Midland County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for its closeness to the geographical Lower Peninsula's geographical center. The County is located in the center area of the state.

County Courthouse
Midland County Courthouse 220 W Ellsworth St. Midland, MI 48640-5194 Phone: 989-832-6850 Fax: 989-837-6575 Midland County Website

County Clerk has birth, marriage and death records from 1867, burial records from mid-1800’s, military discharge records 1918 and naturalization records 1853-1948. Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1800’s. Probate Court has probate records. Register of Deeds has land records from 1855.

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 Digital Library — images
 * 1897 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1914 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Emigration and Immigration

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

Funeral Homes

 * O'Laughlin Funeral Home, Inc. in Coleman.
 * Smith-Miner Funeral Home in Midland.
 * Ware-Smith-Woolever Funeral Directors in Midland.
 * Wilson Miller Funeral Home, Inc. in Midland.

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


 * 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
 * 1850-1900 (*); 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.
 * 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

 * Midland Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Mount Pleasant Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Saginaw Michigan FamilySearch Center


 * Hoyt Public Library - an affiliate library

Museums
Midland County Historical Society Museums 1801 W Saint Andrews Midland, MI 48640 Phone: 989-631-8250 Email: [mailto:info@mcfta.org info@mcfta.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Midland County Historical Society 3417 W Main St Midland, MI 48640 Phone: 989-631-5930 Email: [mailto:History@midlandcenter.org History@midlandcenter.org] Website Facebook Midland Genealogical Society PO Box 2421 Midland, MI 48461-2421 Website Facebook

Websites

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