ONTONAGON COUNTY, MI HISTORY AND LOOKUP
County History Books
*None Listed
Ontonagon County, Michigan: A Genealogical Overview
Located in the rugged western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Ontonagon County is a land of dense forests, stunning Lake Superior shoreline, and the scenic Porcupine Mountains. Its identity was forged in the great Copper Rush of the 19th century, a history marked by boom-and-bust mining towns, lumber camps, and the enduring spirit of its residents. For genealogists, the county’s story is one of mineral rushes, immigration, and significant boundary changes that are critical to understanding the historical record.
I. County Formation and Evolution
Understanding Ontonagon’s role as a vast “mother county” to others in the western Upper Peninsula is crucial for locating the correct records for ancestors who lived in the region.
- 1843: County Formed: The county was first set off by the Michigan Legislature in 1843. It was formally organized with its own government in 1848.
- Parent County: Ontonagon County was created from territory that was previously part of Mackinac and Chippewa Counties. In the immediate period before its organization (1845-1848), the area was attached to the newly formed Houghton County for judicial purposes, so some early records may appear there.
- Subsequent County Formations: The original Ontonagon County was immense and was later partitioned. The most significant change for researchers occurred in 1887, when the southern and western portions of Ontonagon County were detached to form Gogebic County. Anyone with ancestors in towns like Ironwood, Bessemer, or Wakefield must search Ontonagon County records prior to 1887.
- Name Origin: The name is derived from an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) word, often translated as “place of the bowl” or “hunting river,” referring to the Ontonagon River.
- County Seat History: The county seat was established in the village of Ontonagon at the time of the county’s organization and has remained there ever since.
II. Settlement and Early History
- Early Inhabitants: The region is the ancestral homeland of the Anishinaabe people, specifically the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa (Ojibwe). The area was known for a massive, sacred chunk of native copper known as the “Ontonagon Boulder,” which drew early European explorers to the area and hinted at the vast mineral wealth below ground.
- Pioneer Settlement and Economy: Settlement was driven not by farming but by the nation’s first major mineral rush in the 1840s. Prospectors and miners from New England, Cornwall (England), Ireland, Germany, and later Finland and other parts of Scandinavia, flooded the region to work in the copper mines. Boomtowns like Ontonagon, Rockland, and Victoria rose and fell with the fortunes of the mines. Following the decline of copper mining, the economy shifted to large-scale logging of the area’s vast white pine forests.
III. Genealogical Records and Resources
This section provides practical information for locating ancestral records specific to Ontonagon County.
- Courthouse: The Ontonagon County Courthouse, located at 725 Greenland Road, Ontonagon, MI 49953, is the central repository for records.
- The County Clerk holds vital records (birth, death, marriage), court records, and voter registrations.
- The Register of Deeds holds all land transaction records.
- The Probate Court holds wills, estate files, and guardianship records.
- Vital Records:
- Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration in Michigan began in 1867. Records from 1867 to the present are held by the Ontonagon County Clerk. Copies can also be obtained from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Records of births and deaths prior to 1867 are rare and most likely to be found in church records or obituaries.
- Marriage Records: Marriage records from 1848 to the present are held by the Ontonagon County Clerk.
- Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
- Ontonagon County Historical Society Museum: Located at 422 River St., Ontonagon, MI 49953. This is the most important local resource for family histories, historical photographs, local newspapers, and mining company records.
- J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library (Michigan Technological University): Located in nearby Houghton, this university archive is the premier research center for the entire Copper Country region, holding extensive collections on mining, local history, and genealogy.
- Ontonagon Township Library: Local libraries often have microfilm of local newspapers and local history collections.
- Bordering Jurisdictions:
- Houghton County, MI
- Gogebic County, MI
- Iron County, MI
- Lake Superior (to the north)