Finding Family History

Museum offers research assistance
By Toni Rumsey

If you have an interest in family history or local history topics, consider visiting the research department at the Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center, located in downtown Newaygo.
With thought to ease and speed for the researcher, volunteers have dedicated several years to sorting, cataloguing, and scanning photos, articles and documents to peruse.  The Museum and Heritage Center, originally the County Historical Society, has gathered information for 50+ years and authored numerous books and booklets about the Newaygo County history.  
Prior to the volunteers’ work, it could take hours to find answers to questions from visitors.  Now, the research room invites visitors to search through digital records by name, place or topic using an index system.  Volunteers are available to assist you in your search, or research requests can be made for a suggested donation. Also offered are the county newspapers (preserved on microfilm) available in digital form for you to search by specific names or topics, or just to enjoy reading.  The website ancestry.com is also available to assist with family history searches.
Visitors with specific questions are encouraged to make an appointment prior to visiting by sending an email to [email protected] or calling 231.652.5003 and asking for Toni Rumsey, Archivist; Research Department, or Steven Radtke, Director.
The upcoming book Newaygo County History and Biographies, Volume 2 is the most recent project completed in the department and has been sent to the publisher.  Numerous articles of interesting topics throughout the county are included, as well as family biographies submitted by people with links to the county.  The date of availability this summer will be posted at a later date on the Center’s Facebook page (newaygocountyhistory) and newsletter. To receive the newsletter, please visit the website www.newaygocountyhistory.org and click on Newsletter to fill in your information in the pop-up box.
The Museum and Heritage Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 to 4:00 and is located at 12 Quarterline Road, Newaygo.

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Volunteer Joan Wise in front of the Portland Sand Company bookcase in the room.

Volunteer Scott Jensen, working on a research request for an out of town visitor,