Clinton County, Michigan Genealogy
Guide to Clinton County, Michigan ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for DeWitt Clinton. The County is located in the south central area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Clinton County Courthouse
100 E State Street
PO Box 69
St. Johns, MI 48879-1571
Phone: 517-224-5140
Clinton County Website
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1839, divorce records from early 1800’s and court records. [2]
Clinton County, Michigan Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1867 | 1839 | 1867 | 1860 | 1837 | 1840 | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following may help you with your research:
- Master Clinton County Cemetery Index DeWitt District Library
- 1799-1999 - Michigan, Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), Cemetery Index, 1799-1999 at FamilySearch — index and images
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 1,614 | — |
| 1850 | 5,102 | 216.1% |
| 1860 | 13,916 | 172.8% |
| 1870 | 22,845 | 64.2% |
| 1880 | 28,100 | 23.0% |
| 1890 | 26,509 | −5.7% |
| 1900 | 25,136 | −5.2% |
| 1910 | 23,129 | −8.0% |
| 1920 | 23,110 | −0.1% |
| 1930 | 24,174 | 4.6% |
| 1940 | 26,671 | 10.3% |
| 1950 | 31,195 | 17.0% |
| 1960 | 37,969 | 21.7% |
| 1970 | 48,492 | 27.7% |
| 1980 | 55,893 | 15.3% |
| 1990 | 57,883 | 3.6% |
| 2000 | 64,753 | 11.9% |
| 2010 | 75,382 | 16.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
- 1850-1880 - Michigan Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
- 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[edit | edit source]
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 - How to Use This Article
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust, images – includes business directories for towns across the state
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1929-1966 Michigan, Crew Lists for various ports, 1929-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
- Immigration and Naturalization Records at Michiganology
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
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
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, MI 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
PO 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, MI 48185
ITALIAN
Americans Of Italian Origin Society
18336 Lister E.
Detroit, MI 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, MI 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
- ANISHNAWBE (Chippewa / Ojibwe, Ottawa / Odawa, Potawatomi Indians)
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
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 Clinton County courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Article on Deeds.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Clinton County. 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.
- History of Shiawassee and Clinton Counties, Michigan, by Franklin Ellis. 1880. Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co. Online at: Hathitrust; Google Books; Ancestry ($)
- Past and Present of Clinton County, Michigan. By Judge S. B. Daboll. 1906. Chicago : S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Online at: Google Books
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- 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
- 1895 County
- Land Atlas & Plat Book, Clinton County, Michigan, by Rockford Map Publishers.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War
Civil War service men from Clinton County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Clinton County.
- - 1st Regiment, Michigan Cavalry, Company D
- 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 - Michigan, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1876-1945 at FamilySearchd - How to Use This Article
- 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
- Michigan, Civil War Centennial Observance Commission, Committee on Civil War Grave Registration, Burial Records at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
World War I
- 1917-1919 - Michigan, Census of World War I Veterans with Card Index, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1837-1993 - Michigan, Eastern and Western Districts, Naturalization Records, 1837-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1820-2006 Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
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.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1784-1980 Michigan Wills and Probate Records 1784-1980 at Ancestry $
- 1797-1973 Michigan Probate Records 1797-1973 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index 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.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Michigan tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the Wiki page, Michigan Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
- Birth Records and Death Records from 1867 can be obtained from the Michigan Department of Community Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.
- Marriage Records from 1867 and Divorce Records from 1897 can be obtained from the County Clerk.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1867-1917 - Michigan, County Births, 1867-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
- 1867-1902 - Michigan Births, 1867-1902 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1585-1945 - Michigan, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
- 1820-1937 - Michigan, County Marriages Index, 1820-1937 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
- 1820-1940 - Michigan, County Marriages, 1820-1940 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
- 1868-1925 - Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1880 - Michigan Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
- 1867-1897 - Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Article
- 1867-1952 Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
- 1897-1952 - Michigan Death Certificates, 1897-1952 at Michiganology
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1897-1952 Michigan, Divorce Records, 1897-1952 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Clinton County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Michigan Archives and Libraries.
Clinton County Historical Society Archives
16101 Brook Road
DeWitt Township Community Building
Lansing, MI
Phone: 517-482-5117
Mailing Address:P.O. Box 174
St. Johns, MI 48879
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Greenville Michigan Family History Center
- Lansing Michigan Family History Center
- Owosso Michigan Family History Center
- Library of Michigan - an affiliate Library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Clinton County. For state-wide library facilities, see Michigan Archives and Libraries.
DeWitt District Library
13101 Schavey Road #9008
Dewitt, MI 48820
Phone: 517-669-3156
Website
Briggs District Library
108 East Railroad Street
St. Johns, MI 48879
Phone: 989-224-4702
Website
Elsie Public Library
145 West Main Street
Elsie, MI 48831
Phone: 989-862-4633
Facebook
Maple Rapids Public Library
130 South Maple Avenue
Maple Rapids, MI 48853
Phone: 989-682-4464
WebsiteFacebook
Ovid Public Library
206 North Main Street
Ovid, MI 48866
Phone: 989-834-5800
Website Facebook
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Clinton County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Michigan Societies.
- Elsie Historical Society
c/o Doris Gregor/Box 125
Elsie, MI 48831
Website
- Clinton County Historical Society
P.O. Box 174
St. Johns, MI 48879
Phone: 989-224-5100
Email: ccgensoc@yahoo.com
Website Facebook Archives
- Grand Ledge Area Historical Society
PO Box 203
Grand Ledge, MI 48837
(517) 627-3149
Email: connect@glhistoricalsociety.org
Website Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
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- Clinton County, MI-Roots Michigan Roots is a member of the PA-Roots family of websites.
- The Clinton County MIGenWeb Project, a member of The MIGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project. Archives Project
- Clinton County MI Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
- Genealogy Trails
- FamilySearch Catalog – 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.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Clinton County, Michigan" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, wikipedia
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Michigan.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Michigan.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Michigan.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Clinton County, Michigan," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, wikipedia accessed 16 September 2019.
