Alpena County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for a neologism coined by Henry Schoolcraft, meaning "a good partridge country." The County has Alpena as its seat, and the County was created on February 7, 1857. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Alpena County Courthouse 720 W Chisholm St. Alpena, MI 49707 Phone: 517-356-0115 Alpena County Website County Clerk has birth records from 1869; marriage, death, divorce and court records from 1871. Probate Judge has probate records. Register of Deeds has land 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:

Cemeteries

 * 1799-1999 at FamilySearch — index and images

Census Records
 State Census


 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 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

 * 1819-1991 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

Roman Catholic Alpena County is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord.

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * St. Anne Church records, Alpena, MI
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1860-1870 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1861-1880 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1870-1924 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1871-1885 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1883-1919 (*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1927-1940 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 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 Collection

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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 Collection
 * 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 Collection

World War I


 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1837-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection — index and images

Newspapers

 * Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University

Obituaries

 * 1820-2006 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1784-1980 Michigan, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1784-1980 at Ancestry.com ($) — index & images
 * 1797-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1872-1974 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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

 * 1867-1902  at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1917 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1869-1911, 1870-1947 - Alpena County Births, 1869-1911, and Delayed Birth (reported between 1870-1974) from the county clerk's records are available on microfilm at Alpena Public Library. Records from the 1860s to the early 1900s have been indexed and can be searched online using the Alpena County Library's Vital Records Index, which is published in individual .PDF files by year. Years must be searched individually (or as grouped).

Marriage

 * 1585-1945 Michigan, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
 * 1820-1937 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1820-1940 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1868-1925 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

Death

 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1897 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1952 Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1871-1886 - Alpena Newspaper Necrology Listings, 1871-1996 -- Death entries in Alpena Michigan Newspapers can be searched at the Alpena Public Library Vital Records Index.
 * 1897-1952 Michigan Death Certificates, 1897-1952 -- Index and images at Michiganology.org. (free)

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Alpena Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Gaylord Michigan FamilySearch Center


 * Roscommon Genealogical Society- an affiliate library

Societies

 * Northeast Michigan Genealogical Society 491 Johnson St. Alpena, MI 49707 [mailto:northeastmichigangenealogy@gmail.com northeastmichigangenealogy@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * The Alpena County MIGenWeb Project, an member of The MIGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Alpena County MI Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – 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.