Mackinac County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
Mackinac (pronounced 'Mackinaw') County is situated in southeastern portion upper peninsula of Michigan. The Straits of Mackinac are also named for this area and are between the two peninsulas that make up Michigan. The County is located in the north area of the state.

County Courthouse
Mackinac County Courthouse 100 S Marley Street St. Ignace, MI 49781 Phone: 906-643-7300 Mackinac County Website County Clerk has birth and death records from 1873, marriage records from 1867, divorce and court records from 1808.

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

 * State Cemeteries, Mackinac, Michigan

Census Records
Federal Census
 * 1820 1820 Federal Census transcription
 * 1850 1850 Census transcription; Index to Federal Census 1850 Michilimackinac County, MI at FamilySearch Digital Library; at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1870 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1900 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1910 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1940 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Mackinac County, Michigan

 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
 * 1725-1821 - Collections - State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Volume 18, p. 469. The Mackinac Register: Register of marriages in the parish of Michilimackinac FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Catholic Church Directory
 * Episcopal Church Directory Mackinac County Michigan Church Directory
 * Early History of St. Ignatius Loyola Parish
 * Ste. Anne's Catholic Church
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1805-1841 (*); 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

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Native Americans
 * mainlyMichigan Indian Land Allotments Patents and Trusts in Mackinac County
 * Native American and French Settlement Patterns at St. Ignace, Michigan, 1670-1715
 * waymarks.com Huron Indians at St. Ignace - St. Ignace, MI - Signs of History on Waymarking
 * FamilySearch Digital Library Chief Okemos Michigan History Magazine, Volume 6
 * Nokomis Learning Center 5153 Marsh Road Okemos, MI 48864 Phone: 517-349-5777 Website Facebook

African-American
 * Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society c/o Burton Historical Collection, DPL 5201 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48202-4007 Website
 * Publication is Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society News published twice a year. Located in Wayne County. MGC Member of Michigan Genealogical Council.


 * Lansing Area African American Genealogical Society PO Box 22203 Lansing, MI 48909-2203 Website
 * Publication is Newsletter published quarterly. Member of Michigan Genealogical Council

Cornish
 * Keweenaw Houghton Cornish Society of the Copper Country Cornish Connection Of Lower Michigan 8494 Wesley Drive Flushing, MI 48433 Website

Dutch
 * Joint Archives of Holland, Hope College PO Box 9000 Holland, Michigan 49422-9000 Phone: 616-395-7000 Website

Finnish
 * Finnish American Heritage Center 435 Quincy Street Hancock, MI 49930 Phone: 906-487-7302 Website

Flemish
 * Genealogical Society of Flemish Americans 18740 East 13 Mile Road Roseville, Michigan 48066 Website Facebook

French-Canadian (includes Acadian, Cajun and Metis)
 * French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan PO Box 1900 Royal Oak, MI 48068-1900 Website Facebook
 * Publication is Michigan's Habitat Heritage published quarterly. Located in Oakland County, MGC Member of Michigan Genealogical Council

Irish
 * Irish Genealogical Society of Michigan c/o Gaelic League/Irish American Club 2068 Michigan Avenue Detroit, MI 48216-1303 Website Facebook
 * Publication is Irish Tree published nine times a year. Located in Wayne County, MGC Member of Michigan Genealogical Council


 * Wayne County Irish Society 31975 Cowan Westland, MI 48185 website

Italian
 * Americans Of Italian Origin Society 18336 Lister East Detroit, MI 48021 Website

Jewish
 * Jewish Genealogical Society of Michigan PO Box 251693 West Bloomfield, MI 48325-1693 Website Facebook
 * Publication is Generations published quarterly. Located in Oakland County, MGC Member of Michigan Genealogical Council

Polish
 * Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan c/o Burton Collection 5201 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48202-4007 Website Facebook
 * Publication is The Polish Eaglet published three times a year. Located in Wayne County, MGC Member of Michigan Genealogical Council


 * Polish Heritage Society PO Box 1844 Grand Rapids, MI 49501 Website

Scottish
 * The St. Andrew's Society of Detroit 2360 Rochester Ct Troy, Mi 48083 Phone: 248-526-1849 Fax: 248-528-1477 Email: [mailto:kilgour@detroitscots.com kilgour@detroitscots.com] Website

Genealogies

 * Early Families of the Upper Great Lakes
 * St. Ignace Names, Geneanet
 * Aiabens
 * Ance/Anse
 * Bourassa
 * Bussineau
 * Caffey
 * Cown
 * Davenport
 * Davenport
 * Fagnant
 * Grondin
 * Hammond
 * Johnston
 * LaLonde
 * Langlade
 * Martin
 * Paquin
 * Pond
 * Trotochaud
 * Valliere

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Mackinac County Original Land Claims by MIGenWeb
 * General Land Office Records Bureau of Land Management
 * Barns of Mackinac County by Michigan State Education
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Mackinac and Lake Stories - Google Books
 * Mackinac, formerly Michilimackinac - Google Books
 * Annals of Fort Mackinac - FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Early Mackinac: "the Fairy Island" : a Sketch - Google Books
 * Names of Places of Interest on Mackinac Island, Michigan - Google Books
 * Nicolet day on Mackinac Island - Google Books
 * Island of Mackinac: giving a description of all the objects of interest... - Google Books
 * Historic Mackinac: The Historical, Picturesque and Legendary, Volume 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Historic Mackinac: The Historical, Picturesque and Legendary, Volume 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Lewis Cass Day on Mackinac Island, August 28, 1915 - Google Books
 * Early Mackinac: an historical and descriptive sketch - Google Books
 * History of Chegongan and Mackinac Counties - Google Books
 * The Old Mission Church of Mackinac Island: An Historical Discourse - Google Books
 * Two Missionary Priests at Mackinac: A Lecture Delivered at the Village... - Google Books
 * Father Marquette at Mackinaw and Chicago: A Paper, Read Before the Chicago ... - Google Books
 * Old Mackinaw, Or, the Fortress of the Lakes and Its Surroundings - Google Books
 * Mackinaw in History: A Critique on Dr. John R. Bailey's Brochure Entitled ... - Google Books
 * Index to Volumes I-XX of the Wisconsin Historical Collections - Hathitrust
 * A Brief History of Les Cheneaux Islands - Internet Archive

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
 * Mackinac Island, 1915
 * St. Ignace
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
War of 1812
 * Beginning of the War of 1812
 * Commemorating the Beginning of the War of 1812

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 - [Michigan, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|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
 * Veterans' Names by County
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Spanish American War
 * Michigan Volunteers by County

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
 * Mackinac Island Town Crier
 * Newspaper Codes and Surname Index to the Cheboygan and Mackinac County Newspapers by MIGenWeb
 * The St. Ignace News Archive

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

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

Vital Records

 * State vital records started in 1867, however marriage records started at the county level earlier. Check both.

Birth

 * 1867-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1902 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Early Michigan Births Mackinac County Michigan Family History Network

Marriage

 * 1585-1945 Michigan, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
 * From 1725 Mackinac County Marriages Michigan Family History Network
 * 1800-1804 Mackinac Marriage Records Access Genealogy
 * 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.
 * Michigan Deaths, Mackinac County Michigan Family History Network

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Gaylord Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Kalkaska Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * Petoskey Michigan FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Library of Michigan 702 W Kalamazoo St Lansing, MI 48915 Phone: 517-335-1477 Email: [mailto:librarian@michigan.gov librarian@michigan.gov] Website Facebook St. Ignace Public Library 110 W Spruce St St. Ignace, MI 49781 Phone: 906-643-8318 Website Facebook

Museums
Fort de Buade Museum Strait Cultural Center 334 N State St St. Ignace, MI 49781 Phone: 906-643-6627 Email: [mailto:fortdebuademuseum@gmail.com fortdebuademuseum@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Societies
Luce-Mackinac County Genealogical Society PO Box 113 Engadine, MI 49827-0113 Website Michilimackinac Historical Society 334 N State St St. Ignace, MI 49781 Phone: 906-984-2234 Email: [mailto:historyliveshere.mhs@gmail.com historyliveshere.mhs@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Mackinac County, Michigan Wikipedia
 * USGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, marriages, military history, biographies, history, church records, or other historical information for this county.
 * Michigan Family History Network
 * Genealogy Trails History Group
 * Mackinac County Local History Web Page
 * Mackinac County Linkpendium
 * Mackinac County Genealogy ldsgenealogy.com
 * Mackinack County Familypedia
 * – 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.