Local History & Genealogy

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.

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.

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.

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.

Contact

Hoyt Library
505 Janes Avenue
Saginaw, MI 48607

Phone: 989-755-9827

Email: plosgene@saginawlibrary.org

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.