Newaygo County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
Newaygo County is believed to have been named for an Ojibwe leader who signed the Treaty of Saginaw in 1819 or for an Algonquian word meaning "much water." The county is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Newaygo County Courthouse 1087 Newell St. White Cloud, MI 49349-0293 Phone: 616-689-7235 Newaygo County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1851 military records. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce, naturalization records. Probate Court 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:

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
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1819-1991 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection


 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust, images – includes business directories for towns across the state

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1929-1966 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
 * 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

Newspapers

 * Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University
 * The Fremont Area District Library posts on their webpage a local records database.These records include anniversaries, births, marriages, military service and obituaries.The database appears to be extracted from local newspapers since the early 20th Century.

Obituaries

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1784-1980 - Michigan Wills and Probate Records 1784-1980 at Ancestry $
 * 1797-1973 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

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

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

 * 1867-1897 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1952 Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
 * 1897-1952 - Michigan Death Records at Michiganology - index and images

Divorce

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

Archives
Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center 12 Quarterline Road / PO Box 361 Newaygo, MI 49337 Phone: 231-652-5003 Website

Terry Wantz Historical Research Center 30 East Main Street Fremont, MI 49412 Phone: 231-335-2221 Website

Family History Centers

 * Big Rapids Michigan Family History Center
 * Greenville Michigan Family History Center
 * Hart Michigan Family History Center
 * Mount Pleasant Michigan Family History Center
 * Muskegon Michigan Family History Center


 * Hackley Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Fremont Area District Library - Local History Room 104 East Main Street Fremont, MI 49412 Phone: 231-928-0253 Website

Grant Area District Library - Genealogy Room 122 S. Elder Ave. Grant, MI 49327 Phone: 231-834-5713 Website

White Cloud Community Library - Local History Department 1038 East Wilcox Avenue/P.O. Box 995 White Cloud, MI 49349 Phone: 231-689-6631 Website

Hesperia Community Library - Local History Room 80 South Division Street Hesperia, MI 49421 Phone: 231-854-5125 Website

Museums
Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center 12 Quarterline Road / PO Box 361 Newaygo, MI 49337 Phone: 231-652-5003 Website

Societies

 * Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center PO Box 361 Newaygo, MI 49337 Phone: 231-652-5003 Email: [mailto:museum@newaygocountyhistory.org museum@newaygocountyhistory.org] Website


 * Western Michigan Genealogical Society  c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library Street NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3268 Email: [mailto:wmgs@wmgs.org wmgs@wmgs.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Newaygo 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.