Chippewa County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for the Ojibwe people. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Chippewa County Courthouse 319 Court Street Sault Sainte Marie, MI 49783 Phone: 906-635-6300 Chippewa County Website County Clerk has birth records from 1869, marriage records from 1868, death records from 1870, divorce records from 1891 and court 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:

Cemeteries

 * 1799-1999 at FamilySearch — index and images

Census Records
 State Census
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
 * 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 Article
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1840-1882 (*); 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 Article

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 Chippewa 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 Chippewa 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 Article
 * 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 Article

World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1837-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

Newspapers

 * Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University


 * The Sault Evening News 109 Arlington Street Sault Saint Marie, MI 49783 website
 * The Sault Evening News was founded 1901.

Obituaries

 * 1820-2006 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

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
 * 1828-1930 (*); 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

 * 1867-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
 * 1867-1902 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article

Marriage

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

Death

 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
 * 1867-1897 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
 * 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

 * Escanaba Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Petoskey Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Sault Ste Marie Michigan FamilySearch Center


 * Peter White Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Bayliss Public Library 541 Library Drive Sault Sainte Marie, MI 49783 Phone: 906-632-9331 Email: [mailto:bayref@baylisslibrary.org bayref@baylisslibrary.org] Website

Museums
DeTour Passage Historical Museum 104 Elizabeth Street/PO Box 111 De Tour, MI 49725 Phone: 906-297-3404 Website

Societies

 * Bay Mills - Brimley Historical Research Society 6799 South M-221/PO Box 274 Brimley, MI 49715 Phone: 906-248-3665 E-mail: [mailto:paulinerice1@yahoo.com paulinerice1@yahoo.com] Facebook


 * Chippewa County Genealogical Society E-mail: [mailto:ccgs49783@gmail.com ccgs49783@gmail.com] Website Facebook


 * Chippewa County Historical Society PO Box 342 Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 Phone: 906-635-7082 E-mail: [mailto:history@cchsmi.com history@cchsmi.com] Website Facebook


 * Pickford Area Historical Society 175 East Main Street/PO Box 572 Pickford, MI 49744 Phone: 906-647-2045 Website

Websites

 * The Chippewa County MIGenWeb Project, an member of The MIGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Chippewa County MI Genealogy (Michigan Genealogy)
 * – 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.