Kent County Courthouse

Welcome to Kent County in Southwestern Michigan.
 
It became a county in 1831. 
On March 22, 1842, the legislature changed the name of the town from Kent to
Grand Rapids.  It is the county seat.
Settlers from the east began arriving in the 1820's and the area became the furniture manufacturing capital of America by the turn of the century. The current Grand Rapids
area population is about 500,000, making it the second largest city in the state. 
 

Dillenback's 1870 History & Directory
 

Tuttle's 1874 History of Grand Rapids
 

Memorials of the Grand River Valley by Franklin Everett, 1878 
   

Chapman's 1881 History of Kent County
 

Baxter's 1891 History of Kent County
 

  Index to Biographical Sketches, Bowen's History of Grand Rapids & Kent County, 1900 
 

Goss' 1906 History of Grand Rapids and Its Industries 
 

Etten's 1926 Citizens' History 
 

Personal Sketches-History of Kent County, Ed. Arthur S. White, 1924
 

The Catholic Church in the Grand River Valley by Father McGee, 1833-1950  

Kent County Coordinator: Evelyn Sawyer - evlynsaw@comcast.net
  Michigan State Coordinator: Jan Cortez   <StateCoordinator@MiGenWeb.com>

• Please note that the county coordinator's main role is to maintain this website not to do research.  
  Please carefully check the resources above.  If you don't find an answer, then contact me and I may be able to direct you to additional resources.

• Looking for a relative?
  Please review the links and use the appropriate query pages or resources.
  We also have a  Researchers and Visitors' FAQ

• Interested in helping out with our project?
  Visit our Volunteers    and Contributors' FAQ for more information.

• Any other questions?
  Contact the County Coordinator: evlynsaw@comcast.net

• NOTE: The GenWeb "Community Guidelines" for Message Board posting:
  We do not post commercial messages, fee-for-service postings, advertising or related links, etc.

WHAT's NEW?    

11/29/2008:    1923 Central High School Senior pictures folder revamped
11/29/2008:    Links to Norway Genealogy contributed by Stine Kvistad
11/26/2008:   Genealogies: John Boynton and His Descendants transcribed by ES
11/22/2008:   Search engine for MiGenWeb Archives - http://www.usgwarchives.net/search/search.cgi/searchmi.htm
11/21/2008:   Picture of old Kent County Jail when Hugh Blacklock was sheriff.
11/14/2008:   Lowell German Methodist Members, A - G, 1858-1916, transcribed by Mary Huizen  
11/14/2008:   Some History of the Tyrone Fractional School District No. 1 from Judy Pulte
This includes a picture of the school at Casnovia, a picture of a teacher, Anna Lacey, and her contract with the school district in 1878.
10/25/2008:   A new book being published - Pictorial Glimpses of the Hudsonville Area Compiled by Evelyn Sawyer and Shirley Krombeen
10/25/2008:    Index to Grand Rapids Death Records for "L", 1850-1940 transcribed by ES
10/16/2008:    St. John's Lutheran Baptismal Records, 1880-1920 transcribed by ES
10/16/2008:    An Update to the St. John's Lutheran Marriage Records - Brides     Grooms
09/26/2008:    Wendy Lowry - a genealogy researcher is offering her services for a fee.
09/26/2008:    Some Native American information
09/15/2008:    History of Bissell Carpet Sweeper
09/15/2008:    Ballards School Reports, 1899 & 1911 transcribed by ES
09/15/2008:    Link for submission of materials for the Michigan GenWeb Projects - http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles.accepted.html
09/15/2008:    1871 Tyrone Township School Census, District No. 1 contributed by Judy Pulte
09/15/2008:    1870 Tyrone Township School Census, District No. 1 contributed by Judy Pulte
09/15/2008:    1869 Tyrone Township School Census, District No. 1 contributed by Judy Pulte
09/15/2008:    1868 Tyrone Township School Census, District No. 1 contributed by Judy Pulte
09/15/2008:    New Link to Dibean Marriage Records for Kent County
09/13/2008:    1876 Biographical Sketches from the 1876 Kent County Atlas transcribed by ES.
08/23/2008:    Biography of Hiram N. Fisk from Bowen's 1900 History transcribed by hi great great grandaughter, Kathy Mabie.
08/23/2008:    1939 Alpine Township Land Owners transcribed by ES
08/18/2008:    1867 Tyrone Township School Census for District No. 1 contributed by Judy Pulte
08/18/2008:    1866 Tyrone Township School Census for District No. 1 contributed by Judy Pulte
08/18/2008:    1957 Orthopedic School Class Officers transcribed by ES
08/18/2008:    Kelloggsville Public Schools transcribed by ES
08/18/2008:   Alpine Township One-Room Schools - List of students for:  Wheeler School, 1903-1904 and 1908
Beech Grove School, 1920's; Ballards School, 1899 and 1911; Englishville School, 1903-1904;   Boyd School, 1906-1907 and 1915
Wilson School, Dec 1904 - June, 1905; Pearsall School, 1902-1902  transcribed by ES
08/13/2008:   1865 Tyrone Township School Census for District No. 1 School contributed by Judy Pulte
08/11/2008:   Index to Death Records, 1850-1904 - "A's"  transcribed by ES 
08/11/2008:   Petition of Intention for Citizenship, 1899-1904 transcribed by ES
07/12/2008:   The following information was received from Kathie McCutcheon-Gawne of Canada regarding her Mastin family.
Corrections made to the 1850 Oakfield Township, Part 3, Census - #2152 translated Harlon, Joseph and Martha.  The correct spelling is Mastin, Josiah and Martha.
1870 Kent County Census, Oakfield Tp., #230-507 - Martin, Josiah should be Mastin, Josiah
Corrections for the 1880 Kent County Census are #102 - Masten, Joseph and Morris - the correct spelling is Mastin, Josiah and Morris
07/12/2008:   A correction to the 6th Michigan Cavalry.  The name should be Josiah Mastin on Martin
07/12/2008:   An addition to the 1st Michigan Cavalry, Civil War - Lorenzo C. Hart, who died at the Battle of Five Forks
07/01/2008:   Death Record for Lottie E. Elkins and Marriage Record for Lewis Elkins and Faye Post contributed by Shirley Wackerly.
 

What's New?" -Archived Announcements:
1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002  -  2003 - 2004 - 2005   2006  2007  2008
 

!!WANTED!!
Old Records Pertaining to Kent County
To Be Placed on this GenWeb.

• BOOKS/BOOKLETS: such as old school yearbooks, church anniversary books, women's and men's organizations that give listings of members.

• TOWNSHIP RECORDS:  Old voter registrations, early marriage and death records, school records, etc. 

• PHOTOS: Pictures of schoolhouses or classes, sports teams, etc. with their names and years.

• OTHER: Old family letters, local businesses, and more.
  These would need to be the early years until about 1940 time period.  Birth Records, if they are family records, are fine.  If they are from official records, then they need to be 100 years old.  Death and Marriage Records to the present.  If you send photocopies or scanned photos and articles, we would appreciate them.  
  OR if you have material that you would loan us to scan or transcribe to put on the website, please let us know.
          Evelyn Sawyer  - new email address:  evlynsaw@comcast.net
  
  A big "Thank You" to those who have responded. 
  Everyone working together can make this website even better.