Michigan Archives and Libraries

United States Michigan  Archives and Libraries

These repositories preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Michigan.

Statewide
Library of Michigan 702 W. Kalamazoo St. P.O. Box 30007 Lansing, MI 48909-7507 Telephone: 517-373-1300 Email: librarian@michigan.gov Internet: Library of Michigan Hours: Monday - Friday 10 am - 5 pm


 * A well-rounded and comprehensive genealogy collection with periodicals, county histories, and family histories for Michigan. Also includes good collections for states contributing to the Michigan population, such as Ohio, New York, and New England states.

Michigan Historical Center Archives 702 W. Kalamazoo Street Lansing, Michigan 48913 Telephone: 517-373-1408 Email: archives@michigan.gov Hours: Monday - Friday 1 - 5 pm Internet: Michigan Historical Center - Archives Facebook


 * They have early state records like land, licenses, notaries, probates, and Michigan department records. They also have records of every county in Michigan, especially vital records, deeds, and probate records.


 * The Michigan Genealogical Council has published Guide to the Michigan Genealogical and Historical Collections at the Library of Michigan and the State Archives of Michigan. This book is organized by county and then by towns within the county. It lists county and church histories, atlases, censuses, newspapers, vital records, indexes to transcribed cemetery records, land records, probate records, naturalization records, church records, genealogical and historical society newsletters, and various other genealogical materials located at the two facilities. The book is also available at the both in book and microfilm. (See the "Societies" section for the address of the Michigan Genealogical Council.)

Historical Society of Michigan


 * This society has some county records which can be found nowhere else. They also have genealogies, Bibles, cemetery transcripts, newspapers, and obituaries.

Regional
Central Michigan University Park Library


 * This lesser-known facility has plenty of records of Michigan settlers in family folders, published genealogies, periodicals, newspapers, published court records, and American Indian sources.

Detroit Public Main Library 5201 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48202 Telephone: 313-481-1401


 * This is home to the Burton Historical Collection and to the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research. They also have many unpublished family histories, research aids like indexes and cemetery guides, and an obituary collection. Their family folder collection is large, as is their very good newspaper collection.


 * The Burton Historical Collection contains records pertaining to Detroit’s history from her days as a 17th century settlement to present day, with information about the Great Lakes Region including the role of Canada, the French and English influence. There are atlases, maps, photographs, pamphlets, bound newspapers, personal papers and much more. Some Vital records such as marriage, birth and death records are available. Federal population schedules along with family histories, personal papers, immigration records, some Detroit high school yearbooks, probate indexes and records plus city directories for most years and other supporting resources are also available.
 * An inventory of this collection is:


 * Sprenger, Bernice Cox. Guide to the Manuscripts in the Burton Historical Collection. Detroit, Michigan: Detroit Public Library, Detroit, Michigan1985. (Family History Library .)


 * A sample of Onsite resources include:
 * Records of Service of Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War, 1861-1865, First Michigan Colored Infantry
 * Burial Transit Permits 1941–1953
 * Wayne County Coroner’s Files 1865–1906
 * Wayne County Death Record Indexes 1934–1953
 * The Burton Historical Online collection includes:
 * To access these, click on the word "Resources" at the bottom of their web page.
 * (accessed 28 August 2014)
 * Michigan and Detroit Select Genealogical resources
 * Roman Catholic Church records from the Archdiocese of Detroit
 * Selected resources for Civil War research
 * Selected African American resources
 * War of 1812 resources, and
 * Wayne County Death Record Indexes

Flint Public Library


 * This library has genealogical books, periodicals, and family folders for residents from all over Michigan. Their collection is also good for the upper Midwest, New England, and Ontario.

Grand Rapids Public Main Library


 * Their genealogy collection is very good. They probably have more unpublished family histories than any other repository in Michigan because they have actively solicited family histories for many years.

Grace Dow Memorial Library


 * This small library can boast some good genealogical indexes. Many of their references are to early settlers coming through Saginaw Bay into Michigan.

Michigan State University Library


 * They have a great manuscript collection. They also have newspapers, and unpublished pioneer, logger, and early settler records.

University of Michigan Bentley Library Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan 1150 Beal Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2113 Telephone: 313-764-3482


 * This is a huge manuscript library with many unpublished histories, biographies, travel guides, and newspapers.

Outside Michigan
Allen County Public Library 900 Library Plaza Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Telephone: 260-421-1225 E-mail: [mailto:genealogy@acpl.info genealogy@acpl.info]


 * This is the second-largest genealogy collection in the United States and the largest genealogy collection in a public library. Its holdings include more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items on microfilm and microfiche. It has a premier genealogical periodical collection, local histories, genealogies, databases, military, censuses, directories, passenger lists, ethnic sources, and Canadians. They have a great Michigan collection.

National Archives Great Lakes Region (Chicago) 7358 S. Pulaski Rd. Chicago, IL 60629-5898 Telephone: (773)948-9001 Fax: (773)948-9050 E-mail: [mailto:chicago.archives@nara.gov chicago.archives@nara.gov] Internet: http://www.archives.gov/great-lakes/


 * Includes federal censuses 1790–1930; selected military service indexes, pension indexes, passenger lists, and naturalizations. Free computers for Ancestry, Heritage Quest, or Fold3. Federal agency, civil, and criminal court records of Michigan.

Newberry Library 60 West Waltron Street Chicago, IL 60610 Telephone: 312-255-3512 Email: [mailto:genealogy@newberry.org reference@newberry.org.] Internet: Newberry Library


 * A large Chicago repository with genealogies, local histories, censuses, military, land, indexes, vital records, court, and tax records some from Michigan, the Mississippi Valley, eastern seaboard, Canada, and the British Isles. They have over 17,000 printed genealogies. The collection is noteworthy for its colonial America, especially New England holdings. They have church, town, and county histories from all parts of the United States, Canada, and the British Isles. This includes a comprehensive set of New England town histories, and strong collection of county histories from the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. Their Civil War unit histories collection is one of the best. This library has research guides on various subjects related to genealogy and library holdings cataloged from 1978. See


 * Genealogy Collection Guides and Research Tools for more information about the collections.  
 * A surname index to genealogical periodicals and local history books in the Newberry Library was completed in 1915 and published as The Genealogical Index of the Newberry Library Since this index is old, be sure to use the online guide sheet to this collection before using the source.

Library and Archives Canada 395 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0N4 CANADA


 * Telephone: 613-996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 (toll-free in Canada and the US)
 * TTY: 613-992-6969 or 1-866-299-1699 (toll-free in Canada)
 * Fax: 613-995-6274

E-mail: Genealogy and Family History inquiry form Internet: LAC Internet Site discover the collection, genealogy and family history, censuses, military records, research by topics, copies and visiting, services and programs, forum, news, photo gallery.


 * Many Michigan settlers had their origins in Canada. Significant records from this collection may be about immigrants to Michigan including land, military, estates, tax lists, and church records. They are open 24/7.

Guides
A useful guide to other collections of Michigan is Stevens, Wystan. Directory of Historical Collections and Societies in Michigan. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Historical Society of Michigan, 1973. (Family History Library .)

The Family History Library has other guides to archives with genealogical collections. For example, the library has numerous state and local inventories compiled by the Historical Records Survey and indexes to the manuscript holdings at the Library of Michigan.