For information on resources available at MDL, check out our Local History & Genealogy page.
Try these websites to begin searching for your ancestors online:
Ancestry, Library Edition
A wealth of online genealogy documents, including census records, immigration records and passenger lists, military records, and birth, marriage, and death records.
Ellis Island
In operation from 1892 to 1954, over 12 million immigrants came to this country through Ellis Island. This website contains searchable passenger lists, information about ships that came through this port, and photographs. Users must sign up for a free account to access some services.
Family Tree Magazine’s list of the best genealogy websites
A helpful collection of genealogy websites, organized by category.
Library of Michigan
An essential resource for those looking for Michigan-based ancestors.
Marshall Newspaper Database
Our own digitized, searchable, database of Marshall newspapers from 1838 to 1950, with more recent years to be added soon.
RootsWeb
Now owned by Ancestry, this site still offers a large number of surname and regional webpages that can be invaluable to researchers.
Michiganology
An exciting new resource offered by the Archives of Michigan. This site contains a variety of Michigan-specific resources, including the state censuses, death records, and Civil War documents.
These free handouts can help you record what you’ve found:
Ancestor Chart (from the Mid-Continent Public Library)
Family Group Chart (from the Library of Michigan)
Genealogy Log of Documents (from the Mid-Continent Public Library)
Individual Worksheet (from the Mid-Continent Public Library)
Pedigree Chart (from the Library of Michigan)
Research Checklist (from the Mid-Continent Public Library)
If you have any questions about your search, contact our local history and genealogy librarian:
Chelsea Johnson
269-781-7821 ext. 2300
johnsonc@yourmdl.org