Welcome to GSWC!
The Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County, Michigan (GSWC) welcomes anyone interested in genealogy and local history, whether they are beginning or more experienced family history researchers. We publish a quarterly journal called Family History Capers and hold eight general meetings a year, each with a program and a class. We have two active special interest groups - German and Ireland & UK. Attending GSWC meetings will help you keep current in the world of genealogy.
Membership in GSWC will give you full access to the society collections by unlocking member-only indexes, databases, cemetery records, and the Family History Capers archive. Membership will open up opportunities for you to meet like-minded people who will listen to your stories. Whether your skill set lies in writing, editing, speaking, teaching, research, administration, marketing, cataloging, indexing, formatting, or field work (reading gravestones! photography!) you can find your special niche here. Or, try something new! Join us and experience the satisfaction of helping others. We encourage you to become a member.
Thank you for visiting the GSWC website. We hope your visit will be productive and that you will return often.
GSWC Meeting October 27, 2024 1:30 PM
After the brief business meeting starting at 1:30pm Scott Norrick will present, via Zoom, "Michigan in 1950 - Painting the Picture of Michigan Based on 1950 Census Results." You may also attend in person at the Trinity Health Education Auditorium.
Data from the US Census can reveal a lot of interesting information about a community. In this presentation, Scott Norrick will reveal his findings and insights from reviewing and analyzing US Census data for Michigan from the 1950 Census.
After a short intermission Elizabeth Williams Gomoll will teach, via Zoom, "Fire, Water, and the 1890 U.S. Census: Researching Beyond the Ashes and Mold."
Most genealogists are aware the 1890 federal census was destroyed in a fire in 1921. Learn the story behind this historical and genealogical tragedy and how to work around the loss of that precious record.
Family History Capers - Current Issue
To read the current issue of Capers, 48#1, first log in. Then, go to Washtenaw Research > Capers Archive. Contents include Washtenaw County Rural Schools: Part 1, Lyndon Schools; Oral History Interviewing Tips: Floor Plans, Part 2; Washtenaw County Farm Bureau and Junior Farm Bureau Membership, 1944; Book Review of Buried Secrets; Hull and Van Buren marriage, 1908; and Theodore D. Ford bible record.
2024-2025 Lectures and Classes
Click here for information about our meetings and the meeting schedule through May 2025. Our Website
Our website features an extensive list of Washtenaw County and Michigan research links and resources; databases; indexes; a surname database; a library catalog of over 2,000 books, cemetery records, and census records; and a calendar of events.
We invite you to explore the site. Browse the public resources in Washtenaw Research, filter the records in the Library Catalog, or search for a surname submitted by members. For help with GSWC library research, please use Research Requests. The GSWC Library is temporarily closed to all but
the Research Committee, To s
ubmit a query to Family History Capers see Queries and Lookups.
Navigation notes:
- If you click on Members or Washtenaw Research, submenu items appear.
- Further submenu items appear under Members and Washtenaw Research if you are logged in.
- Under Members, a link to member-only downloads is available if you are logged in. Most handouts for the programs and classes are restricted to members only, except on the day of the event.
- The complete run of Family History Capers, including the current issue, is available under Washtenaw Research > Capers Archive, if you are logged in.
- Our brochure, bylaws, and a journal sample are publicly available under About Us.
Our Memberships and Social Media
