Michigan Court System Overview

Here’s a really nice overview of what Michigan courts hear what kinds of cases:

http://courts.michigan.gov/scao/selfhelp/intro/court.htm#circuit

Adoption Records

Pamphlet from DHS about who can access what information from adoption records and where to begin research:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/FIA-AdoptPub439_12970_7.pdf

Motor Vehicle Registration/Title/Licensing Laws

PA 304 of 1915: first law requiring registration
PA 46 of 1921: first law requiring certificates of title
PA 300 of 1949: current law, revisions listed here: http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-Act-300-of-1949
PA 217 of 1958: addition of photographs to drivers’ licenses

Court Records: Calendars vs. Journals

Calendars are a record of everything that happened in a given case. Journals are a record of everything that happened in a court on a given day (multiple cases).

Start with the calendars if you don’t have a case number because they usually have indexes in the front.

Department of Corrections History

There is a really well-written departmental history in the second finding aid binder.

1988-1995 GR Veterans’ Home Records

Member files from 1988-1995 are in Versatile under Military Affairs–GRHV Business Services (series #2529). Paper indexes are in the filing cabinet on the Archives side of the reference desk. Financial and medical information must be redacted.

Centennial Family Certificates

RG 91-220 has the application files, but no actual certificates. Per Tom @ Michigan Genealogical Council, the council didn’t keep the certificates and doesn’t reissue them. Researchers should contact ancestors listed on the application or their heirs.

These records are different from Centennial Farm files and from Sesquicentennial Pioneer files.

History of Education in Michigan

Sandra suggested using a four-book series called “History of Education in Michigan” when we get questions about early education in Michigan. They are in ANSWER, and the titles/authors are as follows:

The Search for Educational Standards (Starring and Knauss)
Education in the Wilderness (Dain)
Schools for an Urban Society (Disbrow)
The Michigan Record in Higher Education (Dunbar)

Civilian Conservation Corps

Check Depression-Era Agencies circular for a list of record groups.

Camp photos are available in RG 87-160. Index is in Public — Archives — Databases — CCC or printed in photograph binder at the reference desk.

Per Scott, there are also some items in the museum’s collections that can be found by searching museum special collections in Argus.

Coldwater Youth Facilities

Coldwater State Home and Training School was a mental health facility for children.    Researchers should be directed to Jan Williams for access to these records.

Michigan State Public School at Coldwater was a special state public school to furnish temporary support and instruction for dependent and neglected children between the ages of four and sixteen until they could be placed in homes or returned to their families. It is also referred to as the Michigan Children’s Institute and Coldwater State Orphanage.  Researchers interested in these records should be directed to Nanette Salyer.