This Collection provides access to resources of interest—in both pritn and digital formats— to individuals who wish to study local, county and state history. The development of this Collection is done cooperatively by the Farmington Community Library, Farmington Historical Society, Farmington Genealogical Society, and other interested groups such as the Farmington Historical Commission and the Farmington Hills Historical Commission. These organizations recognize the need to preserve the record of our community's traditions and past.

This Collection is an inclusive resource collection of historical materials regarding Farmington and Farmington Hills. It is available to the public online va this site, and in the Heritage Room of the Main Library during normal library hours. This collection includes items that contribute to an understanding of the immediate geographical area. Photographs, atlases, manuscripts, diaries, biographies and an extensive information file (vertical file cabinet) are just a few of the items that may be useful to patrons doing historical or genealogical research. Additionally, selective resources on Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw and other counties, as well as the state of Michigan are available to aid library users desiring to study the history of surrounding areas.

The need for an archival facility was recognized due to the large volume of historically valuable material collected or donated over the past years. And so in June 1999, an archive was established to preserve these important and often fragile items. With the help of many volunteers the material was carefully inventoried and placed in archival quality products suitable for long-term storage, preserved as reminders of earlier times and customs. The commitment to preserve historical material necessitates a non-circulating status for items in the collection. Whenever possible, duplicates of useful material will be obtained for the regular collection and circulated.

The researcher will also find many additional resources for studying genealogy, history or heraldry in the Heritage Collection as well as in the general Reference collection of the library. For example, the Passenger and Immigration Lists Index and the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) will be found there.

In 2004, under the sponsorship of the Farmington Friends of the Library, the first phase of an extensive Digitization Project was begun to provide online access to important parts of the collection, including issues of the Farmington Enterprise / Observer-Eccentric / Observer from 1889 through June 19, 2003. We received copyright permission from the newspaper. In addition, approximately twenty monographs were digitized. Most of the monographs were published by the Farmington Hills Historical Commission. Three hundred photographs were selected from the approximate 1,500 photographs and over 7,300 items in subject file folders: commencement mementos, cemetery histories, deeds, military commissions, and tax ledgers. This first phase was completed in January, 2005.

Since 2005, the Heritage Room Volunteers have embarked upon an ongoing project to digitize historical photographs, local histories, local phone directories, and many other resources of interest, making them available on this Web site for the community's use. These resources are accessible from the Digitized Collection Menu selection found at the top and bottom of this page.

A second phase of the Project was undertaken in 2012, again under the sponsorship of the Farmington Friends of the Library, encompassing digitization of the Farmington Observer from the latter half of June, 2003 to the present. These issues are also searchable using the Digitized Collections Menu selection.

The Heritage Room Volunteers— a cadre of knowledgeable, dedicated volunteers—have continued to digitize numerous print resources which are also available under the Digitized Collection Menu selection found at the top and bottom of this page.

Atlases, Maps, and Gazetteers

Farmington Township, Oakland County, Wayne County, and Michigan from 1873 to present. Refer to the Library's online catalog and the Archive Room Inventory.


Assessment Rolls and Tax Records

Farmington Township Tax Rolls, 1841–1897. Refer to transcribed index in Heritage Room, 977.438 F. They are available on microfilm in the Heritage Room.


Cemetery Records

There is a great deal of information on cemeteries in Farmington Township and other cemeteries in Oakland County, as well as other Michigan counties. Each publication is indexed. For Farmington Township Cemeteries refer to 977.438 O—these records can be found in the FGS publication entitled Oakland County, Michigan—Farmington Township Cemeteries—City, Sexton, Tombstone, Obituary and Historical Records 1824-1998.

This 1999 publication contains tombstone inscriptions and burial records for the cemeteries located in Farmington Township, Michigan. Included is information from city and sexton records, obituaries of the deceased, the Social Security Death Index, and the Robert B. Cook Historical Collection. Also included is a brief history and map for each cemetery.

On the Farmington Genealogical Society web site there is a First Name and Last Name list, and you may use your browser's Edit Menu "Find on this page" feature to look for a name. Searchable from the Library's web site at Farmington Area Genealogical Indexes.


Censuses

Available on microfilm are: Federal Census for Oakland County, Michigan (1820–1920), Veterans and Widows Census (1890 and 1894), and the Federal Census for Michigan (every county) for 1930. Some indexes are also available in book form.


Church Records

Records for the First Baptist Church, Universalist Church, German Church 1880–1920 with an index compiled by the Farmington Genealogical Society, and others. Refer to the Library's online catalog and the subject heading Churches in the Vertical Files in Unit 1C of the Heritage Room for information about other churches. The German Church every-name index is searchable from the Library's web site at Farmington Area Genealogical Indexes.


Robert B. Cook Collection

This collection contains extensive information about Farmington area families such as biographies, marriages and obituaries from the late 1800's to the 1970's. On top of the file cabinet in the Heritage Room is an every-name index to articles typed and assembled into blue notebooks in Unit 1B.See also: the more detailed description below. Searchable from the Library's web site at Farmington Area Genealogical Indexes


Directories—Telephone, City and Polk

Farmington and Farmington Hills, 1939–2001 (scattered issues).


Family Tree Maker

Miscellaneous CDs with vital records from several states. Refer to the Library's online catalog to determine which CDs are available.


Funeral Home Records

Photocopies of death certificates from the Heeney-Sundquist Funeral Home (15 volumes) for years 1950–1992. An every-name index is provided. Searchable from the Library's web site at Farmington Area Genealogical Indexes. An asterisk after a name indicates there is a death certificate on file in the Heritage Collection.


Genealogical Journals, Periodicals and Publications

Quarterlies and newsletters from some genealogical societies in Michigan, Ohio and New York are filed alphabetically in the file cabinet in the Heritage Room. Genealogical and historical publications published monthly or quarterly are shelved alphabetically in Unit 5B in the Heritage Room. Subscriptions in these categories include:

  • Detroit Society for Genealogy Research Quarterly. (1963–Curr.)
  • Everton's Family History. (1993–Curr.)
  • Heritage Quest. (2001–Curr.)
  • Oakland Genealogical Society Quarterly (Acorns to Oaks). (1981–Curr.)

Manuscript Collection

Contains family papers, newspaper clippings, diaries, account books, correspondence files, genealogical notes and many other items housed in the Archive Room. These combine to define everyday life within historic periods. Listed in the Archive Room inventory. For assistance, please call (248) 553•0300 to schedule an appointment.


Marriage Records

There are three blue binders of typed articles about many marriages in the Farmington area c.1890–1975 in the Robert B. Cook Collection. The index has been included in the index for the Robert B. Cook Collection. Searchable from the Library's web site at Farmington Area Genealogical Indexes

The book Anniversaries, Engagements, Weddings 1940–1959 from Farmington Newspapers is in the Heritage Room. Refer to 977.438A. Searchable from the Library's web site at Farmington Area Genealogical Indexes.


Michigan County Histories

Includes: Allegan and Barry, Berrien and Van Buren, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham and Eaton, Macomb, Monroe, Jackson, Lenawee, Manistee, Mason and Oceana, Oakland, Saginaw, St. Joseph, Washtenawa, Wayne.


Michigan Pioneer & Historical Collection, 1874-1908

Please refer to 977.4 M in the Heritage Room.


Newspapers

(See also: Browse / Search Farmington Newspapers.) The library has the following newspapers in its Heritage Collection. Underlined titles are available on microfilm in the Reference area of the library. Newspapers prior to 1969 may not be accessed in hard copy— please use microfilm. Newspapers may not be photocopied, but prints may be made from the microfilm.

  • Detroit News: January 1976 to present
  • Farmington Observer (formerly Enterprise, Enterprise Observer, Observer, and Observer Eccentric): on microfilm 1910–present. Scattered issues November 2 , 1888 to 1910.
  • Farmington Forum: January 1976 to December 1989 (not on microfilm)
  • New York Times"Sept. 1851 to present. The last 12 months issues are also available online with searchable full-text.
  • Northwest Gazette: March 8, 1993 to present (not on microfilm)

Oakland County

There is a great deal of information on Oakland County including biographical, cemeteries, census, first landowners, atlases and plat maps. Refer to the Library's online catalog or the Archive Room Inventory.


Obituaries and Death Notices

There are six blue binders of typed obituaries in the Robert B. Cook Collection and are indexed as part of the Collection. Searchable from the Library's web site at Farmington Area Genealogical Indexes.

Additionally an index of obituaries found in area newspapers 1890–1999, compiled by the Farmington Genealogical Society can be found in book form 977.483 F and is searchable from the Library's web site at Farmington Area Genealogical Indexes.

Photocopied obituaries are also available. See Photocopied Obituaries.


Photograph Collection

There are nearly 500 identified photographs of 19th and 20th century sites and families of Farmington Township. Photocopies of these photographs may be viewed.


Photocopied Obituaries

Many obituaries were photocopied from local newspapers and other sources for the time period of 1890 to the present. They are located in nine green volumes in Unit 1B in the Heritage Room. Not all obituaries in the newspapers were included. Searchable from the Library's web site at Farmington Area Genealogical Indexes.


Portrait and Biographical Album of Oakland County (1892)

An every-name index has been compiled for this book. Refer to 977.438 O. This Index is searchable from the Library's Web Site.


Surname Indexes

The following surname indexes were compiled by members of the Farmington Genealogical Society:

Cook Collection

Robert B. Cook transcribed many articles found in local newspapers, biographies and church records. An every name index has been compiled for the following categories:

  • typed marriages
  • typed obituaries
  • typed biographies
  • typed family histories
  • typed wedding and birthday notices
  • German Church Records

Note: not all articles were typed. Only those of interest to Mr. Cook.


Vertical Files

Burgundy binders in Unit 1C contain newspaper clippings concerning many aspects of Farmington Township arranged alphabetically from Actors to Zoning. Some additional information is in the filing cabinet in the Heritage Room.


World Family Tree CDs

More than one hundred CDs with family group sheets for families from all over the world. Each CD is indexed. Complete Index is online at Genealogy.com Refer to the Library's online catalog to determine which CDs are available.


Yearbooks

Farmington Township high schools, 1923–present (scattered years); some elementary schools; and yearbooks from some area colleges and universities, 1892–1953 (scattered years).


World War II

Farmington Township veteran registration project, 1995.