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Michigan and Detroit Selected Genealogical Resources

Databases
Ancestry
Heritage Quest
National Digital Sanborn Maps
Footnote
Detroit Free Press, 1831-1922

U.S. Census Records, 1790-1930 Microfilm, Ancestry, Heritage Quest

Michigan Census Records
Michigan Censuses 1710-1830 Under the French, British, and Americans. Edited by Donna Valley Russell. Detroit:DSGR, 1982. call no. 977.4 929.3 M582 Ref Desk
1884 Michigan Census, Schedule I, Inhabitants of Wayne County (excluding Detroit) BHC microfilm no. 439
(originals in 13 folders MS/Michigan Archives – Census, B4M)
State Censuses of Michigan: A Tragedy of Lost Treasures by LeRoy Barnett in Family Trails vol. 6, no. 1
pp.1-29. call no. 929 F208a

Detroit and Wayne County Vital Records
Births:

• Birth Records from the Archives of Wayne County, ca. 1867-70, 4 vols. call no. 977.4w4 929.3 D2Lb

Marriages:

• Marriage Records from the Archives of Wayne County, 1832-1869, 11 vols., call no. 977.4w4 929.3 D2Lm
• Wayne County Marriage Returns, 1803-1867, BHC microfilm no. 1508
• Wayne County Marriage Returns, 1868-1893, BHC microfilm no. 1567

Deaths:

• Death Records of the Detroit Board of Health, 1835-70, call no. 977.4D4 929.3 D2Ld
• Detroit Death Index, 1920-current, microfiche
• Wayne County Coroners’ Files, ca. 1870-1888, card catalog
• Wayne County Death Record Index, 1934-1939: An index to original records held at the Burton Historical Collection. 4vols, compiled by Ruth McMahon, Karan Zucal, and John Gibson, 1997. call no. 929.37743 W367
• Wayne County Death Record Index, 1940-1944: An index to original records held at the Burton Historical Collection. 2vols, compiled by Ruth McMahon, 2006. call no. 929.37743 W368
• Burial Transit Permits, 1941-1953, manuscript (finding aid includes every name index)
• Wayne County Death Record Index, 1945+1949, An index to original recores held at the Burton Historical Collection. 2 vols, compiled by Ruth McMahon, 2006. call no. 929.37743 W368

Detroit and Michigan Biography Index, card catalog
Marriage and Death Newspaper Notices, Wayne County, Michigan, 1809-1868. Abstracted by Marguerite N. Lambert. Detroit: DSGR, 2001. call no. 929.37743 L174m
Vital Records from the Detroit Free Press, 1831-68, call no. 977.4D4 929.3 D2Lv
Vital Records from the Detroit Gazette, 1817-1830, call no. 977.4D4 929.3 D42vK
Vital Records of Wayne County, Michigan, (includes Elmwood Cemetery inscriptions; Michigan marriage records, 1818-1840), 2 vols. call no. 977.4w4 929.3 D2Lv

Detroit City Directories

• 1837
• 1845
• 1846
• 1850-1941
• 1953 West side
• 1954 East side
• 1956 West side
• 1957East side
• 1958 West side
• 1963 East side
• 1964 East and West side
• 1965 West side
• 1968 East and West side
• 1969 West side
• 1967 East side
• 1970 East and West side
• 1973 West side
• 1974 East side

Yearbooks

Many, but not all, Detroit high school yearbooks.

Church Records – Catholic

• Roman Catholic Church Records from the Archdiocese of Detroit, 1704-1984, microfilm
• Registre de St. Anne Church, 1704-1848, 7 vols., call no. 977.4D4 282 S134r
• Marriage Records Ste. Anne Church Detroit, 1701-1850. Eds. Sharon Kelley, Patricia Miller, and Gail F. Moreau- DesHarnais. Detroit: DSGR, 2001. call no. 929.37743 M349
• Registre des Paroisses Exterieures (Exterior Parishes), 1810-33, call no. 977.4D4 282 S134rE
• Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, vols 18 & 19 (Catholic parish at Mackinac, 1695- 1821), call no. 977.5 W7hc
• Registre de la Pariosse de l’ Assumption (31 Aug 1752 – 31 Dec 1824), 3 vols (Assumption Parish in Sandwich – present day Windsor, Ontario), call no. 971.3S22 282 A8r

Church Records – Protestant & Jewish

• All Saints Episcopal, 1837-1958 (Pontiac, MI, formerly Zion Episcopal), BHC microfilm no. 1619
• Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Detroit, 1911-1969 BHC microfilm no. 1167
• Central Methodist Church, 1820-1970 manuscript
• Christ Church, 1846-1906 BHC microfilm no. 904
• Congregation Beth El (Jewish), 1850-1969 manuscript
• First Presbyterian Church, 1833-1963 manuscript
• St. Matthew’s and St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, Detroit 1894-1975, BHC microfilm no. 1068
• Second Baptist Church, Detroit, 1935-1979, BHC microfilm no. 1069

Cemetery Records

• Detroit City Cemetery Burial Records, 1854-1861: Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. Transcribed by Mary Lou Duncan. Detroit: DSGR, 1996. (Original records at the Burton Historical Collection)
  call no. 929.37743 D912d
• Elmwood Cemetery Records, 1853-1865, call no. 977.4D4 929.3 E4D2Lc
• Elmwood Cemetery Record of Interments, 1846-1992, BHC microfilm no. 1583
• Elmwood Cemetery Register, 1862-1874. Transcribed by Patricia Ibbotson. Detroit: DSGR, 1998. (Original register at the Burton Historical Collection) call no. 929.37743 I12e
• Mt. Elliot Cemetery Burial Records, 1845-1861. Transcribed by Mary Lou Duncan. Detroit: DSGR, 1994. (Original records at the Burton Historical Collection) call no. 977.4D4 929.3 M8D9
• Mt. Elliot Cemetery Record of Interments, ca. 1865-1997, BHC microfilm no. 1593
• Woodmere Cemetery: The First Twenty Years, Aug 1868-Sep 188, 3 vols. Transcibed by Sherry Huntington, Sarah Lange, Betty Schley, & Patricia Toole. Downriver Genealogical Society, 1995-96 call no. 929.5 W859

Immigration and Naturalization

• Card Manifests of Entries through the Port of Detroit 1906-1954, BHC microfilm no. 1511
• Naturalizations from Detroit Recorders Court, 1854-1906, BHC microfilm no. 1257
• Declarations of Intent from Detroit Recorders Court, 1860-1906 manuscript/Detroit Recorders Court
• Passage to America 1851-1869: The Records of Richard Elliot, Passenger Agent, Detroit, Michigan. Transcribed by Mary Lou Straith Duncan. Detroit: DSGR, 1999. (Original records at the Burton Historical Collection) call no. 929.37743 E46p

Land Records

• Early Land Transfers, Detroit & Wayne County, 1703-1869, 53 vols., call no. 977.4w4 929.3 D2Ll

Probate Records

• Index to Probate Court (Wayne County) Estate Packets, 1797-1901, BHC microfilm no. 1571
• Probate Records from the Archives of Wayne County, Michigan (prior to 1870) 5 vols.call no. 977.4w4 929.3 D2Lp

Manuscripts

• Charles I. Kanter Papers (German American Bank), 1868-1885
• Children’s Aid Society (Detroit), 1860-1942 (Note: Children’s Aid Society admissions and departures Oct 1862-1868 have been transcribed and published in Record of the Juvenile Inmates of the Home for the Friendless by Pat Ibbotson, Detroit: DSGR, 1995. call number 977.4D4 929.3 I12r2)
• Children’s Home of Detroit, 1836-1969
• Detroit House of Corrections – Register of Prisoners, 1861-1983
• Detroit Notarial Records, 1737-179

Michigan Vital Records

Marriages:
Michigan Index to Marriages, 1872-1921, BHC microfilm no. 936
Michigan Marriages to 1850, Ancestry Library Edition
Michigan Marriages 1851-1875, Ancestry Library Edition

 

Deaths:
Michigan Index to Deaths, 1867-1914, BHC microfilm no. 935
Michigan Death Index, 1971-1996, Ancestry Library Edition

Daughters of the American Revolution Bible and Pioneer Records, Call no. 977.4 929.3 D2
Detroit and Michigan Biography Index, card catalog

Magazines

• Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, Call no. 977.4D4 929 D4g
• Michigan History, Call no. 977.4 M5hm
• Flint Genealogical Quarterly, Call no. 977.4F64 929 F6
• Michigan Heritage, Call no. 977.4K12 929 M5
• Historical Collections of the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society, Call no. 977.4 M58pc

City Directories

• The collection has directories for some communities outside Detroit, in particular Flint and Grand Rapids. Flint directories include 1885 and scattered years 1868-1954; Grand Rapids scattered years from 1868-1954, but complete from 1888-1922.

Telephone Directories

• The Burton Collection has an extensive collection covering virtually every town in the state. The most complete set is for Detroit beginning in 1878. Telephone books for other towns generally begin about 1939 and run through the 1980s.

Military Records

• Michigan’s Early Military Forces: A Roster and History of Troops Activated Prior to the American Civil War. Le Roy Barnett and Roger Rosentreter. Detroit: WSU Press, 2003. call no. 355.57M825 Ref Desk
  

Civil War:

• Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers who Served in Organizations from the State of Michigan. BHC microfilm no. 1407
• Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers who Served with U.S. Colored Troops. BHC microfilm no. 783
• Records of Service of Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War, 1861-1865
  Call no. 977.4 355.07 M5r
• General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. BHC microfilm no. 1324

List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883, 5 vols., call no. 351.507 U5p

World War I:

• World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, BHC microfilm no. 1623
• World War I Census Card Index for Michigan, BHC microfilm no. 1582

World War II:

• Michigan Casualties of World War II. Francis Loomis. Detroit: Detroit Public Library. Call no. 977.4 355.091 D48
• Michigan World War II Service Awards, card catalog

Korean War:

• Michigan Korean War Casualties, card catalog

Biography

• Michigan Biography Index. Francis Loomis. Detroit: Detroit Public Library. Call no.977.4 920 D4pL

Ships Passenger Lists

• Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Algonac, Marine City, Marysville, & Roberts Landing, Michigan, May 1937-Jan 1957, BHC microfilm no. 1645
• Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at Escanaba, Michigan, May 1946-Nov 1956, BHC microfilm no. 1646
• Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at DeTour, Michigan, 1946-1956, BHC microfilm no. 1647
• Copies of Lists of Passengers Arriving at Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and on the Great Lakes, 1820-1873, BHC microfilm no. 1329
• Passenger and immigration lists index: a guide to published records of more than 4,444,000 immigrants who came to the new world between the sixteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. 2001-2005 cumulated supplements. William P. Filby, ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 1982-. Call no. 929.3 P262

Territorial Michigan

• Territorial Papers of the United States – Northwest Territory, 1796-1803, vols 2-3
• Territorial Papers of the United States – Michigan Territory, 1805-1837, vols 10-12
• comp. by Clarence E.Carter, call no. 973.03 U5t