Tuscola County, Michigan Genealogy

Guide to Tuscola 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 created by Henry Schoolcraft by combining the native words "dusinagon" and "cola", meaning "level lands". The Ojibwe word "tessinagan" can also be translated as "plate". Shell in their language was "ess". The Ojibwe often used a shell or bark from a tree for a dish or plate. The Ojibwe word "tessi-" is used to make the words for shelf, platform, bench, and plate. The County is located in the Thumb area of the state.

County Courthouse
Tuscola County Website 440 N State St Caro, MI 48723 989-672-3780 Tuscola County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1851, divorce and court records from 1878.

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:

Biographies

 * Tuscola County Biographies 1902 MIGenWeb Project

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 Digital Library — images
 * 1902 Patrons Directory at MiGenWeb Project

Emigration and Immigration

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

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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 Civil War service men from Tuscola 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 Tuscola County.


 * 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

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
 * 1850-1966 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1852-1903 (*); Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog — 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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1867-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1902 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

 * 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
 * 1897-1952 Michigan Death Records at Michiganology - index and images, organized by county and then last name.

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Caro Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Flint Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Midland Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Saginaw Michigan FamilySearch Center


 * Hoyt Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Sandusky District Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Caro Area District Library 840 W Frank St Caro, MI 48723 Phone: 989-673-4777 Email: [mailto:info@carolibrary.org info@carolibrary.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Mayville Historical Society 2124 E Ohmer Rd PO Box 242 Mayville, MI 48744 Phone: 989-843-6249 Email: [mailto:mayvillemuseum@hotmail.com mayvillemuseum@hotmail.com] Website Facebook Tuscola Genealogical Society 1405 Hunt Rd Mayville, MI 48744 Website Watrousville-Caro Area Historical Society 4607 W Caro Rd Vassar, MI 48768 Phone: 989-551-6363 Facebook

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Tuscola 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.