Mackinac County, Michigan Genealogy

United States

Michigan

Mackinac County

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

Mackinac County, Michigan
Map
Location of Michigan in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	October 26, 1818
County Seat	St. Ignace
Courthouse
Address	Mackinac County Courthouse 100 S Marley Street St. Ignace, MI 49781 Phone: 906-643-7300 Mackinac County Website

County Information

Description

The County was named for Straits of Mackinac. The County has St. Ignace as its seat and the County was created October 26, 1818. The County is located in the north area of the state.

Mackinac County, Michigan Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1873	1867	1873	1808	1785	1851	1820
Statewide registration started in 1867 for births and deaths. General compliance by 1915.

County Courthouse

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1873, marriage records from 1867, divorce and court records from 1808.

History

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

• Mackinac County, Michigan
• Brief Mackinac County History
• The Journal of John McLaughlin, 1886-1891
• History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan Mackinac County
• Genealogy Trails Mackinac County, Michigan

Books online

• Mackinac and Lake Stories - Google Books
• Mackinac, formerly Michilimackinac - Google Books
• Annals of Fort Mackinac - Google Books
• 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 - Google Books
• Historic Mackinac: The Historical, Picturesque and Legendary, Volume 2 - Google Books
• 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

Parent County

1818--Mackinac County was created 26 October 1818 from Wayne County. It was formerly Michilimackinac County, until name was changed 26 January 1837.  County seat: St. Ignace

Boundary Changes

• See COUNTY EVOLUTION IN MICHIGAN, 1790-1897 by Richard W. Welch for the development of the counties in the state. This will help you to determine 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.
  

For animated maps illustrating Michigan county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Michigan County Boundary Maps" (1790-1897) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places/Localities

• Michigan Places by County
• Michigan Townships by County
• Indian Names Mackinac County
• Roadside Thoughts
• Seeking Michigan

Bois Blanc Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships

Brevort Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships

Clark Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships

Ft. Mackinac

• Mackinac Parks
• Wikipedia
• Historic Parks
• Cemeteries

Garfield Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships

Hendricks Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships
• City-Data

Hudson Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships

Mackinac Island

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Genealogy
• Vanderbilt Family

Marquette Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships

Moran Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships

Newton Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships

Portage Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships

St. Ignace

• History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan - Mackinac
• Wikipedia
• City of Ignace

St. Ignace Township

• Wikipedia
• Michigan Townships

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:

Cities
Mackinac Island	St. Ignace
Unincorporated communities
Allenville Brevort Cedarville Curtis Engadine Epoufette	Evergreen Shores Garnet Gould City Gros Cap Hessel	Millecoquins Moran Naubinway Pointe Aux Pins Rexton
Native American communities
Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians	Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Townships
Bois_Blanc Brevort Clark Garfield	Hendricks Hudson Marquette Moran	Newton Portage St. Ignace

Neighboring Counties

Cheboygan  • Chippewa  • Emmet  • Luce  • Schoolcraft

Resources

Cemeteries

Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Tombstone Transcriptions in Print	List of Cemeteries in the county
Findagrave.com	Family History Library	Findagrave.com
USGenWeb	WorldCat	Billion Graves
MIGenWeb Archives
Tombstone Project
MIInterment
EPodunk
Billion Graves
See Michigan Cemeteries for more information.

• State Cemeteries, Mackinac, Michigan
  

Census

Federal Census

• Mackinac County, Michigan
  

• 1820 1820 Federal Census transcription
  
• 1850 1850 Census transcription; Index to Federal Census 1850 Michilimackinac County, MI at FamilySearch; United States Census, 1850 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1860 United States Census, 1860 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1870 United States Census, 1870 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1880 United States Census, 1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1900 United States Census, 1900 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1910 United States Census, 1910 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1920 United States Census, 1920 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1930 United States Census, 1930 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1940 United States Census, 1940 at FamilySearch — index and images

State Census

• 1894 - Michigan State Census, 1894 at FamilySearch — index

Church

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Michigan denominations, view the Michigan Church Records wiki page.

• 1819-1991 - Michigan, Church Records, 1819-1991 at FamilySearch — index
• The Mackinac Register: Register of marriages in the parish of Michilimackinac Collections - State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Volume 18, p. 469
• Catholic Church Directory
• Episcopal Church Directory

Churches: various

• Mackinac County Churches
• Early History of St. Ignatius Loyola Parish
• Ste. Anne's Catholic Church

Families

• Early Families of the Upper Great Lakes
  
• St. Ignace Names, Geneanet
  

• AIABENS
  

• AMIOT - VILLENEUVE
  

• ANCE / ANSE
  

• ARCHAMBEAU
  

• BEAUDOIN
  

• BELONGERS
  

• BODOIN / BEAUDOINE
  

• BOURASSA
  

• BUSSINEAU
  

• CAFFEY
  

• CADOT(TE)
  

• CAMPAU
  

• CHARBONNEAU
  

• CHENIER
  

• COWN
  

• DAVENPORT
  
• Facebook Page
  

• FAGNANT
  

• GRONDIN
  
• Facebook Page

• HAMMOND
  

• JOHNSTON
  

• LaFRAMBOISE
  

• LAJOICE / LAJOIE
  

• LALONDE
  

• (De)LANGLADE
  
• Facebook Page
  

• LEBLANC
  

• LEDUC-SOULIGNY

• LOUISIGNAN
  

• LOZON
  

• MARTIN
  

• McGULPIN

• (O')FLINN / FLYNN
  

• OZAMICK
  

• PAQUIN
  

• Pay-She-Ne-Ne-Abe Descendants

• PIERCE
  

• POND
  

• TROTOCHAUD
  

• VALLIERE
  

Emigration and Immigration

• 1929 - 1966 Michigan, Crew Lists for various ports, 1929-1966 at FamilySearch — index and images

Land

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Michigan Land and Property for additional information about early Michigan land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

• Mackinac County Original Land Claims
  
• General Land Office Records Bureau of Land Management
  
• Barns of Mackinac County
  

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Mackinac County, Michigan Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Michigan Local Histories.

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
• 1749 Map of Michilimackinac
  
• Public Records Online Searches
  
• Hendricks Township
  
• Mackinac Island, 1915
  
• Portage Township
  
• St. Ignace
  

Military

War of 1812

• Commemorating the Beginning of the War of 1812
  

Civil War

• Veterans' Names by County
  
• Michigan, Civil War Centennial Observance Commission, Committee on Civil War Grave Registration, Burial Records at FamilySearch — index

Spanish American War

• Michigan Volunteers by County
  

World War I

• 1917-1919 - Michigan, Census of World War I Veterans with Card Index, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — index

Native Americans

• Indian Land Allotments Patents and Trusts in Mackinac County
  
• Native American and French Settlement Patterns at St. Ignace, Michigan, 1670-1715
  
• Huron Indians at St. Ignace, Michigan
  

Newspapers

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

Finding More Michigan Newspapers

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mackinac County, Michigan Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• The Saginaw News
• Do a Mackinac County, Michigan Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the Family History Library Catalog (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search).

Obituaries

• 1820-2006 - Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006 at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate

In most counties in Michigan, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate packets, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.

The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Michigan, Mackinac and search for Probate records in the list.

Note: Not every county in Michigan will have Probate Records in the FamilySearch Catalog.

Online Probate Records

• 1784 – 1980 Michigan Wills and Probate Records 1784-1980 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 1797 – 1973 Michigan Probate Records 1797-1973 at FamilySearch — images

Queries: Mailing Lists & Message Boards

• RootsWeb, Mackinac County
  
• St. Ignace All Family Facebook Page
  
• Genforum
  

Vital Records

State vital records started in 1867, however marriage records started at the county level earlier. Check both. Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased as shown below:

Birth Records and Death Records from the Michigan Department of Community Health (from 1867) or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.

Marriage Records (from 1867) and Divorce Records (from 1897) from the County Clerk.

• How to order Michigan Vital Records
• Mackinac Area Genealogy Facebook Page

Birth Records

• 1867-1917 - Michigan, County Births, 1867-1917 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1867-1902 - Michigan Birth Registrations, 1867-1902 at FamilySearch — index and images
• Early Michigan Births Mackinac County Michigan Family History Network

Marriage Records

• 1585-1945 - Michigan, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• From 1725 - Mackinac County Marriages Michigan Family History Network
  
• 1800-1804 - Mackinac Marriage Records Access Genealogy
• 1820-1937 - Michigan, County Marriages Index, 1820-1937 at FamilySearch — index
• 1820-1940 - Michigan, County Marriages, 1820-1940 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1868-1925 - Michigan Marriage Registrations, 1868-1925 at FamilySearch — index and images

Death Records

• 1850-1880 - Michigan Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1867-1897 - Michigan Death Registrations, 1867-1897 at FamilySearch — index and images
• Michigan Deaths, Mackinac County Michigan Family History Network

Societies, Libraries and Museums

• Luce-Mackinac County Genealogical Society
  PO Box 113
  Engadine, MI 49827-0113
  Website
• Michilimackinac Historical Society
  334 North State Street
  St. Ignace, MI 49781
  Phone: 906-643-6627
  Website
  Facebook
  
• St. Ignace Public Library
  110 W. Spruce Street
  St. Ignace, MI 49781
  Phone: 906-643-8318
  Website
• Ft. de Baude Museum
  334 N State Street
  St. Ignace, MI 49781
  Phone: 906-643-6627
  Website
  Facebook
• Library of Michigan
  702 W. Kalamazoo Street
  Lansing, MI 48915
  Phone: 517-335-1477
  Email: librarian@michigan.gov
  Website
  

Some holdings:

For Mackinac

For Mackinaw

State wide or ethnic groups

AFRICAN-AMERICAN

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

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/p/h/i/Bennie-L-Phifer-iii/

Lansing Area African American Genealogical Society
Post Office Box 22203
Lansing MI 48909-2203
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 48433

DUTCH

Joint Archives of Holland, Hope College

FINNISH

Finnish American Heritage Center

FLEMISH

Genealogical Society of Flemish Americans
Facebook Page

FRENCH-CANADIAN (includes Acadian, Cajun and Metis)

French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan
Post Office Box 1900
Royal Oak MI 48068-1900
Publication is Michigan's Habitat Heritage published quarterly
Located in Oakland County
MGC Member of Michigan Genealogical Council
Facebook Page/

IRISH

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

Wayne County Irish Society
31975 Cowan
Westland 48185

ITALIAN

Americans Of Italian Origin Society
18336 Lister E.
Detroit 48021

JEWISH

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

POLISH

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

Polish Heritage Society
P.O. Box 1844
Grand Rapids 49501

SCOTTISH

The St. Andrew's Society of Detroit
2360 Rochester Ct
Troy Mi 48083
Phone:(248) 526-1849
Fax:(248) 528-1477
Contact: kilgour@detroitscots.com

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

• For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map

• Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

• Michigan Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• Michigan Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• 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
  
• Cyndi's List
  
• Mackinac County Linkpendium
• Mackinac Area Genealogy Facebook Page
  
• Mackinac County Genealogy Michigan Genealogy
  
• Mackinack County Familypedia
  
• FamilySearch Catalog