Abrams Collection Genealogy Highlights
January/February 2002
Volume 4, Number 1

The states that comprise the "Old Northwest Territory" were created under the Ordinance of 1787. The ordinance provided the process for creating new states from the territories acquired by the federal government and became a model for the future growth of the United States. The states created under this ordinance were Ohio (1803), Indiana (1816), Illinois (1818), Michigan (1837), Wisconsin (1848) and Minnesota (1858). The territory north of the Ohio River attracted settlers from the eastern and southern United States, Canada and Europe.

This publication is to aid you in researching your "Old Northwest" ancestors at the Library of Michigan. It is not intended as a comprehensive list of genealogy resources for these states, rather as a list of notable materials available at the Library.

Searching ANSWER, the Library's online catalog, is the only way of determining if the Library of Michigan holds the resources that you seek. Clicking on the links in this publication will take you to the ANSWER catalog search results or the catalog record for a particular item. You can locate titles on ANSWER, or search the following keywords to retrieve the greatest number of genealogy citations:

• illinois genealogy
• indiana cemeteries
• michigan militia
• minnesota landowners
• old northwest history
• ohio marriages
• wisconsin maps

Clicking on the links in this publication will take you to the ANSWER catalog search results or the record for a particular item.

Adding a geographic location will allow you to narrow your search. For example, illinois genealogy and massac county will retrieve genealogical resources that focus on Massac County, Illinois. When searching by keyword, it is not necessary to capitalize proper nouns.

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Handbooks

Beckstead, Gayle. Searching in Illinois: A Reference Guide to Public and Private Records. Costa Mesa, CA: ISC Publication, 1984.
Genealogy F 540 .B42 1984

Bell, Carol Willsey. Ohio Genealogical Guide. 5th ed. Youngstown, OH: Bell Books, 1990.
Genealogy CS 16 .B353 1990

Lind, Marilyn. Continuing Your Genealogical Research in Minnesota. Cloquet, MN: Linden Tree, 1986.
Genealogy F 605 .L66 1986

Robinson, Mona. Who's Your Hoosier Ancestor?. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1992.
Genealogy F 525 .R63 1992

Ryan, Carol Ward. Searching for Your Wisconsin Ancestors in the Wisconsin Libraries. 2nd ed. Green Bay, WI: C.W. Ryan, 1988.
Genealogy F 580 .R9 1988

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Sourcebooks

Adams, James N. Illinois Place Names. Springfield, IL: Illinois State Historical Society, 1989.
Genealogy F 539 .A3 1989
There are similar place names books for the other states of the Old Northwest.

Bell, Carol Willsey. Ohio Divorces: The Early Years. Boardman, OH: Bell Books, 1994.
Genealogy F 490 .B43 1994

Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives. Pt. 4., Bethesda, MD: University Publications of America, 1992-1996.
Genealogy E 470 .C58 1990 Pt. 4
Housed at the Genealogy Index Table. This covers the Midwest and the West.

Eisen, David. Vital Statistics Index to St. Joseph County, Indiana Newspapers, 1831-1912. 2 vols. South Bend, IN: Northern Indiana Historical Society, 1995.
Genealogy F 532 .S2 E385 1995

Franklin, Charles M. Index to Indiana Wills. 2 vols. Indianapolis: Heritage House, 1986.
Genealogy F 525 .F728 1986

Illinois Marriage Record Index. Springfield, IL: Illinois State Genealogical Society, 1996.
Genealogy Microfiche F 540 .I45 1996

Indiana Marriages, Early to 1825: A Research Tool. Bountiful, UT: Precision Indexing, 1991.
Genealogy F 525 .I63 1991
This series is also available for Illinois and Michigan.

Indiana Source Book. 7 vols. Indianapolis: Genealogy Section, Indiana Historical Society, 1977-1992.
Genealogy F 525 .I55

Library of Michigan. Michigan Cemetery Source Book. Lansing: The Library of Michigan, 1994.
Genealogy G 1411 .E6225 L53 1994
Michigan Documents G 1411 .E6225 L53 1994
Housed at the Genealogy Desk and Genealogy Index Table. A similar tool exists for Minnesota and Ohio.

Michigan Death Index. Lansing: Michigan Dept. of Public Health and Michigan Genealogical Council, 1991-.
Genealogy F 565 .M534
Michigan Documents F 565 .M534
Housed at the Genealogy Index Table. There are microfilm copies of records and indexes for Michigan births, deaths, divorces and marriages records.

Nitchaman, Paul E. Blacks in Ohio, 1880, in the Counties of.... 10 vols. Decorah, IA: P.E. Nitchman, 1985.
Genealogy E 185.93 .O2 N57 1985

The Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the World War, 1917-1918.... 23 vols. Columbus, OH: The F.J. Heer Printing Co., 1926-29.
Genealogy D 570.85 .O3 A5 1918
There are rosters for the other states of the Old Northwest for different wars.

Public Domain Sales Land Tract Records Listing. Springfield, IL: Illinois State Archives Division, 1984.
Genealogy Microfiche HD 243 .I4 I442 1984a
This information is available for Michigan as well.

Records of Darke County and Defiance County, Ohio. Ohio: Daughters of the American Revolution, 1940-1962.
Genealogy Microfilm F 490 .O35 reel 21-26
Two of several Ohio counties represented by this microfilm series.

The Territorial Papers of the United States. 27 vols. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1934-.
Law E 173 .T4 1934z

The Territory of Michigan, 1805-1837. 3 vols. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1942-1945.
Michigan F 566 .T472
The Michigan volumes of the Territorial Papers.

United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Illinois. 101 reels. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service, 1964.
Genealogy Microfilm E 506 .I2 1964
Also available for Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

---. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940. Washington, D.C.: The Bureau, 1965.
Genealogy Microfilm E 98 .C3 I53 1965

---. Bureau of Land Management. Eastern States Office. General Land Office Automated Records Project. Wisconsin Pre-1908 Homestead and Cash Entry Patents. Springfield, VA: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Eastern States, 1996.
U.S. Documents CD I 53.57: W75
There are CDs for Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio.

Wisconsin Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces. Madison, WI: Division of Health, Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Social Services, 1995.
Genealogy Microfiche F 580 .W57 1900

Wisconsin County and Regional Histories. 44 reels. New Haven, CT: Research Publications, 1973.
Genealogy Microfilm F 581 .W5 1973
There is a similar series for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

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Internet Resources

Illinois State Archives
www.library.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/archives.html

Illinois State Historical Library
www.state.il.us/hpa/lib/

Indiana Commission on Public Records State Archives Division
www.state.in.us/icpr/

Indiana State Library
www.in.gov/library/

Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries
www.michigan.gov/hal/

Minnesota Historical Society
www.mnhs.org/index.htm

Ohio Historical Society State Archives
www.ohiohistory.org/resource/statearc/

Wisconsin Historical Society Library and Archives
www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/

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Updated 05/08/2009