Detroit Society for Genealogical Research

09/14/2026

Coming up on Saturday, September 26. DSGR 90th Anniversary Family History Fair. This full-day event will be held at Madonna University in Livonia and virtually. All presenters will be in person. The first session will be Big City Blues: Researching Urban Ancestors with Kris Rzepczynski

Using case studies from Chicago, Detroit, and other cities, this program explores successful strategies for researching ancestors in large urban centers across the U.S.

For complete information and to register visit https://dsgr.org/detail/eventDetail.php?er=285

09/14/2026

Celebrate 90 years of Family History with us on Saturday, September 26. DSGR 90th Anniversary Family History Fair. This full-day event will be held at Madonna University in Livonia and will also be available virtually. All presenters will be in person. The third session will be Preserving Detroit’s History: The Burton Historical Collection with Mark Bowden.

Since 1915, the Burton Historical Collection has served as a renowned repository of genealogical and regional history materials. Come to hear about the collection’s origins and the treasures it houses.

For complete information and to register visit https://dsgr.org/detail/eventDetail.php?er=285

09/11/2026

Coming up on Saturday, September 26. DSGR 90th Anniversary Family History Fair. This full-day event will be held at Madonna University in Livonia and will also be available virtually. All presenters will be in person. The second session will be America's Westward Expansion: 25 Events in 60 Minutes with Katherine R. Willson

As the young United States pushed westward, the nation wrestled with questions about land, power, and who had the right to shape its future. Follow the major events that drove this expansion from 1787 to 1890 — reshaping federal law, transforming settlement patterns, and bringing both opportunity and injustice.
For complete information and to register visit https://dsgr.org/detail/eventDetail.php?er=285

06/19/2026

We are pleased to announce that naturalization records are now available online on Michiganology! The counties currently available online are Alcona, Allegan, and Alpena.

Search by name, date, birth place, and more: https://michigan.access.preservica.com/naturalization-records/

Naturalization records will be released alphabetically by county each month. Look forward to the release of Antrim County next month!

06/15/2026

Detroit Public Library - The Struggle for Freedom
In celebration of the United States’ 250th Anniversary (4 July 1776), the Burton Historical Collection (BHC) of the Detroit Public Library presents this exhibit with items from the BHC. White Americans (males) achieved freedom in the American Revolution, and Black Americans gained freedom in the Civil War. Of course, in neither case was freedom attained entirely. Every generation of Americans since the end of the Revolution in 1781 has had to fight to maintain the freedoms already won and, also, to continue to fight for the freedoms not yet realized, always striving toward perfect freedom as immortalized in the Declaration of Independence with the axiom “that all men [persons] are created equal . .

Items featured in "The Struggle for Freedom" display. These collection items are in the Cass hallway display cases at the Detroit Public Library's Main branch.

06/10/2026

Our next DSGR meeting/webinar will feature a presentation by Mark Mullinax, "Where There’s a Will: Probate Records & Genealogy." Mark will be in person at the Detroit Public Library - Main, Explorers Room. If you are unable to attend in person, you can join us virtually. For virtual registration, visit the DSGR home page on our website. https://dsgr.org

05/11/2026

The Barbara J Brown Family History Seminar is brought to you by the Archives of Michigan; co-sponsored by the Michigan Genealogical Council.

Michigan’s statehood commenced a period of rapid growth and change for the Upper Peninsula region. The discovery of mineral resources, the arrival of diverse immigrant communities, and the shift to…

05/05/2026

https://mimgc.wordpress.com/2026/05/04/2026-barbara-j-brown-family-history-seminar-focus-on-finding-digitized-nara-content/

Think NARA records are only accessible on microfilm or in-person? Think again. This session guides researchers through finding digitized gems from the National Archives, including millions of recor…

05/02/2026

https://mimgc.wordpress.com/2026/04/27/2026-barbara-j-brown-family-history-seminar-focus-on-usct-widows-pensio/
Civil War Pension files can unlock a great deal of information about your ancestor.

This session discusses the pension process, the challenges to widow’s seeking support, and the possible finds in a pension file, and features a “gold mine” file that helped connect the dots i…