Lansing Michigan FamilySearch Center

We are here to serve the Lansing and surrounding area. We are open to the general public for 28 hours each week. Our staff is made up of volunteers interested in genealogy and in assisting patrons in their reasearch process. While we are glad to assist you in your research, we are unable to perform your research for you.



Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:


 * Location Map

Address:


 * 431 East Saginaw St East Lansing MI 48826 United States
 * The Family History Center is located approximately 1 1/2 blocks east of Abbott Road on the north side of the road.
 * The Family History Center is in the church building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
 * Entrance is at the back of the building.
 * There is plenty of free parking.


 * Language:English

Phone:


 * 1-517-332-2932 (We have an answering machine so you can leave a message and we will return your call.)

E-mail:


 * MI_Lansing@ldsmail.net

Open Hours:


 * Tuesday:12:00pm-8:00pm
 * Wednesday:10:00am-6:00pm
 * Thursday:12:00pm-8:00pm
 * Saturday:10:00am-2:00pm

Holiday Schedule:

If weather conditions are questionable (snow, ice, etc.) call during regular hours to see if we are open: '''New Years Day and possibly the days following. Church General Conference - usually the first Saturday in April: Memorial Day Weekend: July 4th and possibly the days following: Labor Day weekend: Thanksgiving and the following Saturday: Christmas - Closed for two weeks: Please call to confirm all dates:

Upcoming Events

 * The next seminar will occur on Saturday, April 23, 2016. Online registration is available now.  Please click HERE to view the 2016 classes.

Staff Training Meetings

 * Staff training is offered on the second Saturday of each odd numbered month at 8:30 a.m.

Collections

 * 11,000 Microfiche and 3,700 Microfilm
 * These microfiche and microfilm include the following:
 * Reference Titles (fiche) - Included are about 200 selected reference titles that the F.H.L. has placed on microfiche and are available for use in our FHC. Included are frequently used titles such as gazetteers, atlases and information from many areas throughout the world.
 * Accelerated Indexing System (fiche) - Incomplete index to many U.S. Census records.
 * Index to the Ontario, Canada Land Records (fiche) - An index to applicants for crown land. Data in this index ranges from the 1780's to the beginning of World War I, from grants to Loyalists to veterans of the Boer War.
 * Cook County, Illinois Birth and Death Index (fiche) - Birth Index: 1871 - 1916; Death Index: 1871 - 1938
 * Michigan Vital Records (1,000 plus film reels) - Birth, Death &amp; Marriage records for most Michigan Counties. Nine counties would not allow filming of these records.
 * Michigan - Ingham County - Probate Index and Records (135 film) - Complete collection of Ingham County records that are available.
 * Michigan - Ingham County - Land Deed Index and Records (51 film) - Complete collection of Ingham County records that are available.
 * Michigan Land Deed Indexes &amp; Michigan Probate Indexes (film) - A few counties would not allow filming of these records.
 * Michigan Census Records (film) - ONLY EARLY YEARS. Found in Michigan Misc. Indefinite Drawer.
 * Michigan Soldier Cemetery Records (3 film)
 * Michigan Indian 1836 Census (film) - Ottawa and Chippewa.
 * French Canadian Loiselle Marriage Index (200 plus film)
 * Williamston Enterprise - Early Years (4 film)
 * Naturalization - Michigan Wayne County Petitions - 1880-1995 (200 plus film)
 * 850 Books arranged by area
 * Computer Compact Disks (Notebooks in bookcase in computer room. Please check with a Librarian for titles.) German &amp; Swiss settlers in America 1700's - 1800's; British Isles Vital Records Index; N.A. Vital Records Index; Australia Vital Records Index; Topographical Dictionaries &amp; Lewis's Gazetteers of England, Ireland &amp; Scotland; Mormon Immigration Index; Index to Griffith's Valuation of Ireland, 1848-1868; Pedigree Resource File; Irish Immigrants to N.A. 1803 - 1871; Early New York Families 1600 - 1900; Passenger &amp; Immigration Lists Index 1538 - 1940; Ontario &amp; Nova Scotia Settlers 1790 - 1860; Scottish Immigrants to N.A. 1600's - 1800's; Local &amp; Family Histories: Connecticut 1600's - 1800's; Freedman's Bank Records; Pennsylvania Colonial Records 1600's - 1800's; 1881 British Census &amp; National Index; Western Europe Vital Records Index; Plus many other miscellaneous titles.
 * FamilySearch Catalog: This center has the ability to order most (some are restricted) of the films and fiche available through the FamilySearch Catalog.
 * All ordering of Microfilm and Microfiche must now be done online. Please go to https://film.familysearch.org.  Also, you must make payment online.  You will need to create either an LDS account (for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) or a FamilySearch account (for those who are not a member of the Church) before you can begin ordering online.  You will also need an e-mail account to create your LDS or FamilySearch account.  Please remember to write down you username and password.

Databases and Software

 * FHC Portal This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions. These premium subscriptions are:
 * 19th Century British Library Newspaper Digital Archive
 * This fully searchable database of the British Library's newspaper holdings provides a complete run of 48 national and regional Victorian British newspapers for the 19th century from 1800 to 1900. These support the study of colonial history, genealogical research, politics, urban studies, and media courses.
 * Access Newspaper Archive
 * "NewspaperArchive.com is the world's largest online newspaper archive. Featuring billions of articles from historical newspapers around the U.S. and the world, NewspaperARCHIVE makes exploring history and genealogy easy and fun. Discover fascinating news in archived newspapers hundreds of years old—including obituaries, birth announcements, sports articles, comics, and more—to fill in the life stories you are interested in. And share those stories with others through our community at Our NewspaperARCHIVE. All of our historical newspapers are full-page and fully searchable. Try exploring above, and discover your history today!"
 * Alexander Street Press - The American Civil War
 * Research Data: Contains indexed, searchable information on over 4 million soldiers and thousands of battles, together with 15,000 photographs.
 * Letters and Diaries: Contains approximately 100,000 indexed pages of diaries, letters, and memoirs, including 4,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscripts, such as the letters of Amos Wood and his wife and the diary of Maryland planter William Claytor.
 * Images, Photographs, Posters, and Ephemera: Provides a vivid history of the American Civil War with over 1,400 images.
 * Social and Cultural History: Personal accounts of well-known historical figures.
 * Women and Social Movements in the United States: Organized around the history of women in social movements in the United States between 1600 and 2000 A.D.
 * Ancestry.com
 * Ancestry gives you access to thousands of collections of records from around the world, including immigration, census, voter, vital, and military records; newspapers and periodicals; family trees; photos and images; directories, maps, court, land, wills and financial records, stories, memories, and histories; and detailed records about births, marriages, deaths, land ownership, and much more. It is the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world.
 * ArkivDigital Online
 * ArkivDigital is the largest private provider of Swedish Church Records and other historical records online! All images are newly photographed color images of the original documents. Click the link form the Premium Family History Websites page to install the current client version of ArkivDigital Online.
 * Create you Who Do You Think You Are? Story
 * Tell your family story, and bring your past to life. Create your own unique Who Do You Think You Are? experience. Discover what shaped the lives of your family, and watch your story unfold.
 * findmypast
 * findmypast makes it easy to research your UK ancestry and create your family tree. Search census records and trace births, marriages, and deaths to bring your family history to life. Please note that not all of the content from findmypast is available in family history centers.
 * 1911 British Census (accessed through the findmypast website)–The 1911 UK Census is a record of everyone who lived in England and Wales in 1911. It provides a unique snapshot of the lives of those who lived at that time.
 * Fold3.com (previously known as Footnote.com)
 * Search or browse millions of historical documents and photos. Fold3 has refocused their efforts on gathering the best online collection of military records and stories. The Fold3 name reflects military history and honor, since traditionally, the third fold in a flag-folding ceremony honors and remembers veterans for their sacrifice in defending their country and promoting peace in the world.
 * Historical Map Works Library Edition
 * Historic Map Works™ Library Edition is one of the most extensive digital map collections available, with over 470,000 high-resolution, full color historic and antique maps. The core of the collection consists of cadastral (property and land ownership) maps illustrating the geographic and development history of the United States and also includes illustrations, city directories, and more. This unique content allows genealogists, historians, and academic researchers to track the "residential genealogy" of families and locations.
 * Kinpoint Premium
 * Kinpoint is designed to make it easier for you to do your family history by letting you see what to work on at a glance; quickly find missing information in your family tree; and discover insights into the lives of your ancestors.
 * Legacy Stories
 * Put the leaves on your family tree by giving voice to your ancestors. LegacyStories.Org is a social network for all things heritage. The site provides a secure platform to upload stories and photos and add recorded narration. The resulting pictures, stories, and narration can be linked as source records on FamilySearch Family Tree. The site offers a full suite of exciting features, including:
 * Record oral photo narratives directly from your computer microphone
 * Multi-media story publisher
 * Social network for feedback and collaboration
 * Public archives to view and share stories
 * MyHeritage - Library Edition
 * Used by millions of people worldwide to help research family history, build a family tree, and add photos, historical records, and more.
 * Paper Trail
 * Provides access to 19th century westward American migration documents.
 * ProQuest Obituary Listings
 * The ProQuest obituaries collection is a premier resource for genealogical and historical research. You can use the collection to search obituaries and death notices from prominent newspapers, such as the New York Times (dating back to 1851). The collection includes both famous and lesser-known individuals and can be searched by name or by keywords appearing in the body of the article.
 * Puzzilla
 * Find new research opportunities on descendant lines in Family Tree.
 * World Vital Records
 * Access to birth, marriage, and death records; Social Security Death Index; family trees; census records; immigration records; court, land, and probate records; military records directory lists; newspapers, family histories, reference materials, biographies, wills, gravestone photos, ship manifests, map collections, and yearbook collections. Proper log-in through the portal is confirmed by a "Welcome Family History Center Patron!" banner on the web page.

Hardware and Equipment

 * 10 Computers
 * 12 Microfilm readers
 * 4 Microfiche readers
 * 1 Microfilm / Microfiche printer
 * 1 photocopier (librarians do the copying)

Resources in the Local Area
Michigan Historical Center (includes Archives, Museum and much more)

Michigan Vital Records Office

Michigan Vital Records (wiki article)

Library of Michigan

Links
Eaton County Genealogical Society

Genealogists of the Clinton County Historical Society

Historical Society of Greater Lansing

Ingham County Genealogical Society

Lansing Area African American Genealogical Society

Michigan Genealogical Council

Stockbridge Area Genealogical and Historical Society

Seeking Michigan

Michigan Biographical Index

Michigan Family History Network

Western Michigan Genealogical Society

Mid-Michigan Genealogical Society