Cedar Springs Museum Earns Statewide Recognition

CEDAR SPRINGS — The Cedar Springs Museum is receiving renewed recognition for its work in genealogy, following a recent feature in Chronicle, a magazine that highlights prominent local museums and the impact they have within their communities.

The publication spotlighted the museum’s ongoing efforts to organize and expand its genealogy and research library, as well as the volunteers who have dedicated countless hours to preserving local records.

Among those featured was Barb Morris, a volunteer who has helped lead the reorganization of the museum’s genealogy collection over the past year and a half. The work includes building up the museum’s collection of local land abstracts, which document the names of individuals who once owned property in the area. The society has also created a nine-volume obituary collection and a corresponding index available for purchase by researchers, with proceeds supporting the museum’s continued operations.

For Morris, the experience has been eye-opening.

“Over the last year and a half at the Cedar Springs Museum, I mostly learned how little I really knew about genealogy,” Morris said. “As I continue working on these processes, I learn more and more each day.”

This isn't the first time the museum has earned recognition outside of town. In 2024, the organization was commissioned by White House staffers to assist with genealogy research they were conducting that had led them to Cedar Springs, making it a notable acknowledgment of the depth and reliability of the museum’s records and expertise.

The recent Chronicle feature adds to that recognition, highlighting the important role the Cedar Springs museum plays in helping families trace their roots and preserve community history.

Through detailed record keeping, careful organization and the dedication of volunteers, the museum continues to serve as a vital resource for anyone seeking not only to better understand their family’s connection to Cedar Springs, but the area's history and the generations who helped shape it.