BASIC GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH IN MICHIGAN

The following is a list of the basics for researching in Michigan that are not necessarily on line. Most book can be obtained through your local library on loan or the Family History Center. Some books may be available through google books or archive.com.  By reading this material it will help you in your research efforts.  Good luck, Jim.

BASIC LIST FOR RESEARCHING IN MICHIGAN, comp. by James P. LaLone, 2009

 

GENERAL HOW-TO

FINDING YOUR ROOTS by Jeane E. Westin.

THE GENEALOGIST'S ADDRESS BOOK, by Elizabeth P. Bentley

HOW TO TRACE YOUR FAMILY HISTORY by Bill R. Linder.

HOW TO TRACE YOUR FAMILY TREE by the American Genealogical Research

  Institute.

KNOW YOUR ANCESTORS by Ethel W. Williams.

SEARCHING FOR YOUR ANCESTORS by Gilbert H. Doane.

SHAKING YOUR FAMILY TREE: A BASIC GUIDE TO TRACING YOUR FAMILY'S GENEALOGY by Ralph J. Crandall.

TRACING YOUR ANCESTRY by F. Wilbur Helmbold.

UNPUZ2LING YOUR PAST by Emily A. Croom

If you are an intermediate or more advanced researcher then there are two books especially useful which I recommend you purchase as constant reference tools - Val Greenwood's RESEARCHER'S GUIDE TO AMERICAN GENEALOGY, the other is Norman Wright's BUILDING AN AMERICAN PEDIGREE, which is no longer in print but very good so check your used book dealers.

Guides geared more specifically for Michigan.
GENEALOGIST'S GUIDE TO... NORTHWEST MICHIGAN, ...THE CAPITOL
REGION OF MICHIGAN, . . .SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN, .. .THE THUMB AREA
OF MICHIGAN, ...THE MIDDLE OF MICHIGAN, ...NORTHEASTERN MICHIGAN
and ...UPPER PENINSULA MICHIGAN; all compiled by Victoria Wilson.

GENEALOGY IN MICHIGAN: WHAT, WHEN, WHERE by Alloa Anderson & Polly Bender.

MICHIGAN GENEALOGY by C. McGinnis

TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS IN MICHIGAN by Ethel W. Williams.

 

SOME BIBLIOGRAPHIES, LISTS, INDEXES & GENERAL HISTORY:

"Michigan pioneer & historical collections" 40 vols. available at

most libraries. Some are now online.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHIES IN AMERICAN HISTORY: GUIDE TO MATERIALS FOR RESEARCH by Henry P. Beers.

DESSERTATIONS AND THESES IN MICHIGAN HISTORY, comp. by Richard J. Hathaway

EARLY MIDWESTERN TRAVEL NARRATIVES: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY, 1634-1850, by Robert R. Hubach.

FRENCH & BRITISH IN THE OLD NORTHWEST: A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL GUIDE TO ARCHIVE AND MANUSCRIPT SOURCES by Henry P. Beers.

GUIDE TO THE STATE ARCHIVES OF MICHIGAN: STATE RECORDS, by Michigan Dpt. Of State. Not up-to-date but a good starting point.

MICHIGAN BIBLIOGRAPHY......TO JULY 1, 1917, 2 vols. by Floyd B. Streeter.

UNITED STATES LOCAL HISTORIES IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: A BIBLIOGRAPHY edited by Marion J. Kaminkow

At the county level see:

A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN COUNTY HISTORIES by P. William Filby.
MICHIGAN COUNTY HISTORIES: A BIBLIOGRAPHY by the Michigan Department of Education, State Library Services.

 

LAND DIVISION:

See COUNTY EVOLUTION IN MICHIGAN, 1790-1897 by Richard W. Welch for the development of the counties in the state.  This will help you in determing place of residence of your ancestors and under whose civil jurisdiction they resided.  It is also useful for when you start to read the census records.

Check your local library for the various county atlases they may have that have been published for Michigan.  Other important sources are:

ATLAS OF GREAT LAKES INDIAN HISTORY by H. Tanner.

ATLAS OF MICHIGAN, by Tackaberry.

ATLAS OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN by H.F. Walling.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE PRINTED MAPS OF MICHIGAN, 1840-1880 by Louis C. Karpinski

EARLY MICHIGAN SETTLEMENTS by W.W. Florer.

LAKE SUPERIOR PLACE NAMES: FROM BAWATING TO THE MONTREAL, by Bernard C. Peters

MANUSCRIPT MAPS OF THE COUNTIES OF MICHIGAN, 1818-1841, 30 volS. by Bela Hubbard.

MICHIGAN ATLASES & PLAT BOOKS: A CHECKLIST 1872-1973, comp. by Wm. Miles.

MICHIGAN GHOST TOWNS, by Dodge, 3 vols.

MICHIGAN INDIAN PLACE NAMES, by Vogel

MICHIGAN PLACE NAMES by Walter Romig.

MICHIGAN SHADOW TOWNS: A STUDY OF VANISHING AND VIBRANT VILLAGES, by Gene Scott

TOWNSHIP ATLAS OF THE UNITED STATES comp. by John L. Andriot.

Other interesting data is the "The Rural Property Inventory" by LeRoy Barnett, a description of which appears in "Michigan's Habitant Heritage" the journal of the French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan, v.3 #3 p.43 (1982).

Other books of interest are:

CITY DIRECTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1860-1901, by Research Publications.

THE LAND RECORDS OF AMERICA & THEIR GENEALOGICAL VALUE, by E.K. Kirkham.

USING MAPS AND AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, revised, by M. Lind.

THE MAP CATALOG, revised, by Joel Makower. 

MAPS, ATLASES AND GAZETTEERS, by John W. Heisey.

SEARCHING AMERICAN LAND & DEED RECORDS, by Fran Carter.

SIXTY MILLION ACRES: AMERICAN VETERANS AND PUBLIC LANDS BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR, by James W. Oberly

SURVEYS, DEEDS AND TITLE SEARCHES, A MANUAL FOR THE LAYMAN, 4^th revised by  Charles E. Lawson

TOWNSHIPS & THE LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS OF LAND, by Charles Butler Barr.

FAMILY GENEALOGIES/HISTORIES:

GENEALOGIES IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: A BIBLIOGRAPHY, 2 VOLS. -1 SUPPLEMENT, ed. by Marion J. Kaminkov.

COMPLEMENT TO GENEALOGIES IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: A BIBLIOGRAPHY ed. by  Marion J. Kaminkov.

DIRECTORY OF FAMILY ASSOCIATIONS, by Elizabeth P. Bentley. (out of date)

DIRECTORY OF FAMILY "ONE-NAME" PERIODICALS, by J. Konrad. (out of date)

FAMILY ASSOCIATIONS, SOCIETIES AND REUNIONS, by J. Konrad. (out of date)

INDEX TO AMERICAN GENEALOGIES: AND TO GENEALOGICAL MATERIAL CONTAINED IN ALL WORKS by Joel Munsell's Sons publishers.

GENEALOGICAL PERIODICAL ANNUAL INDEX published by Heritage Books

INDEX TO GENEALOGICAL PERIODICALS by Donald L. Jacobus.

BIBLIOGRAPHIA GENEALOGICA AMERICANA: AN ALPHABETICAL INDEX TO AMERICAN GENEALOGIES AND PEDIGREES by Daniel S. Durrie.

AMERICAN & BRITISH GENEALOGY AND HERALDRY: A SELECTED LIST OF BOOKS by P. William Filby.

A LIST OF SOME AMERICAN GENEALOGIES WHICH HAVE BEEN PRINTED IN BOOK FORM comp. by Thomas A. Glenn.

AMERICAN GENEALOGIST: BEING A CATALOGUE OF FAMILY HISTORIES & PUBLICATIONS by William H. Whitmore.

See also the various who's who... (ie. WHO'S WHO IN THE MIDWEST) and MICHIGAN'S CENTENNIAL FAMILY FARM HERITAGE,1986:A MICHIGAN SESQUICENTENNIAL HISTORY  by Mary L. Wermuth.

PERSI (Periodical Source Index) by the Allen Co. Public Library in Ft. Wayne, IN.  (online through Heritage Quest)

 

PHOTOS:

MEN OF MICHIGAN: A COLLECTION OF THE PORTRAITS OF MEN PROMINENT IN BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE IN MICHIGAN, pub. By Michigan Art Co., 1904

To learn about the history of your or your ancestor’s home, see:

HOUSE HISTORIES: A GUIDE TO TRACING THE GENEALOGY OF YOUR HOME, by Sally Light to help you in researching your ancestors and learning more about them.

TRACING THE HISTORY OF YOUR HOUSE: THE BUILDING, THE PEOPLE, THE PAST, by Nick Barratt (for England)

For a much longer list see http://mmgs.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/jan-2012-newsltr.pdf

LEGAL MATERIALS - Probate records such as wills often provide useful information, see: SEARCHING AMERICAN PROBATE RECORDS, by Fran Carter.  Other records, such as various legal cases might be of use - see "HOW TO FIND SERIES #12: FINDING MICHIGAN LAWS & CASES IN THE MSU LIBRARIES", published by MSU Libraries, 1983.

To determine the lifestyle of your ancestor(s) the following might provide insights (this listing is just a drop in the bucket!)

 

NORTH AMERICA

Bode, Carl - AMERICAN LIFE IN THE 1840'S

Douville, Raymond & Jacques-Donat Casanova - DAILY LIFE IN EARLY CANADA FROM CHAMPLAIN TO MONTCALM

Earle, Alice M. - COLONIAL DAYS IN OLD NEW YORK

Pettengill, Samuel B. - THE YANKEE PIONEERS, A SAGA OF COURAGE (VT & NH)

Reinhardt, Richard - WORKIN' ON THE RAILROAD

Warwick, Edward, Henry C. Pitz & Alexander Wyckoff – EARLY AMERICAN DRESS