Please Note: All of the materials in the Genealogy Department are non-circulating.
The Genealogy Department has maps for The Netherlands and for many counties in Michigan focusing mainly on the City of Holland, Ottawa County, and Allegan County. Some of the maps are found in atlases and plat books, while others are individual maps. Several more atlas/plat books are located in our Michigan Collection.
Holland area cemetery records can be found in books on the Pilgrim Home, Graafschaap and Restlawn cemeteries. It is also possible to search for Pilgrim Home Cemetery burial records online. To view the records online click here. The department also has cemetery books for many of the Ottawa and Allegan county cemeteries, as well as some on other Michigan county cemeteries. The complete Michigan Census from 1850-1920 is available on microfilm. Michigan Soundex is available for the following years: 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920. Herrick carries some census information on other areas of the country with a high Dutch population, such as Indiana, Illinois (Cook County), North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, New York and Washington. Herrick owns only selected years of these areas. The census is also available online on the following databases: Ancestry Library Edition (available at the library) and Heritage Quest (available at the library and remotely).
The Genealogy Department has over 100 CD-ROM's, including the following subjects: marriage indexes, passenger and immigration lists, census microfilm records and family history.
Herrick has church histories for many of the churches in the area. Some additional church records are available for the Dutch Reformed denomination and other churches in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and new York.
Birth, death and anniversary announcements from the Christian Reformed Church newsletter, The Banner (1860's-1980's), are available as part of the Banner Scrapbook Collection.
Herrick also has a collection of church and school anniversary items published by churches of various denominations (Christian Reformed, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed Church of America, etc). Most of the items come from churches in Michigan, but there are some CRC (Christian Reformed Church) items from other states and Canada as well. Please Note: The contents of these folders vary. One may contain a single bulletin, another an anniversary booklet, and another several pages of church history.,
This collection includes approximately 150 city directories for the Holland/Zeeland (1894-Present), Muskegon (1922-1991) Muskegon Bresser's Criss Cross Directory (1993-2007) and Grand Rapids (1926-1994), Grand Rapids Bresser's Criss Cross Directory (1995-2010).
Herrick's Family File contains individual pieces of information about person(s) and/or families from the Holland Area. The Family File is stored in the file cabinets next to the Genealogy Room Office. Please ask a staff person to unlock the cabinets for you.
Herrick District Library has many family genealogies which have been donated by individuals throughout the years. Most of them, but not all, are concentrated on the Holland area. Many originate in the Netherlands, and some are written in Dutch or German. To view Herrick's collection of family genealogies and family files click here.
Many people are interested in the history of their house. If you own a home in the Holland area, this History of a House brochure may include some helpful information for your search.
Herrick has many genealogical "how to" books in the non-fiction sectin of the library (under 929.2). patrons may check out these items.
Herrick District Library began indexing the Holland Sentinel in 2002. This index covers news pertaining to Ottawa and Allegan Counties. Since 2004, births, weddings, anniversaries and obituaries are also indexed. This Holland Sentinel Announcements Index is available online also. The library also has a partial index to the Holland Sentinel and Holland City News covering the years 1880-1990 which was compiled by Donald Van Reken, a local historian, and covers local news in the Holland Area. These indexes are located on top of the file cabinets next to the Genealogy Room Office. It is also possible to access this index online through the Joint Archives of Holland using the Van Reken Newspaper Index.
Local obituary and anniversary announcements that have been clipped (or copied) from the area newspapers, such as the Holland Sentinel, Holland City News, and the Grand Rapids Press are also part of the Genealogy Collection. These items are filed on index cards under the following subjects: Obituaries (approx. 1940's - 2003), Anniversaries (1980's - Present) and Veteran Obituaries. The Obituary Collection from 1940's-2003 is also available on microfilm. Please note that this information is not inclusive.
Herrick has binders with copies of published birth announcements for individuals born at Holland Hospital and Zeeland Hospital (1989 and February 1993-2004).
The following newspapers are available on microfilm:
| Allegan Gazette | May 5, 1883 - Dec. 10, 1892 &
Jul. 21, 1954 - Dec. 31, 1954 |
| Allegan Journal | 1856 - 1897, Not Inclusive |
| Allegan News | Jan. 4, 1901 - Dec. 15, 1955, Not Inclusive - many years missing |
| Holland City News | 1872-1977 |
| Holland Sentinel | Jan. 9, 1912 - present |
| Grand Haven News | Dec. 22, 1858 - Jul. 17, 1867,
Not Inclusive |
| Grand River Times | Jul. 2, 1851 - Oct. 28, 1857,
Not Inclusive |
| Ottawa County Times | 1892 - 1905 |
As previously mentioned, Obituaries from the Holland area (1940 - 2003) are available in two formats: on microfilm and as newspaper clippings.
The Index of Obituaries from the Holland Evening Sentinel, 1912 - 1974, a publication of the Herrick District Library, is available to assist patrons in locating obituaries in the Holland Sentinel. there is also another index to Holland Sentinel Obituaries from 1960 - 2011). Holland Sentinel obituraries are now being indexed by the Herrick District Library staff.
For an index of Holland Sentinel Obituaries from 1910-1997 online you can go to MiGenWeb Archives. This index also includes some weddings and anniversaries. If you would like an obituary sent to you from the Herrick District Library you may call the Genealogy Department at 616-355-3709 or the Reference Department at 616-355-3720 or email mailto:Genealogy@herrickdl.org with any questions. The Genealogy Department has passenger list information available in book format and on CD-ROM. Some of the books available are:
Dutch Immigrants in U.S. Ship Passenger Lists 1820-1897 by Robert P. Swierenga
Germans to America Series - January 1850 - June 1897, Vols. 1-67
Germans to America Series II - January 1840 - October 1848, Vols. 1-6
Passenger and Immigration Lists Index with Supplements, edited by P. William Filby
Also available on microfilm is Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York (1845-1870) not inclusive.
The library has subscriptions to several genealogy magazines including Family Chronicle, Family Tree and Internet Genealogy. The genealogy room also has historical magazines of Michigan, including Michigan History Magazine.
The Pioneer Certificates were created for individuals/families that have been proven to have lived in Holland, Michigan as the first settlers of the town. The Pioneer Certificate File contains the genealogical records submitted to the Genealogy Department during the certification process. Pioneer Certificates are in locked file cabinets located next to the Genealogy Room Office. Please ask a staff person to unlock the cabinets for you.
The vertical file includes information on Holland history, Holland businesses, and Michigan history. The files and index are located near the doorway of the Genealogy Department.
The Veteran Files contain clippings of local veterans of World War I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and the Iraq War. There are also a few Civil War veterans. Most of the clippings are from the Holland Sentinel and they are current through 2009. They are not inclusive.
The Michigan Collection has yearbooks from the following local schools:
E.E. Fell Junior High | Echo (1970's only) |
Holland Christian High School | Footprints |
Holland High School | Boomerang |
Hope College | Milestone |
West Ottawa High School | Icon |