Calhoun County Pioneer Certificate is a project of the Calhoun County Genealogical Society (CCGS). Its purpose is to honor and collect data about the early residents of Calhoun County, Michigan and their descendants. This information will be a valuable addition to the history of the county and will provide a source of genealogical information for future research.

Descendants of early residents are invited to apply for a Calhoun County Pioneer Certificate. Certificates will be given in three categories according to earliest settlement of the applicant's ancestor and will be of frameable quality.

Eligibility: Applicants must prove descent from an early Calhoun County resident. Each ancestor in the direct line must be proved.

The seal on the certificate will be based on the year that the ancestor first settled in Calhoun County. The categories are:

Applicants need not be residents of Calhoun County or members of CCGS.

Instructions: Contact the CCGS/Pioneer Project at the address below or at the CCGS web site for a Calhoun County Pioneer Certificate Application form and specific instructions for its completion.

Proofs: Descent shall be proven using primary sources. In the few cases where that is not possible, secondary sources, or preponderance of evidence may be accepted.

To ensure that the certificate is the result of credible genealogical research, the following Primary Sources are deemed acceptable: Vital Records (birth, marriage, death); Probate Records; Land Records; Tax Records; Census Records (state, federal); Military Records (state and federal); Church, Mortuary, Cemetery and Court Records, official School Records.

The inclusion of the following Secondary Sources is encouraged but may not be acceptable as proof of lineage: Bible records; obituaries and newspaper clippings; tombstone inscriptions; published family histories; published county histories; published biographical records; city and county directories; Atlas and Plat Books; unofficial School Records; private papers, diaries, journals and reminiscences.

While not required, we encourage submission of additional information to give dimension to the subjects, such as a biographical sketch of the ancestor, family group sheets, etc.

Certificate eligibility shall be determined by a committee consisting of CCGS members. The committee's decision shall be final.

The above information is a portion of that available from the Calhoun County Genealogical Society.

or visit the Calhoun County Genealogist Society web site.

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