Local History & Genealogy

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Local History and Genealogy Collection

The Local History and Genealogy (LHG) Collection was created as a central repository and Saginaw local history library in 1960. Since that time, it has become one of the premier LHG collections in the Midwest, winning the Historical Society of Michigan State History Award in 2017.

The LHG Collection at Hoyt Library serves students and specialists equally well with an array of materials in the fields of genealogy, Saginaw history, and the history of Michigan.

The Collection features many unique and valuable resources on the history of Saginaw, the Saginaw Valley, and the people and families who settled the region. This includes original source materials, diaries, scrapbooks, business ledgers, photographs, as well as over 20,000 books, microforms, and periodicals. The Collection also includes extensive genealogical resources for those researching their family history.

This page highlights some of the materials and services available, but is only a brief introduction to the unique and valuable resources of the LHG Collection. We urge you to call or visit Hoyt Library to work with our knowledgeable and friendly LHG staff to fully utilize our resources.

Family History

If you are beginning to research your family tree and this is all new to you, our expert staff will give you direction to get you started. If you are a more experienced genealogist, you will find an extensive array of resources available.

Our Collection focuses on Saginaw County and Michigan records and those areas from where the majority of Michigan's early settlers came. This includes the New England states, Great Lakes states, Eastern Canadian provinces, and some Southern states.

Family History Resources

  • Michigan Census: 1820-1930
  • (Includes Soundex and Miracode Indexes)
  • Other State Census: Miscellaneous Dates
  • Ontario Canadian Census: 1861-1911 and Other
  • Miscellaneous Years
  • Quebec Canadian Census: 1860 and Other
  • Miscellaneous Years
  • Saginaw Vital Records: 1867-1900
  • Saginaw City Burial Records
  • Military Records
  • Slave Schedules: 1850-1860

The LHG Collection also includes family papers, cemetery readings, ancestry charts, and more!

Ethnic Resources

The LHG Collection includes guides, dictionaries, and resources to help people determine ethnic origin. Materials are available for people of African, Asian, Canadian, European, Hispanic, Jewish, Middle Eastern, and Native American descent.

Local History

Whether you are researching a Saginaw history topic in-depth, working on a school assignment, or just wondering about something or someone in Saginaw's history, the LHG staff is ready to help.

Saginaw History Resources

  • Saginaw City Directories: 1866-Present
  • Saginaw Newspapers (Microfilm): 1853-Present
  • Saginaw County Biography Index
  • Subject Index File on Saginaw History,
  • Business, and Events
  • Grant Smith Saginaw Sheet Music Collection
  • Willie L. McKether Saginaw African-American
  • Oral History Collection o Saginaw Church, School, and Organization
  • Histories and Historical Papers

Michigan History Resources

The LHG Collection includes many books and periodicals on Michigan history from prehistoric times to present. Of special interest are the county histories, county atlases, and plat books.

Utilizing the Local History and Genealogy Collection

LHG Collection inquiries are accepted by telephone, email, writing, and in-person. Researchers within driving distance of Hoyt Library are encouraged to visit the LHG Collection in-person to realize the full potential of what the Collection offers. Out-of-area researchers will be best served via phone or email. In addition, many of our online resources can be accessed remotely. The LHG staff will work with you to determine the best method for achieving desired results.

Due to the historical nature of the LHG Collection, all materials in the Collection are restricted to library use only. The materials cannot be borrowed, nor are they available for interlibrary loan. Most materials may be photocopied, but due to the fragile nature of some materials, permission to copy is given on a case-by-case basis.

Materials available in the LHG Collection are listed in our online catalog which can be accessed at www.saginawlibrary.org. The LHG staff is always happy to confer with researchers, novice and expert, to discuss all of the resources available.

Visiting the Local History and Genealogy Collection

Contact

Hoyt Library
505 Janes Avenue
Saginaw, MI 48607

Phone: 989-755-9827

Email: plosgene@saginawlibrary.org

Website: www.saginawlibrary.org

Hoyt Library: Remembering the Past . . . Envisioning the Future

For nearly 130 years, the Hoyt Public Library, a gift to the city of East Saginaw by Jesse Hoyt, has been a cornerstone of the community, growing and changing with the city and adapting to the needs of Saginaw residents. The library, opened in 1890, has been carefully preserved and remains a sign of the strength, endurance, and vision of the people of Saginaw.

Purchase a full-length version of this video at any Public Libraries of Saginaw Branch. The full-length video sells for $15 and all money will go toward renovations of Hoyt Library.




Obituary Index

Obituary Index

Index of over 250,000 obituaries from the Saginaw News. Created and maintained by the Public Libraries of Saginaw.

Saginaw Images

Saginaw Images

A database of historical images and documents from Saginaw County. Created and maintained by the Public Libraries of Saginaw.

Saginaw City Directories (1866 - 1940)

Saginaw City Directories

The Saginaw City Directories Collection contains many of the city directories from the years 1866 to 1936 pertaining to East Saginaw and Saginaw City before consolidation in 1890 and the city of Saginaw after 1890, as well as some listings for local townships. Created and maintained by the Public Libraries of Saginaw.

American Ancestors

American Ancestors
The New England Historic Genealogical Society contains vital records, city and town directories, census, tax and voter lists, church records, diaries and journals, published genealogies and biographies, newspapers and periodicals, and many other resources to help genealogists with their research. This site is only available inside any of our library buildings.

Ancestry Library Edition

Ancestry Library Edition
This site is a special version of Ancestry.com that is only available to patrons at libraries. It has added features plus free access to information you would normally pay for on the regular Ancestry.com site. This site is only available inside any of our library buildings.

Bentley Historical Library

Bentley Historical Library
Repository for original, unpublished archival and manuscript collections pertaining to the history of the University of Michigan and the state of Michigan. Part of the University of Michigan.

Biblioboard

Biblioboard Logo

A collection of historical images and documents from Saginaw County, eBooks from Michigan Authors, and Independent eBooks. Historical images have been created and maintained by the Public Libraries of Saginaw. 

Biography Reference Center

Biography Logo

More than 450,000 biographies. Includes complete full text run of Biography Today and Biography Magazine as well as thousands of narrative biographies.

Castle Garden

Castle Garden
A database of immigrants who arrived in this New York port from 1820-1892, before the opening of Ellis Island.

Detroit Public Library Digital Collections

Detroit Public Library Digital Collections
Discover images and materials that document our local and national heritage from five Special Collections: Burton Historical Collection, National Automotive History Collection, E. Azalia Hackley Collection of African Americans in the Performing Arts, Ernie Harwell Sports Collection, and Rare Book Collection.

Ellis Island

Ellis Island
The American Family Immigration History Center. Search for family members who entered this country via Ellis Island, the ships they arrived on, the manifests, and more from 1892-1924.

Family Search

Family Search
The online version of the world's largest genealogical database; maintained by the Church of Latter Day Saints

Find a Grave

Find a Grave
Find the graves of your ancestors and famous people from around the world.

Fold3

Fold3 logo

Fold3 provides convenient access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.

GENDIS Michigan

GENDIS Michigan
The Genealogical Death Indexing System provided by the Michigan Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics.

Great Lakes Maritime Database

Great Lakes Maritime Database
An extensive source of information on approximately 14,000 19th Century ships that sailed the Great Lakes. Each vessel record may include build & owner info, a brief historical timeline, and photographs. The database was compiled from the collection of C. Patrick Labadie.

HathiTrust Digital Library

HathiTrust Digital Library
A digital preservation repository and highly functional access platform. Drawing on a full range of library collections the repository contains significant amounts of Michigan material often published outside of the state.

Historical Detroit Free Press (1831-1922)

Historical Detroit Free Press (1831-1922)
The Detroit Free Press is a rich source of genealogical and local history information. It covers the period before statehood, the American Civil War, and the growth of the mining, lumber and automotive industries. The information contained within the scanned and searchable pages is not limited to just Detroit area news.

History Reference Center

History Logo

Documents, photos, maps, film, and video from leading history journals. Also includes biographies of historical figures. 

Michiganology

Michiganology

Starting October 1, 2019, Seeking Michigan will become Michiganology!

MyHeritage Library Edition

MyHeritage Library Edition
  • More than 9 billion historical ​records from all over the world
  • The USA federal census (1790-1940) and the UK census (1841-1901) with images​
  • More than 2.4 billion exclusive family tree profiles from MyHeritage and Geni
  • 816 million US public records
  • Hundreds of millions of Nordic records
  • More than a hundred million tombstone photos
  • More than 475 million historical photographs
  • Military records, immigration records and passenger lists
  • Citizenship & naturalization records
  • Directories, guides, references, biographies and yearbooks
  • Government, land and court records
  • Wills and probate records
  • Exclusive databases such as the Jewish Chronicle historical newspaper
  • Additional content under license including Tributes obituaries, WikiTree, Billion Graves, Canadian Headstones and many others
  • More than 100 million additional records added on average every month!

NewsBank - Saginaw News (1998 to Current)

NewsBank Logo

The Saginaw News is the dominant newspaper and advertising medium in the Saginaw marketplace offering complete local news coverage. This database provides access to articles from 1998 to current.

Newspapers.com

Newspapers.com logo

A digital collection of Michigan based newspapers throughout the state dating back to as early as 1836

RootsWeb

roots web
A site to share genealogical research, find and communicate with family members, and volunteer for genealogy projects.

Saginaw Genealogical Society

Saginaw Genealogical Society
Learn about all the activities and valuable genealogical assistance this society offers for and about the Saginaw community. The society meets regularly in the Hoyt Main Library.

Seeking Michigan

Seeking Michigan

October 1, Seeking Michigan will become Michiganology. Until then, Seeking Michigan is the online platform for the Michigan Historical Center. It includes Archives of Michigan research guides and indexes, a blog, and educator resources – all from the Michigan Historical Center and Archives of Michigan staff.

Selected Library of Congress Resources for Michigan

Library of Congress
This page highlights selected images and audio files pertaining to Michigan. Also included on each state resource page are tools to help teachers use these items in the classroom and links to the American Memory collection home page.

The A.P. Marshall African American Oral History Archive

The A.P. Marshall African American Oral History Archive
This archive seeks to preserve stories from the Ypsilanti African American community. Members of this well-organized community lived through the Jim Crow era, fought racism during WWII, and led the local Civil Rights movement. Spanning several generations, these interviews illuminate eras of profound social change and offer an intimate look into the social, home, and political life of a historic Michigan community.

Upper Peninsula Digitization Center

UP Logo
Upper Peninsula Digitization Center works with libraries and historical organizations, throughout the Upper Peninsula, to contribute to a digital collection about the state's history.

USGenWeb

US GenWeb
Free genealogy websites for researching in every County and State in the U.S.

WorldGenWeb

World GenWeb
World-wide access to genealogical and historical records and resources.