Ottawa County, Michigan Genealogy
Guide to Ottawa County, Michigan ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Ottawa County, Michigan | |
Map | |
![]() Location of Michigan in the U.S. | |
Facts | |
Founded | March 2, 1831 |
---|---|
County Seat | Grand Haven |
Courthouse | |
Address | Ottawa County Courthouse 414 Washington Ave. Grand Haven, MI 49417-1473 Phone: 616-846-8310 Ottawa County Website |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 County Courthouse
- 3 History
- 4 Places/Localities
- 5 Resources
- 6 Societies and Libraries
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for a Ottawa Nation. The County has Grand Haven as its seat and the County was created 1837. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.[1]
Ottawa County, Michigan Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1867 | 1847 | 1867 | 1947 | 1834 | 1844 | 1820 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage and court records from 1847 and divorce records from 1863.[3]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1831--Ottawa County was created 2 March 1831 from Mackinac County and unorganized territory. It was attached to Kent County prior to organization 29 December 1837. County seat: Grand Haven [4]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
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 | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
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. |
Censuses[edit | edit source]
1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910, and 1920 US Federal Censuses for Ottawa, Michigan can be found at FamilySearch Record Search. Free searchable name indexes and images are available for most census years.
Census[edit | edit source]
State Census
- 1894 - Michigan State Census, 1894 at FamilySearch — index
Church[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 — index
- Ottawa County Michigan Church Directory: A listing of some of the different churches in Ottawa.
First Presbyterian Church[edit | edit source]
- The seventy-fifth anniversary of the Organization of the First Presbyterian Church of Spring Lake, Michigan, Rev. A. Meengs, Minister / 1928 at babel.hathitrust.org. Free online
Court[edit | edit source]
- Ottawa County Courthouses (Found on left side of home page.)
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1892-3 - Historical and business compendium of Ottawa County, Michigan, Vol I, Grand Haven, Mich. : Potts & Conger
- 1892-3 - Historical and business compendium of Ottawa County, Michigan, Vol II, Grand Haven, Mich. : Potts & Conger
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1929 - 1966 Michigan, Crew Lists for various ports, 1929-1966 at FamilySearch — index and images
Land[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 county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Ottawa 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.
- History of Ottawa County, Michigan : with iIlustrations and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Published: Chicago, H. R. Page, 1882
- Portrait and biographical record of Muskegon and Ottawa Counties Michigan containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Chicago: Biographical Publishing Co. 1893
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Family Maps of Ottawa County, Michigan Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- Illustrated Historical Atlas of the Counties of Ottawa & Kent, Michigan. Published: Chicago, H. Belden & Co., 1876. Includes county histories and patrons directories. archives.org
- Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
- Standard Atlas of Ottawa County, Michigan : including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county ..., Chicago : Geo. A. Ogle & Co., 1897
- Standard Atlas of Ottawa County, Michigan : including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county...patrons directory, reference business directory and departments / compiled and published by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. 1912. Also archives.org
Military[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Civil War service men from Ottawa 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 Ottawa County.
Online Records
- Michigan, Civil War Centennial Observance Commission, Committee on Civil War Grave Registration, Burial Records at FamilySearch — index
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1917-1919 - Michigan, Census of World War I Veterans with Card Index, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — index
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Finding More Michigan Newspapers[edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Ottawa County, Michigan Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- The Saginaw News
- Do a Ottawa 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[edit | edit source]
- 1820-2006 - Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006 at FamilySearch — index and images
Probate[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.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Michigan, Ottawa 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
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
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.
- Marriage Records (from 1867) and Divorce Records (from 1897) from the County Clerk.
Birth Records[edit | edit source]
- 1867-1917 - Michigan, County Births, 1867-1917 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1867-1902 - Index to Birth Records in Ottawa County 1867-1902 (MIGenWeb)
- 1867-1902 - Michigan Birth Registrations, 1867-1902 at FamilySearch — index and images
Marriage Records[edit | edit source]
- 1585-1945 - Michigan, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 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
- Index to Marriage Records in Ottawa County (MIGenWeb)
Death Records[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1880 - Michigan Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1867-1897 - Michigan Death Registrations, 1867-1897 at FamilySearch — index and images
- Index to Death Records in Ottawa County (MIGenWeb)
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
- Coopersville Area Historical Society and Museum
363 Main Street
Coopersville, MI 49404
Phone: 616-997-7240
Website - Grand Haven Genealogical Society
c/o Loutit Library
407 Columbus
Grand Haven, MI 49417 - Zeeland Genealogy Study Group
14 Church Street
Howard Miller Community Center
Zeeland, MI 49464
Website - Holland Genealogical Society
c/o Herrick Public Library
300 River Avenue
Holland, MI 49423
Family History Centers
[edit | edit source]
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
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Michigan Genealogy Network Community on Google+
- Michigan Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Ottawa County, wikipedia
- Michigan Family History Network
- Ottawa County MI Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Ottawa County, Michigan" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_County,_Michigan."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ottawa County, Michigan . Page 343-351 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 346-349.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ottawa County, Michigan page 350, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Ottawa County, Michigan," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_County%2C_Michigan#Communities, accessed 10 November 2019.
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