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The Van Buren Regional Genealogical Society, working with the Van
Buren District Library, has spearheaded a project to compile computer
indexes to Southwest Michigan area newspapers. The project is entirely
volunteer, with some working from their homes and others at the Library. The project indexes every individual, business, organization, etc., that appears in selected newspapers that are of a local (southwest Michigan) nature. Each database includes a surname (or proper name), given name, issue date, page number, column, and a code for the type of information indexed.Below is a list of the types of items indexed and their respective codes. |
| B - Birth D - Death V - Divorce M - Marriage E - Engagement C - Correspondence S - Business (not ad) O - Organization M - Miscellaneous T - Obituary R - Real estate transfer L - Legal notices A - Classified ads G - Government X - Miscellaneous H - History N - Military Q - Taxes |
| Most early newspapers not only reported their own local news but that of surrounding communities.This community news is also indexed in the project and each locale also has a code. Below is a list of those communities that are represented in the project to date. |
| 1 - Lawton | 2 - Keeler | 3 - Paw Paw | 4 - Lawrence | 5 - Hamilton |
| 6 - Hartford | 7 - Volinia | 8 - Prospect Lake | 9 - Little Prairie Ronde | 10 - Barnes District |
| 11 - Porter | 12 - Sunny Lane | 13 - Breedsville | 14 - South Haven | 15 - Cassopolis |
| 16 - Decatur | 17 - Holland | 18 - Columbia | 19 - Grand Junction | 20 - Waverly |
| 21 - Kalamazoo | 22 - Pine Grove | 23 - Bloomingdale | 24 - Almena | 25 - Jericho |
| 26 - Kendall | 27 - McDonald | 28 - Benton | 29 - Schoolcraft | 30 - St. Joseph |
| 31 - Geneva Station | 32 -Bangor | 33 - Casco | 34 - Dowagiac | 35 - Antwerp |
| 36 - Silver Creek | 37 - Marcellus | 38 - Arlington | 39 - Mattawan | 40 - Niles |
| 41 - Gobles | 42 - Pine Plains | 43 - Buchanan | 44 - Galine | 45 - Kalamazoo |
| 46 - Berlamont | 47 - Benton Harbor | 48 - Cass County | 49 -Sturgis | 50 -Nicholsville |
| 51 - Decatur Valley | 52 - East Decatur | 53 - Allegan | 54 - Glenwood | 55 - Battle Creek |
| When correspondence produces a birth, death, marriage, engagement or divorce, it will need to be ended with a letter code.For example, the Keeler correspondence reports that Mrs. Anna Abbott passed away at her home last week; this would be coded as C2D: |
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C = Correspondence 2 = Keeler D = Death |
| The databases are organized in alphabetical order by surname (or proper name) for ease in browsing.Searches may also be made using your windows editor. |
| Following is a list of those items that are indexed in the project: |
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Personal names Businesses Real Estate Transfers Organizations, groups, clubs, etc. Legal Notices (not judges or other officials) Classifieds Stories and editorials (if of a non-fictional nature) Authors of fictional stories if local Anything for the following counties: Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Van Buren Counties |
| Things that are NOT indexed: |
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World, National or State news (outside listed counties above) Fictional stories or poems Celebrities or famous persons (such as Thomas Jefferson, Tom Mix) Editorials of a general nature Places (towns, villages, etc.) General news, such as weather |
Copy Requests |
| Check to see if the newspaper is available online. If not they can be viewed on microfilm at the Van Buren District Library or the Library of Michigan. |