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Where to do research in Monroe County
Monroe County Genealogical Research Resources:
- Ellis Library and Reference Center , 3700 South Custer Rd, Monroe, MI 48161-9716- Ellis is now an LDS affiliate.
- Local History Indexes on Ellis Library website- includes a new index to service men and women in WW2. Lots of great resources for Monroe history and genealogy!
- Biblioboard on MCLS website- great resource for genealogy
- Bedford Branch Library's Local History page- all things Bedford, many donated by Trudy Urbanian
- Monroe County Museum, 126 S. Monroe St, Monroe, MI 48161
- Old Mill- Dundee, Michigan- Great resource for local history. Be sure to check out their NEW obituary index!
- Archives of Michigan, 702 W. Kalamazoo Street, Lansing, MI-
- Monroe County information available at Archives of Michigan
- Library of Michigan, 702 W. Kalamazoo Street, Lansing, MI-
- Detroit Public Library - Check out the Burton Historical Collection and the huge photo collection on-line.
- Riverview Family History Center- open Tuesdays and Wednesdays. See their website for more details
- Mel-Michigana- Lots of resources for Monroe County and Michigan (can access Heritage Quest from this site)
- Naturalization Indexes at the Archives of Michigan (records to be digitized!)
- Allen County Public Library, second largest genealogical collection in the United States
- Bowling Green State University- Center for Archival Collections is open Monday through Friday 8-5.
- WorldCat, World's Largest Library Catalog!
- List of some of the genealogical resources available in the library, museum and GSMC archives
- St. Mary's Baptism Index - 1830-1839
- Catholic Church Records on microfilm at Monroe County Public Library- Ellis
- History of St. Michael's Catholic Church (PDF)
- Christian Church Records (non Catholic) on microfilm at Monroe County Public Library- Ellis
- Lucas County, Ohio Church Records on microfilm at Monroe County Public Library- Ellis
- Lucas County, Ohio Church Records available on-line at FamilySearch.org
- Archdiocese of Detroit- Monroe County Catholic Churches were under their jurisdiction
- List of all parishes in Detroit Archiocese with years of operation and location of records
- Deaths/Burials in Trinity Episcopal Church records 1834-1924
- Transcribed church records of Monroe County- available in book form at Ellis, Monroe County Museum and GSMC's archives. Several Monroe County Church ledgers have been transcribed/translated and are available for research in Ellis Library, some are also available in the Monroe County Museum, and GSMC's archives.
- Trinity Lutheran Church (1830's-1921)- transcribed and translated from original German by Margarette Miller.
- Zion/St. Paul Lutheran Church (1848 - 1910)- transcribed and translated from original German by L. Dunham.
- St. John Lutheran, Dundee (1850-1886)- transcribed and translated from original German by L. Dunham
- St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran (1860-1913)- now Prince of Peace- transcribed and translated from original German by L Dunham
- Evangelical Lutheran Emmanuel Church aka Pear Tree Church (1856-1878)- transcribed and translated from original German by L. Dunham.
- St. Paul Lutheran Church, Maybee (1860-1930)-transcribed and translated from original German.
- Holy Ghost Lutheran (1846-1939)- transcribed and translated from original German.
- St. Charles Catholic Church, Newport -transcribed by Lynn Reaume
- St. Joseph Catholic Church, Erie -transcribed by Lynn Reaume
- St. Patrick Catholic Church, Carleton -transcribed by Lynn Reaume
- West Ida Immanuel Lutheran records- copies of original baptism, marriage & burial ledgers on file at the museum, copies of some transcriptions on file in our archives (thanks to Joy Engel!)
- Probate Records Estate files 3-2460 (1811-1870) digitized copies are on line - on FamilySearch.org. These films are also available at the Archives of Michigan in Lansing. Copies are 20 cents/page. Ancestry recently added digitized probate records of Michigan to their collection. These include the probate files for Monroe County to about 1878 (the index is in our newsletters in April 1992- Aug 1993 issues).
- Probate Search - The search covers only 1988 to current. The Probate Court has transferred many of the Monroe County probate files to the Archives of Michigan in Lansing. Access to the probate records may be restricted if the material contains references to adoptions which is defined as confidential information by the State Court Administrator’s Office (SCAO). If restricted, researchers will need to make a research request to the Archives of Michigan for a search. In reviewing the records, staff found that indexes, calendars, and journals often contain mention of adoptions. If such references are present, the material will be restricted. The indexes from Monroe County Probate Court are restricted as they include adoptions, but the case files on microfilm will not be restricted as they do not have adoptions in them. In order to cover staff time, the fee for an index search will be $10.00. Researchers will also be able to make a research request for the case file only if they already have the case number for a fee of $30. Researchers can also make a research request for both an index search and case file copy for a fee of $40. The Archives of Michigan has lowered the current price for a probate record request and a-la-carte options to ease the burden on those placing remote requests. List of Probate Records Tranferred to Archives in Lansing.
You might have a soldier in your family and not know it. Here is a list of wars/conflicts with the years they occurred and the time period when your ancestor would have been born to have served:
- Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 -- birth years 1726-1767
- War of 1812, 1812-1815 -- birth years 1762-1799
- Mexican War, 1846-1848 -- birth years 1796-1831
- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- birth years 1811-1848
- Spanish-American War, 1898 -- birth years 1848-1881
- Philippine Insurrection, 1899-1902 -- birth years 1849-1885
- World War I, 1917-1918 -- birth years 1872-1900
- World War II, 1941-1945 -- birth years 1877-1925
- Korean War, 1950-1953 -- birth years 1900-1936
- Vietnam War, 1964-1975 -- birth years 1914-1955
Revolutionary War
Civil War
Spanish American War
Miscellaneous Military Info and Sites
- Monroe County Michigan County Clerk
- On-Line Services for Monroe County - search available for deeds and probate (starting in 1988)
- Birth, Marriage & Death Records have been transcribed by GSMC from the Monroe County Courthouse records and copies of our books containing these transcriptions are available for purchase from GSMC or can be viewed in our archives, the Monroe County Museum, Ellis Reference Library, and Bedford Library. Births and deaths begin in 1867, Marriages in 1818. Researchers can visit the County Clerk's office in the Monroe County Courthouse M, T, Th, or F from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (Closed from 12:00-1:00 pm.) See the County's website for details on cost of copies and any record limitations.
- Michiganology- Death certificates for entire State of Michigan 1897-1952. Click on SEARCH near top right of page to get to the search window. The Custom search option is the most similar to the old search on seekingmichigan. The county guides will remain on seekingmichigan.
- Michigan Deaths 1867-1897 - Deaths in Michigan from state ledgers on familysearch.org
- Michigan Births 1867-1902 - Births in Michigan from state ledgers on familysearch.org
- Michigan Marriages 1868-1925 - Marriages in Michigan from state ledgers on familysearch.org
- Michigan Death Records- Gendis- Check here for the early deaths in our county, not all were recorded in the county ledger, some were sent directly to the state! The list can also be found in our August 2015- Feb 2016 newsletters.
- Michigan Death Certificate Index 1921-1952- Information from Michigan death certificates on familysearch.org.
- Ida Deaths 1924- Several of the deaths that occurred in Ida Twp in 1924 were not recorded in the county courthouse, but were sent directly to Lansing. See attached list for the records missing from the Monroe County Courthouse for Ida Twp.
- Wayne County Death Indexes- 1934-1953 (not City of Detroit). Searchable through Ancestry also.
- Washtenaw County Marriage & Death Index- 1959 to present
Cemeteries - Links directly to Find A Grave for each cemetery. Several of these cemeteries have full transcriptions available on our website (for members) under Record Transcriptions. The numbers correspond with the cemetery map of the county.
113. Baker Cemetery (See Carleton Cemetery) - Full transcription available
17. Brest Cemetery - one known burial, Gideon Badger, a Revolutionary War vet
88. Burnham Cemetery also called Harvey or Bragg Cemetery located in Summerfield
Campbell Burying Ground- now part of Ash Center Cemetery
113. Carleton Cemetery (aka Baker Cemetery) Full transcription available for cemetery and mausoleum
29. Clark Cemetery (located at the intersection of Will-Carleton Road & I-275. It is on
private property and permission must be granted for entry from the property owner.)
the church and ALL stones are now on Find A Grave. Be careful using the information on
some memorials- some people are posting to Holy Ghost when the cemetery should be
Gethsemane. Full transcription available.
37. Hungerford Cemetery - no longer active and no known stones exist, located in Bedford Twp
on Jackman Road.
Cemetery)
54. Johnson Cemetery - located in Exeter Twp on Oakville-Waltz Rd. No longer used, last
known burial in 1915.
84. King Cemetery aka Sackett Cemetery- most graves in this cemetery are on Find A Grave! Full transcription available.
44. Leib Cemetery Photos of markers in Leib are available here. Full transcription available.
church
73. London Vault Cemetery - on SW side of Plank Road across from the church. See London
Twp Cemetery in Find-A-Grave listings.
58. Lulu Cemetery (aka Ida Twp Cemetery) All known markers are photographed and on
Find A Grave. Transcription in process to be posted on website soon!
now! Those without markers are from the twp burial permits. Full transcription available.
transcription available.
Marble Park- technically in Washtenaw County, but many Milan Twp residents are buried there. DAR reading (from 1930's) available on FamilySearch.org
Only one tombstone and 2 footstones were found when canvassed in 2000. It is a private,
inactive cemetery.
Cemetery, located in Raisinville Twp. Full transcription available.
Monroe City Cemetery - was located where Grace Lutheran Church is now, 630 N. Monroe Street. In Nov 1838 the land for this cemetery was purchased and grave sites were sold. The bodies were disinterred around 1871 and moved to Woodland Cemetery.
markers for anyone in this cemetery!
Muehleisen Road Cemetery- Original cemetery of St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Maybee. Most of the remains were removed from this cemetery and moved to the new cemetery on Stone Road. Only about 5 graves remain here.
Noble's Pond Cemetery- an abandoned cemetery located on the property of Legacy Golf Course. Only 2 known burials there, Laura Sheldon & Cyrus Turis.
114. Northside Cemetery (aka Maybee Protestant)- across the street from St. Joseph Catholic in
Maybee
46. Oak Grove Cemetery (aka Oakwood Cemetery) located in Summerfield Twp, owned by Dundee Twp
105. Old Burial Ground (aka St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Old St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery)
Full transcription under Record Transcriptions (members)
32. Potter Cemetery (aka Swan Creek Cemetery) formerly land locked cemetery, see Potter
Cemetery page on left menu.
22. Potter's Field (aka Monroe Potter's Field Cemetery, County Infirmary)
Protestant Cemetery of the District of Erie - was located at the intersection of West Front and S. Monroe Streets. Land donated by Samuel Egnew 16 Mar 1810 for the use as a burying ground.
87. Rath Cemetery - next to Prince of Peace Cemetery, originally owned by the Rath family.
Full transcription available.
Full transcription available.
Rose Cemetery- located along the bank of the River Raisin at the end of Vesey Street in Petersburg. The graves were moved to Pleasantview Cemetery over 50 years ago.
in members only.
Rupert Cemetery- Located near Newburg and Briar Hill Roads on private property in
Ash Twp. No record of any burials has been found and in 2003 the cemetery was
searched using a cadaver sniffing dog. No remains were found.
New transcription available
merged with St. Marks in Ida)
Twp on Exeter Road)- Full transcription available
on the corner of Exeter & Stoney Creek Rds, aka Stoney Creek Cem )- Full transcription available
on W. Labo Road and has the most recent burials)- Full transcription available
Saum Road Cemetery- Old Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery located in Raisinville Twp
Some markers from this cemetery were moved to Immanuel Cemetery after they were
found in a farmer's field.
41. Weeks Cemetery (located in Samaria- only 2 known burials, Sam and Sammy Weeks)
thanks to Grace & Joy. Church records available on our website under Record
Transcriptions.
16. White Cemetery (aka LaDuc or Old St. Charles, located on the east side of North Dixie Hwy near South Street in Section 7 of Berlin Twp)
Transcription posted!
Note: you must now log in to view records on FamilySearch!
Bureau of Land Office Records -live access to Federal land conveyance records for the Public Land States, including image access to more than five million Federal land title records issued between 1820 and the present.
Land Record Definitions- thanks to Don Adams (and Dave Rekuc for scanning) for providing the definitions and explanations of land records for Monroe County and Michigan.
1940 Census- The official site for the 1940 census! FREE
LDS Familysearch - 1790-1940 census records, miscellaneous state census records too! FREE
Monroe Trading Post Journal- Journal of a trading post in Monroe, Michigan, probably owned by John J. Wendell, later sheriff of Monroe County, who died in 1855. Entries detail a wide variety of items purchased at the trading post between 1828 and 1831.
Navarre Lime Book Index - compiled by Cliff Venier- Joseph G Navarre (1803-1862) was a member of a prominent early Monroe family. His “lime” book is an account book for his business transaction for the periods 1835-1838 and 1846-1853. His business in 1835 involved calcining limestone to make lime, which was used to neutralize soil to increase yields in agriculture.
Although the original purpose was to record lime “burns”, the book quickly became both a business account book and a journal of significant events. One interesting historical note: the amounts of accounts were often calculated in “bits”, one-eighth of a dollar (hence, a quarter is two bits). The symbol for bit was /.
The database records about 1000 entries, many of which are multiple entries for the same person. For example, there are five entries for George Custer in early 1849, and 55 for Abraham Chenever in the 1850s.
Toledo's Attic- has some information about early Monroe County (thanks to Rick Grassley for this link!)
Historical & Genealogical Societies
Neighboring Historical Societies
Neighboring Genealogical Societies
Neighborhood Names and their locations (just a start!)
- Alexandria- now part of Newport, from Liber Z of Monroe County deed books, inside front cover, dated 1837
- Athelone- now called Carleton
- Azalia- located in Milan Twp
- Bateman
- Bauerle Corners
- Belden
- Bearinger's Corner- in Whiteford Twp
- Berlin Village- Section 16 of Berlin Twp. Map located in Liber 64 page 638. Dated 1871.
- Bombulvoir’s Corners – noted in a Monroe Commercial article as a place for marsh hunting, located in Erie Township, may be fictitious.
- Brest- located in Frenchtown Twp
- Briar Hill - Located on Briar Hill Road three miles southwest of Flat Rock. Founded in 1800 by William Walters.
- Broadway – Ash Township near Carleton, exact location unknown
- Bullockville - in Bedford Twp near Temperance. May have become Vienna Rd.
- Carleton- village in Ash Twp in Section 17
- Clark City – located in Ash Township on Swan creek. John W. Clark built a stave mill here. Post Office opened in 1855.
- Clark's Corners -a school in Newport area
- Deland Corners-
- Dundee
- East Milan- now called Azalia, located in section 25 of Milan Twp
- Egypt – Located near the corner of Hiser and Day Roads. Egypt School was here.
- Emerson Corners - located in Frenchtown Twp. (maybe sections 14 & 15)
- Federman- around section 32 of Dundee Twp
- Four Corners- mentioned in 1923 Monroe Evening News
- Friburgh – located near Milan.
- Gayville- there was a Gayville school in section 17 of LaSalle Twp in the early 1900's.
- Geneseo- NE1/4 of Section 19, T5S, R7E (London Twp) dated ca 1837
- Gert - 2 miles north of 223 on Sylvania Rd. at the corner of School Rd.
- Glendale- a subdivision west of Petersburg started in 1923
- Grafton - in Ash Twp at Sigler & Grafton Roads
- Grape - in Raisinville Twp, on N. Custer Road. Hannah Atkinson was the first postmaster in 1887.
- Hale's Corners- mentioned in Carleton Times in 1901
- Hall School District
- Hamlin - in Raisinville Twp. A railroad station that was given a post office on 28 Mar 1862. Ofice was transferred to Raisinville 2 Oct 1876.
- Harve- was located in Erie Twp near the present Morin Pt. area on the shores of Maumee Bay. It began in 1835 and was flooded out in 1838 from high water from Lake Erie.
- Hawthorn – a station on the Toledo & Ann Arbor RR in 1878.
- Hicksville- located on Swan Creek in Section 23 in Ash Twp. Map from deeds, Liber V.
- Huron Station -post office is Rockwood
- Kelley's Crossing -Lasalle
- Kelly Road- mentioned in 1923 Monroe Evening News
- Lambertville- located in Bedford Twp at intersection of Summerfield and Dean Roads
- Laughlin Corners
- Liberty Corners
- Little Lake- a Bedford township village with a post office from 1873-1879, 4 miles west of Vienna
- Logan Valley- located in Summerfield Twp
- Lulu- located in Ida Twp at interesection of Douglas & Lulu Roads
- Macon - located north of Dundee, near the Macon River, Dundee and Milan Roads
- Maple Avenue
- McBryan Road-
- Maybee- located in southwest Exeter Twp, Sections 31 and 32.
- Meyers
- Milwaukee
- Monroetown -meaning Monroe Twp
- Mooreville &/or Tulanville -Milan
- Morocco- John Griner was the first postmaster of this rural post office in Oct 1884 which operated until Oct 1906.
- Morrin's Vicinity- South Erie
- Newport- located in southwest part of Berlin Twp, Section 1 (Map from Liber R)
- Oakville - section 3 of London Twp (from Liber P, folio 111)
- Oldport
- Palmer Corners- found in 1944 newspaper mention
- Palmer District
- Petersburg- located in Summerfield Twp, mainly in section 4. Map from Liber T-U.
- Port Creek- located in Ash Twp, near section 2
- Port Lawrence- now part of Lucas County, OH. Plat map from Liber O, folio 139 of Monroe County land records
- Prentice – Post Office in 1873-1874.
- Pumpkinhook - located near Dundee, off Dixon Road between M-50 and Alford Road
- Rea- located in Sectin 9 of Dundee Twp
- Reighley- section 20 London Twp from Liber Y, Page 388
- Reeves Station – Located just south of Azalia/East Milan in section 25 of Milan Township
- Samaria
- Sand Pit -by McIntyre Cemetery
- Sanfreeall – Erie Township
- Scofield- located in Exeter Twp near intersection of Sumpter and Scofield Roads, Sections 27 & 28
- Scrabble Hollow -a school in Frenchtown
- Seeley District
- Seola - A station on the Toledo & Ann Arbor RR located in Ida Township, 1878.
- Smith's Siding- in Lucas County at intersection of Sylvania Metamora and Mitchaw Roads, about 1/2 mile south of state border
- South Raisin
- Steiner-a station on Pere Marquette Railroad in Frenchtown, founded in 1873
- Strasburg- located in section 32 of Raisinville twp
- Stony Creek Station- in Frenchtown Twp, Section 14 near Stony Creek & Mentel Roads
- Taylor Town (from an 1817 map)
- Vienna -Erie
- Vistula- now part of Lucas County, OH
- Walnut Street-
- Warner – a station on the Lakeshore & Michigan Southern RR 1 mile north of Monroe in 1882.
- West Zion -Dundee area
- Whiteford - now Ottawa Lake, in Section 19 of Whiteford Twp
- Whiteford Center- located in Whiteford Twp on Whiteford Center & Temperance Roads
- Willits – a station on the Toledo & Ann Arbor RR in Bedford Township.
- Wittkop's Crossing - located in Dundee Township, near the corners of sections 29-32 and the Ann
Arbor Railroad
- Winchester - in LaSalle Twp. Map from deeds, Liber V.
- Wood's Road - mentioned in 1923 Monroe Evening News
- Yargerville- the former post office is located on the corner of Minx and Wood Roads on the border of LaSalle & Ida Twps.
- Zion Corners
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