * Grand Marais Pilot and Pictured Rocks Review 1971-1974
 * Alger County Republican 1888-1903
 * Alger County Independent, 1938-1940
 * Wrights Weekly, 1924-1928
 * Lake Superior Breeze, 1906-1907
 * Lake Superior Pilot, 1901
 * Grand Marais Gazette, 1994-2004
 * Grand Marais Herald, 1895-1910

Alger County newspapers available at the Library of Michigan in Lansing include:

Au Train:


 * ALGER COUNTY REPUBLICAN (1888-1896)

Grand Marais


 * GRAND MARAIS GAZETTE (1994-2004)
 * GRAND MARAIS HERALD (1899, 1903, 1905, 1910)
 * GRAND MARAIS PILOT &amp; PICTURED ROCKS REVIEW (1971-1994)

Munising


 * ALGER COUNTY DEMOCRAT (1891-1892)
 * ALGER COUNTY INDEPENDENT (1938-1940)
 * CLOVERLAND FARMER (1915-1923)
 * LAKE SUPERIOR BREEZE (1906-1907)
 * LAKE SUPERIOR PILOT (1901-1901)
 * MUNISING NEWS (1898-1899, 1901, 1904-1939, 1989-1991)
 * MUNISING REPUBLICAN (1896-1906)
 * WRIGHT'S ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY (1923-1928)

Obituaries

 * 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

Schools
Munising School Public Library 810 State Hwy. M-28 West, Ste. A Munising, MI 49862


 * Munising High School Yearbooks &amp; Senior Photos

Vital Records
See also How to order Michigan Vital Records

Birth

 * 1867-1917 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 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 - -- 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 - --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
Alger County Historical Society PO Box 201 Munising, MI 49862 Website

Grand Marais Historical Societybr>PO Box 179 Grand Marais, MI 49839 Website

Alger County Historical Society PO 1496 Washington St. Munising, MI 49862 Telephone: 906-387-4308 Fax:906-387-4188 E-mail:[mailto:algerchs@jamadots.com algerchs@jamadots.com] Website


 * List of Michigan Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical and Genealogical Societies

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * Alger County, MI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Michigan Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Michigan Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Alger County MIGenWeb Project, an member of The MIGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Alger County MI Genealogy (Michigan Genealogy)
 * Alger County MI Genealogy (Michigan Genealogy)