Historical and Genealogical
Societies, Museums and Commissions
of Kent County, Michigan

Please let us know if you can confirm which if which of these addresses, phones, faxes and emails is the correct one, or provide any additional information on any of these societies, including when their regular meetings are scheduled. Email the County Coordinator with the new info.

County-Wide

Grand Rapids Area Council for the Humanities
60 Library Plaza, NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 774-1776
Website: http://mihumanities.h-net.msu.edu/grach.html

Kent County Council for Historical Preservation
115 College Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 458-2422

Western Michigan Genealogical Society
c/o Grand Rapids Public Library
60 Library Plaza NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Website: http://www.wmgs.org/

General Museums

Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum
303 Pearl St. NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 456-2674
 

Van Andel Public Museum
(Formerly - Grand Rapids Public Museum)
272 Pearl NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 456-3977
Website: http://www.grmuseum.org/

Neighborhood Associations

Heritage Hill Association
126 College SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 459-8950
(616) 459-2409 Fax
Website: http://www.heritagehillweb.org 

Descendants' Groups

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
Sophie de Marsac Campau Chapter
Helen Ringer
2260 Floyd SW
Wyoming, MI 49519-3622
Ph: (616) 538-6481

The General John A. Logan, Camp #1
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW)
Bruce B. Butgereit
1691 Summerfield Street SE
Kentwood, MI  49508-6499
Ph: 616-827-3369
Fax: 616-827-3366
Cell: 616-291-6939
Email: civil-war@comcast.net    
Website: http://www.suvcwmi.org/camps/camp1.php

Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War (DUVCW)
Eva Gray Tent No. 2
Wenda Fore, President
6141 Engelhurst Drive
Jenison, MI  49428-8553
Email: BoN636@charter.net
Website: http://www.geocities.com/evagray2/

The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
Michigan Commandery
Bruce B. Butgereit, Commander
1691 Summerfield St. SE
Kentwood, MI  49508
Ph: 616-827-3369
Fax: 616-827-3366
Cell: 616-291-6939
Email: civil-war@comcast.net
Web: http://suvcw.org/mollus/mi/mollus.html

Military History

Civil War Roundtable of Grand Rapids, MI
& Harry Larson Memorial Library
Meeting Location: Kuyper College, DeWitt Student Center, 3333 East Beltline NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan
The Yankee Clipper Library
2025 Leonard NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
Contact: Dan Dunn, Coordinator
Ph: 616-887-9828
Fax: 616-827-3366
Cell: 616-291-6939
Website: www.hawksinteractive.com/roundtable/index.html      

Michigan Soldiers' Aid Society (MSAS)
Civilian Reenactors of the 1860s
Post Office Box 56
Lowell, MI 49331
Website: http://www.iserv.net/~msas/

The Woman's Relief Corps
Champlin Corps No. 41
1691 Summerfield Street SE
Kentwood, MI  49508-6499
Ph: 616-827-3369
Fax: 616-827-3366
Cell: 616-291-6939
Contact: Marcia Butgereit, Past President
Phone: (616) 291-3959
Email: b.marcia@comcast.net

Railroad History

Western Michigan Railroad Historical Society
P. O. Box 150461
Grand Rapids, MI 49515
Email: suzannec@iserv.net

Ethnic Heritage

Polish Heritage Society
P. O. Box 1844
Grand Rapids, MI  49501
(616) 456-5353 (day)

Swedish-American Heritage Society of West Michigan
(616) 452-0098

Town/Township Historical and Genealogical Societies

Ada Township
Averill Historical Museum of Ada
7144 Hadley SE
Ada, MI 49301

Ada Township Historical Society (2003)
7144 Hadley SE
P.O. Box 741
Ada, MI 49301

Algoma Township

Algoma Township Historical Society (2003)
10531 Algoma Ave.
Rockford, MI 49343
(616) 866-1583
(616) 866-3832
http://www.algomatwp.org/historical_society.htm 

Alpine Township

Alpine Historical Committee
5255 Alpine NW
Comstock Park, MI  49321 (2003)

Alpine Township Historical Office/Historical Commission
2015 Seven Mile Road NW
Comstock Park, MI 49321
Website: http://www.gvmc.org/mich/cities/alpine/historic.htm
(Two miles west of Alpine Avenue.)
Hours: Every third Sunday, plus our Open House program, or on request.
To request, call the Alpine Township office at: (616) 784-1262

Alpine Township Historical Museum
2408 Seven Mile Road NW
Comstock Park, MI 49321
(616) 785-0205
Website: http://www.gvmc.org/mich/cities/alpine/historic.htm  
 

Bowne Township

Bowne Township Historical Society (2006)
P.O. Box 35
Alto, MI 49302
www.bownehistory.org

Byron Township

Byron Center Historical Society (2003)
P.O. Box 20, 2506 Prescott
Byron Center, MI 49315
(616) 878-0888

NEW Hours open: The society is now open Monday - Friday but I'm not sure what the hours are.  If a holiday falls on a first Monday of the month, the museum will be open the following Monday, same time. We do have a genealogical room for research in the museum.  Family histories, Rural Inventory 1939 of the WPA, more than 1,000 photos, church files, school files, club files and old home files.

Caledonia Township

Caledonia Township Historical Society
8573 84th St. SE
Alto MI 49341

Caledonia Historical and Genealogical Society
240 Emmon
Caledonia MI 49316

Caledonia Historical Commission (2003)
8815 76th Street
Alto, MI  49302

Caledonia Historical Society
9626 Kraft SE
Caledonia, MI  49316
http://www.angelfire.com/mi/CaledoniaHistory/index.html

Cannon Township

Cannon Township Historical Society (2003)
4711 Honeycreek NE
Ada, MI  49301

Cannon Township Historical Museum
8045 Cannonsburg Rd. NE

Cascade Township

Cascade Historical Society (2003)
2865 Thornhills SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Cascade Township Museum
2839 Thornapple River Dr. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
(616) 956-1228

Cedar Springs

Cedar Springs Historical Society (2003)
6610 15 Mile Rd
Cedar Springs, MI  49319

Cedar Springs Historical Society & Museum
P.O. Box 296
60 Cedar St
Cedar Springs, MI 49319
(616) 696-3335
http://www.cedarspringsmuseum.org
Cedar Springs Museum Genealogy Information

East Grand Rapids

East Grand Rapids Historical Commission (2003)
c/o EGR Public Library
750 Lakeside Dr. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
(616) 942-6042

Fallasburg

Fallasburg Historical Society (2003) (Vergennes Township)
13944 Covered Bridge Rd.
Lowell, MI 49331
(616) 897-6430
Fax (616) 897-2086
Website: http://www.iserv.net/~fallsbrg/

Gaines Township

Gaines Township Historical Society
421 68th St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49548

Grand Rapids

Western Michigan Genealogical Society
c/o Grand Rapids Public Library
Third Floor - Special Collections
111 Library Street NE
Grand Rapids, MI  49503
URL: http://www.wmgs.org
http://kent.migenweb.net//wmgs/index.html 

Grand Rapids Historical Society
c/o Grand Rapids Public Library
111 Library Street NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 988-5402  ext. 5497
Email: info@grhistory.org
URL: http://www.grhistory.org/

Grand Rapids Public Library
Special Collections (Western Michigan Genealogical Society collection included)
Library Street
Grand Rapids, MI  49503
URL: http://www.grpl.org
Information on this website: http://kent.migenweb.net//grpl/index.html

Grand Rapids Historical Preservation Commission
Grand Rapids City Hall
Grand Rapids, MI  49503

Grandville, Wyoming Township

 Grandville Historical Commission and Museum Association (2003)
3195 Wilson
Grandville, MI 49418
Email to:
Website: http://kent.migenweb.net//societies/grandville.html
Grandville Historical Commission
Historic Images of Grandville

 

Grattan Township

Grattan Township Historical Society (2003)
12050 Old Belding Road NE
Belding, MI  48809

Kent City

Kent City Area Historical Society
16652 Fruit Ridge
Kent City, MI 49330

Kent City Area Society of History and Genealogy
P.O. Box 11
Kent, MI 49330
(616) 678-7529

Kentwood

Kentwood Historical Commission
4900 Breton Ave. SE
PO Box 8848
Kentwood, MI 49518-8848

Lowell

Lowell Area Historical Association/
Lowell Area Historical Museum
325 W. Main Street
P. O. Box 81
Lowell, MI 49331
(616) 897-7688
Museum Hours: Tuesday, 1-4 p.m., Thursday, 1-8 p.m., 
Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m
Hold several events during the year - need to call for information.
Email: history@lowellmuseum.org
Website: http://www.lowellmuseum.org/ 

Oakfield Township

Oakfield Pioneer Heritage (2003)
11009 Podunk Rd
Greenville, MI  48838

Plainfield Township

Plainfield Township Historical Committee (2003)
P.O. Box 74
3861 West River Dr.
Comstock Park, MI 49321-0074
suzannec@iserv.net 

Rockford

Rockford Area Historical Society and Museum (2003) (Algoma Township)
11 E. Bridge St., P. O. 781
Rockford, MI  49431
http://www.rockfordmuseum.org
Rockford Historical Museum

Museum hours:  1pm - 4 pm, June through August or by appointment
Museum: Native American artifacts, portraits of early settlers of Rockford (Laphamville), farming implements, Victorian 'living room', medical paraphernalia, war memorabilia.
Collection of research materials such as cemetery records, plat maps, Kent Co. census information and Rockford newspapers.

Sand Lake

Sand Lake Historical Society (2003)
17331 Shaner Avenue
Sand Lake, MI  49343

Sparta Township

Sparta Township Historical Commission (2003)
160 E. Division Street
Sparta, MI  49345

Sparta Historical Society (2003)
c/o Sparta Library
Sparta, MI  49345

Vergennes Township

Vergennes Historical Society (2003)
13738 3 Mile Rd
Lowell, MI  49331
Misner Museum and Fallasburg Schoolhouse

Walker

Walker Historical Society (2003)
2068 Deerfield Dr. NW
Walker, MI  49544

Walker Historical Commission (2003)
4243 Remembrance Rd., NW
Walker, MI   49544
www.ci.walker.mi.us
Gary Carey, Chairman
616 453-5851
(September, 2002 - the museum will be moving in the near future to a site on Three Mile Road.)
Online Address for museum (Jan, 2003):
http://www.ci.walker.mi.us/Community/History/EdisonHouse.htm 

Wyoming

Wyoming Historical Commission
Wyoming Public Library
3350 Michael SW
Wyoming, MI
Meetings: Third Tuesday of the month, 6:30 p.m.
Kelly White, President (2009)

The commission maintains an archive and History Room at the library.
They have an extensive collection of pictures, family and business memorabilia, local yearbooks, directories,
histories of Kent County; a large collection of plat maps, aerial maps and atlases; copies of the Advance and
other newspapers - some in print, some on film, and original tax records from 1848 on.
History Room Hours - Tuesday and Saturday during library hours
Ph - 616-261-3508 or wyoming history room@yahoo.com to make appointments or request additional assistance.

Societies Near Kent County

Allegan County

Allegan County Historical Society
113 Walnut Street
Allegan, MI  49010

Then and Now Historical and Genealogical Society
1807 142nd Avenue
Dorr, MI  49323
Website: www.thenandnowsociety.0catch.com 

Ionia County

Belding Area Historical Society
108 Hanover
Belding, MI  48809

Ionia County Historical Society
PO Box 1776
Ionia, MI  49423

Mason County

White Pine Historical Village
1687 Lakeshore Drive
Ludington, MI  49431

Montcalm County

Flat River Historical Society
PO Box 188
Greenville, MI  48838

Muskegon County

Muskegon Heritage Association
561 W. Western Avenue
Muskegon, MI  49443

Muskegon RR Historical Society
561 W. Western Avenue
Muskegon, MI 49443

Newaygo County

Fremont Historical Society
445 Lewis Lane
Fremont, MI  49412

Ottawa County

Allendale Historical Society
PO Box 539
Allendale, MI  49401

Coopersville Area Historical Society
323 W. Main Street
Coopersille, MI  49404

Holland Area Historical Society
c/o Joint Archives
Hope College
PO Box 9000
Holland, MI  49423

Holland Historical Trust
31 West 10th Street
Holland, MI  49423

Holland Genealogical Society
Herrick Public Library
Holland, MI  49423

Jamestown Genealogical Society
Jamestown Library, Riley Street
Jamestown, MI 49427

Jenison Historical Society
PO Box O-664
Jenison, MI  49429

Zeeland Historical Society (& Museum)
PO Box 165
37 E. Main Street
Zeeland, MI  49464

Other States and Countries

The Ontario Genealogical Society
40 Orchard View Blvd., Suite 102
Toronto, Ontario, Canada  M4R 1B9
 Ken Bird, Executive Manager
www.ogs.on.ca
kbird@ogs.on.ca  or provoffice@ogs.on.ca 
TEL: 416-489-0734
FAX: 416-489-9803 
The OGS is a registered Canadian charity and welcomes your support.
We welcome donations of family histories and publications.

 
URL: http://kent.migenweb.net//societies/index.html  
Created: 25 February 1999
Last updated: Tuesday, 01-Jan-2002 14:19:45 MST
Contact: evlynsaw@comcast.net