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Michigan Public Records
| How
To Search Public and Vital Records -
Vital records are records of life events important enough that
some level of government acquires, organizes, and preserves
them. While the term "vital records" is often applied
to a wide variety of life events... Read
more |
Michigan
Vital Records
Birth, death and marriage records have been registered on a state
level since 1867. Marriages prior to that time may be found at the
county level.
For birth and death records after January 1867, and for marriages
after April 1867, write:
Michigan Department of Public Health
Vital Records Section
3423 North Logan Street
P.O. Box 30035
Lansing, MI 48914
For earlier records, write to the county in question.
Michigan
Land Records
Michigan is a federal-land state. Lands were generally bought from
the government or from other individuals. For government purchases
within the state, consult the Bureau of Land Management, Eastern
States Office's patent indexes available on CD-ROM through various
genealogical vendors and through:
Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents
P.O. Box 371954
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954
This patent index is also found among the database
searches available at Ancestry Home Town web site (ancestry.com).
Land-entry case files for these patents are available at the National
Archives in Washington, D.C.. Early settlers in Michigan also received
land under the French government. Case files for most private land
claims (the settling of property ownership by the government of
the United States for lands previously acquired under a different
sovereign) are housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C..
Microfilm copies for most federal land patents are also available
on microfilm at the Library of Michigan. For transactions between
individuals, consult the local county Register of Deeds. For further
reference:
Ainsworth, Fern. Private Land Claims: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan
and Wisconsin. Natchitoches, LA: the author, ca. 1980.
Hone, E. Wade. Land and Property Research in the United States.
Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1997.
Reynolds, D.B. Early Land Claims in Michigan. Lansing: Michigan
Department of Conservation, 1940.
Michigan
Court Records
Court records entail probate records, guardianship, naturalization,
and a wide variety of other sources. All contain information about
individuals within the area. It should be remembered that there
are different levels of jurisdiction for courts in the United States,
all of which should be considered for research under various circumstances.
Court of Common Pleas, Orphan's Court, Probate Court, District Court,
Superior Court, Supreme Court, and other titles are among those
encountered. To study more about court records in general, see:
"Research in Court Records" by Arlene H. Eakle, found
in Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, eds., The
Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, rev. ed. (Salt Lake City:
Ancestry, 1997).
Michigan
Military Records
The State Archives of Michigan is the repository for military records
in the state. Mail inquiries are answered. The Descriptive Rolls
of Michigan Units, 1838—1919, are available for any individual
serving in a Michigan unit during that time period. Their files
also include records of fraternal organizations for veterans of
the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. Muster rolls of these
organizations include names of members and their military history.
The archives has Muster Rolls of the Grand Army of the Republic
Posts in Michigan, and portraits of Civil War Soldiers, indexed
by unit and by surname. Also see:
Brown, George H. Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers in the
Civil War, 1861–1865. (often referred to as Michigan Soldiers
and Sailors) Kalamazoo, MI: Ihling Brothers and Everard, 1903–15.
(This forty-six volume set includes an alphabetical index).
Vaughn, Colman C. Alphabetical General Index to Public Library Sets
of 85,271 Names of Michigan Soldiers and Sailors Individual Records.
Lansing: Wynkoop, Hallenbeck, Crawford, Co., 1915.
Neagles, James C. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and
State Sources. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1994.
Additional Sources
Callard, Carol, ed. Sourcebook of the Michigan Census, County Histories
and Vital Records. Lansing: Library of Michigan, 1987.
McGinnis, Carol. Michigan Genealogy Sources and Resources. Baltimore:
Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987.
Michigan Vital Records:
Event: Birth or death
Cost of copy: $13.00
Address:
Vital Records
3423 North Martin Luther King Boulevard
P.O. Box 30195
Lansing, MI 48909
Remarks: State office has records of births and deaths
that occurred and were filed with the state since 1867. Some of
the records (especially pre-1906 births and pre-1897 deaths) were
not filed with the state.
Check or money order should be made payable to State
of Michigan. Personal checks are accepted. Additional copies of
the same record, ordered at the same time are $4.00 each. To verify
current fees, the telephone number is (517) 335-8656. This will
be a recorded message. Information on how to obtain certified copies
is also available via the internet at State of Michigan.
Copies of records may also be obtained from the County
Clerk in county where even occurred. Fees vary from county to county.
Records of Detroit births occurring since 1893 and deaths since
1897 may be obtained from the city of Detroit Health Department.
Search All Michigan Records
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Event: Marriage (State)
Cost of copy: $13.00
Address:
Vital Records
3423 North Martin Luther King Boulevard
P.O. Box 30195
Lansing, MI 48909
Remarks: Records since 1867. Some marriages (especially
pre-1926) were not filed with the state.
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Event: Marriage (county)
Cost of copy: Varies
Address: See remarks
Remarks: County Clerk in county where license was
issued.
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Event: Divorce (State)
Cost of copy: $13.00
Address:
Vital Records
3423 North Martin Luther King Boulevard
P.O. Box 30195
Lansing, MI 48909
Remarks: Records since 1897. Some divorces (especially
pre-1924) were not filed with the state.
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Event: Divorce (county)
Cost of copy: Varies
Address: See remarks
Remarks: County Clerk in county where divorce was
granted.
Search All Michigan Records
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