Searching the Michigan State Census Records

Two important databases have become available at seekingmichigan.org this past week: Detroit News Index Cards and Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1939.  I have been spending a lot of time with these two awesome sources, but there is much more to the Seeking Michigan website than those two collections.

The Seeking Michigan website is the work of the Archives of Michigan and the Archives have been working hard to bring records to those with Michigan research interests.  Currently, Seeking Michigan has 22 searchable collections:

1.  Death Records, 1897-1920
2.  Death Records, 1921-1952
3.  Architecture
4.  Archives of Michigan Finding Aids
5.  Civil War Battle Flags
6.  Civil War Manuscripts
7.  Civil War Photographs
8.  Civil War Service Records
9.  Civil War Volunteer Registries
10.  Early Documents
11.  Early Photography
12.  GLO Plat Maps
13.  GLO Survey Notes
14.  Governors of Michigan
15.  Lighthouses and Life-Saving Stations
16.  Main Streets
17.  Maps
18.  Music of Michigan
19.  Oral Histories
20.  Rural Property Inventories
21.  State Census Records, 1827-1874
22.  State Census Records, 1884-1894

I use the death certificates, civil war, maps and state census records the most.  The first couple of times I used the state census records I was frustrated because I couldn't find any of my relatives in the Michigan Census.  Eventually, I got around to reading about the State Census collections and discovered why I couldn't find my ancestors in it: the county they lived in wasn't online. Duh!  Tip: Check what is available in the collection before searching.

I will help you and post the available counties and years that are currently available at Seeking Michigan.

The Counties and Years Available for the Michigan State Census Records, 1827-1874 are:

• Branch (1857, 1874)
• Clinton (1864)
• Eaton (1845, 1854, 1864, 1874)
• Houghton (1864, 1874)
• Lenawee (1845)
• Kalamazoo (1874)
• St. Joseph (1845)
• Sanilac (1864)
• Washtenaw (1827, 1845, 1854)

To read more about this collection, check here.

The Counties and Years Available for the Michigan State Census Records, 1884-1894 are:

• Baraga (1884)
• Barry (1884, 1894)
• Bay (1884, 1894)
• Benzie (1884)
• Gratiot (1894)
• Hillsdale (1884, 1894)
• Ingham (1884, 1894)
• Iosco (1894)
• Jackson (1884, 1894)
• Kalamazoo (1884, 1894)
• Kent (1884, 1894)
• Keweenaw (1884)
• Lake (1884)
• Lapeer (1884, 1894)
• Lenawee (1884, 1894)
• Livingston (1894)
• Menominee (1884, 1894)
• Midland (1894)
• Montcalm (1884, 1894)
• Muskegon (1884, 1894)
• Newaygo (1884, 1894)
• Ottawa (1884, 1894)
• Roscommon (1884)
• Sanilac (1884, 1894)
• St. Clair (1884, 1894)
• St. Joseph (1884, 1894)
• Washtenaw (1884, 1894)
• Wayne (1884, excluding Detroit)

For more information on this collection, check here: