Michigan Genealogical Council

03/06/2026

Are you signed up for this year's Barbara J. Brown Family History Seminar? We're hosting Alec Ferretti, a professional genealogist and board member of advocacy group Reclaim the Records. He'll speak on women's citizenship, finding ancestors in court records and other topics that can help researchers make family history breakthroughs. Click or tap the link for more details. https://mimgc.org/event/2026-barbara-j-brown-family-history-seminar/

02/25/2026

Many of our friends, family and ancestors came to Michigan by traveling through Ohio. You may want to consider attending the Ohio Genealogical Society's conference - friendly people and great speakers!

02/22/2026

Of course, we're all about Michigan, but genealogical paths can take us anywhere, so we like to point to good (and free) resources wherever we can. If your research or interest stretches into Arizona, check out the sixth annual Arizona Genealogy Day put on by the Arizona Genealogical Advisory Board and the Arizona State Library, Archives, & Public Records. The free virtual event is Saturday, March 21, 2026 from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. MST (that's 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. EST).

Speakers will include Stefanie Ojibway Gerberding ("Honoring Ancestors: Native American Genealogy"), Ryan Ehrfurth ("Finding Family: Genealogy in the Arizona Memory Project"), Allyson Maughan, AG ("Add a Snapshot to Research"), Taneya Y. Koonce, MSLS, MPH ("Liberate Your Family History Research: Using an 'Open Access' Preservation Model"), and Ari Wilkins, FTxSGS ("How the Weather Affected Your Ancestor").

Space is limited. Watch parties are encouraged. Details and registration at https://azsos.libcal.com/calendar/starl/azgenday26

01/07/2026

Don't forget: Steve Little, the National Genealogical Society’s AI expert, is the featured speaker at our January delegate meeting, 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. This talk will focus on the use of artificial intelligence and LLMs by genealogical societies. How can these powerful tools help your society? Join the MGC on Zoom at 11 a.m. for this important discussion. The link will be sent to delegates and presidents, but you can register to attend! Tap or click below for more information.

Discover how Artificial Intelligence can streamline the management of your genealogical society. This session covers practical tools for generating social media content, creating automatic meeting transcripts, and drafting member communications. Learn how to save time and increase engagement through...

01/07/2026

A memorial service for Randy Riley will be held Friday, January 9, 2026 at 11AM in the Forum, 702 W. Kalamazoo St., Lansing, with a small reception following. Find a press release link at www.Michigan.gov/LibraryofMichigan.

01/05/2026

Randy Riley was awarded the 2010 National Genealogical Society Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship sponsored by ProQuest. Randy was one of four Library of Michigan staff members who received this honor. Others include the late Carole Callard, Tim Gleisner, and Kris Rzepczynski.

01/05/2026

Sad to share ....

The is sad to announce the passing of Randy Riley. Randy served as the State Librarian since 2014. He joined in 1989 and held several positions, including reference librarian, head of Special Collections, and Coordinator. More details will soon be announced.

01/05/2026

It is with great sadness that we share this announcement from the Library of Michigan.

The is sad to announce the passing of Randy Riley. Randy served as the State Librarian since 2014. He joined in 1989 and held several positions, including reference librarian, head of Special Collections, and Coordinator. More details will soon be announced.

01/01/2026

Thinking ahead to your genealogy goals for next year starts now. Registration is open for the NGS 2026 Family History Conference, and early bird rates end 28 February 2026.

The Conference brings genealogists together in Fort Wayne for learning, collaboration, and dedicated research time in one of the country’s premier genealogy destinations. Register today and save with the early bird rate. https://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/

01/01/2026

More than 2,200 historic County Maps are now available . . .

A 1911 Map of Butler County, Pennsylvania, one of the 67 Pennsylvania County maps (including a map for every county) on the My Genealogy Hound website. These maps are great for identifying the location of numerous small settlements that have since disappeared plus the routes of railroads and waterways. More than 2,200 historic County Maps are now available for every county in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin plus additional counties in Texas and Minnesota. Maps for additional states and counties will be added soon.

View the more than 2,200 maps in the county map collection on the My Genealogy Hound website at: http://www.mygenealogyhound.com/maps/state-county-maps.asp

12/11/2025

Did you miss our Curt B. Witcher, MLS, FUGA, IGSF, speaking at our Fall Family History Seminar? Well you can still catch this recording of a presentation he made to MGC's November delegate meeting. How do we welcome more people into genealogy?

This presentation highlights that changes that have taken place in 21st century genealogy — who is engaging in family history and family heritage pursuits,…

11/17/2025

This Second Empire style mansion was built in the 1870s by Doctor Joseph Loop. A native of New York, Loop moved to Oakland County, Michigan, in 1843. he and his wife, Jane Gardner Loop pioneered this land in Sanilac County in 1854, and after graduating from the University of Michigan medical department in 1855, he opened a practice in Port Sanilac. When this home was built, he kept an office on the lower floor, and serviced a forty-mile circuit, bringing medical care to much of the county. Doctor Loop died in 1903 at the age of ninety-three, leaving the home to his only child, Ada. She and her husband, the Reverend Julius Harrison passed it in turn to one of their sons, Captain Stanley Harrison. In 1964 he deeded it to the Sanilac County Historical Society for a museum.

If you love exploring the Thumb or reading about its unique places take a look at my new book "Lost In Michigan's Thumb" Link is in the comments