CHIPPEWA COUNTY, MI HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History Books

*None Listed

Chippewa County, Michigan: A Genealogical Overview

Located at the northeastern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Chippewa County is a region defined by water, international borders, and a history that predates the United States itself. As the home of Sault Ste. Marie, one of the oldest permanent European settlements in the Midwest, and the world-famous Soo Locks, the county has been a crossroads of cultures for centuries. Its vast landscape of forests, islands, and Great Lakes shoreline holds the stories of the Anishinaabe (Chippewa/Ojibwe) people, French voyageurs, British soldiers, and American pioneers who shaped the Great Lakes.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Understanding Chippewa County’s origin as a massive territory and its role as a “mother county” to many others is fundamental to tracing ancestors in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

  • 1826: County Formed: Chippewa County was officially established by the Michigan Territorial Legislature on February 18, 1826.
  • Parent County: It was created from the vast territory of Michilimackinac County (now Mackinac County), one of the territory’s original counties. Any official records for this region prior to 1826 would be located in Mackinac County records.
  • Subsequent County Formations: Chippewa County originally covered a massive portion of the Upper Peninsula. It was later partitioned many times to form other counties. Researchers with ancestors in the following counties may need to check early Chippewa County records: Schoolcraft (1843), Marquette (1843), Houghton (1845), Ontonagon (1843), and most notably Luce County, which was created directly from the western portion of Chippewa County in 1887.
  • Name Origin: The county is named for the Chippewa people (also known as the Ojibwe or Anishinaabe), the prominent Native American group who have inhabited the region for centuries and for whom the rapids at Sault Ste. Marie are a sacred and central place.
  • County Seat History: Sault Ste. Marie, due to its strategic importance and long history as a settlement, has served as the county seat since the county’s formation.

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: The region has been a vital center for Native American life for thousands of years. The Anishinaabe peoples gathered at the rapids of the St. Marys River for fishing and trade, considering it a cultural and spiritual center. The Bay Mills Indian Community and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians are federally recognized tribes headquartered in the county today.
  • European Settlement and Economy: The French arrived early, with Jesuit missionary Father Jacques Marquette establishing a mission in 1668. For the next 150 years, the area’s economy was dominated by the lucrative fur trade, with control passing from the French to the British after 1763, and finally to the Americans after the War of 1812. The character of the county changed dramatically in the mid-19th century with the discovery of iron and copper in the western Upper Peninsula. The construction of the first Soo Lock in 1855 allowed ships to bypass the rapids, unlocking the immense mineral wealth of the region and turning Sault Ste. Marie into a vital shipping hub. The subsequent lumber boom also brought many new settlers to the area.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

This section provides practical information for locating ancestral records specific to Chippewa County.

  • County Courthouse: The Chippewa County Courthouse is located at 319 Court Street, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. The offices of the County Clerk (vital records, court records), Register of Deeds (land records), and Probate Court (wills and estates) are the primary repositories for county-level genealogical records.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth, Death, and Marriage Records: Statewide registration in Michigan began in 1867. Records from that date forward are held by the Chippewa County Clerk. Copies are also available from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Vital Records Office in Lansing. For records prior to 1867, researchers must rely on non-governmental sources such as church records, cemetery inscriptions, and newspaper obituaries.
  • Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
    • Bayliss Public Library: Located in Sault Ste. Marie, this library has a dedicated local history and genealogy collection with resources specific to Chippewa County and the Eastern Upper Peninsula.
    • Lake Superior State University – Kenneth J. Shouldice Library: The university library maintains an archive and special collections that are valuable for regional historical research.
    • Chippewa County Historical Society: An essential resource for family histories, photographs, and local historical documents that provide context for genealogical research.
    • Archives of Michigan and Library of Michigan: (Located in Lansing) These are the state’s primary repositories for Michigan genealogy, holding microfilm of county records, state census records, military records, and numerous other collections.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions:
    • Luce County, MI
    • Mackinac County, MI
    • Algoma District, Ontario, Canada

Please share any resources you have and will do lookups or links to resources you are aware of. Thanks