Kent Co., MI, Deeds At The Library Of Michigan

Most of my time at the Library of Michigan and Archives of Michigan was spent trying to gather additional intel about John C. and Mary E. Shaw.

I was happy to discover that not only was there a Kent County, Michigan, Deed Index on microfilm (F572.K3I5, r.1 and FHC# 1392829*), there were several rolls containing the deeds, too.  [The Shaws lived in Kent county in 1860]    *Use the F572 number at the Library of Michigan; use the FHC number at the Family History Center(s)

The index (Roll #1) stated that it contained a "Re-indexing of Records Saved from Fire and Ends January 1861."

My interpretation of an entry in the index was SHAW, Benjamin Franklin to John SHAW & wife, Liber R, Page 585; my first reaction was yipee, I found them!  Not so fast.

I then looked up deed R-585 in Roll #6.  The surname on R-585 was SHAVER, not SHAW.  Even though I was hoping for a SHAW breakthrough (perhaps a deed giving their residence as Livingston Co., New York), it was helpful that both the index and the deeds were available for view.  I realized the discrepancy right away.

My research then went in another direction.