One of the first documents that family historians research is the federal census records. From 1790, these historic archives offer a personal view of our past. The US Government instructed a census from each state on a county level approximately every ten years. Obtaining the original documents will indeed lead you to more direct facts about your family in a particular area. A presentation given last year on Piedmont Trails Live Chat discussed these original documents and how you can view them. The notes accompanied by the original manuscripts offer an extensive view into the mistakes often made with duplication, transcribing, and copying the data. All federal census records are copies of the original except for 1890. The law changed in 1890, requiring the originals to be submitted only. This action led to the demise of the 1890 census since a fire destroyed the majority of the material. The standard federal census is not the only census records to research. Can you name others?
Hundreds of additional census records exist throughout the United States. If you are not aware of this fact, you are missing an enormous amount of data.
Examples of these are the 1885 federal census, mortality schedules dating 1850 to 1885, and veterans schedules dating 1840 to 1890. Also, slave schedules dating 1850 to 1860, agriculture schedules dating 1840 to 1910, manufacture schedules dating 1810 to 1880, and social statistics dating 1850 to 1880. Individual state census records are available such as the North Carolina state census of 1786. Also, numerous Native American census records exist as well as Native American school records.
The other types of census records also include constable’s or sheriff’s census, school census, church/civil census, and settlers census. The Holland Land Company census of 1806 is a perfect example of a settlers census.
An excellent way to keep track of these census records is to create a task list for your files. One example of this regarding tax rolls would be poll tax, personal property, real estate, 1863 income tax, 1798 property tax, assessors’ lists, and rate lists. Another example regarding land records would be creating a list including entries such as plat maps, lotteries, ground rents, quitrents, debt books, land grant lists, suspended land grants, headright claims, lists of indentured servants, immigrant land allowances, and heir lists.
The separate state census records listed in the table below give the available years for each state. States that hold no additional state census records outside of the federal records are Connecticut, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and West Virginia. States with the most state census records are Mississippi, Oregon, and Washington. Mississippi conducted a state census for the years 1801, 1805, 1810, 1816, 1818, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825, 1833, 1837, 1841, 1845, 1850, 1853, 1860 and 1866. The most informative state census record is in the state of Iowa during 1925. A wealth of information results from this data with questions such as relationship to head of household and complete mailing address. Listed on the Iowa census are the parent names for all individuals accompanied by the mother’s maiden name. Even the ages of the parents reside in a column if still living. A separate column portrays the location of marriage for both parents and individuals. A remarkable amount of data stored in this one individual state census for Iowa shows the amount of material available for family historians.
| Alabama | 1818, 1820, 1821, 1850, 1855, 1866, 1907 |
| Alaska | 1878, 1879, 1881, 1885, 1890-95, 1904, 1905, 1906-07, 1914, 1917 |
| Arizona | 1866, 1867, 1869, 1872, 1874, 1876, 1880, 1882 |
| Arkansas | 1823, 1829, 1865, 1911 |
| California | 1836, 1844, 1852 |
| Colorado | 1861, 1866, 1885 |
| Delaware | 1782 |
| Florida | 1825, 1855, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1935, 1945 |
| Georgia | 1798, 1800, 1810, 1827, 1834, 1838, 1845, 1852, 1853, 1859, 1865, 1879 |
| Hawaii | 1890, 1896 |
| Illinois | 1810, 1818, 1820, 1825, 1830, 1835, 1840, 1845, 1855, 1865 |
| Indiana | 1807, 1853, 1857, 1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1901, 1913, 1919, 1931 |
| Iowa | 1836, 1836, 1844, 1846, 1847, 1849, 1851, 1852, 1854, 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925 |
| Kansas | 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925 |
| Louisiana | 1853, 1858 |
| Maine | 1837 |
| Maryland | 1776, 1778 |
| Massachusetts | 1855, 1865 |
| Michigan | 1837, 1845, 1854, 1864, 1874, 1884, 1888, 1894, 1904 |
| Minnesota | 1849, 1853, 1855, 1857, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905 |
| Nebraska | 1845, 1855, 1856, 1865, 1869, 1885 |
| Nevada | 1862, 1875 |
| New Jersey | 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915 |
| New Mexico | 1823, 1845, 1885 |
| New York | 1790, 1825, 1835, 1845, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1905, 1915, 1925 |
| North Carolina | 1786 |
| North Dakota | 1885, 1915, 1925 |
| Oklahoma | 1890, 1907 |
| Oregon | 1842, 1843, 1845, 1849, 1850, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905 |
| Rhode Island | 1774, 1777, 1782, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935 |
| South Carolina | 1825, 1839, 1869, 1875 |
| South Dakota | 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1945 |
| Tennessee | 1891 |
| Texas | 1829-1836 |
| Utah | 1852, 1856 |
| Virginia | 1782, 1783, 1784, 1785, 1786 |
| Washington | 1856, 1857, 1858, 1860, 1871, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1889, 1891, 1892, 1898 |
| Wisconsin | 1836, 1838, 1842, 1846, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905 |
| Wyoming | 1875, 1878 |
Piedmont Trial’s podcast will discuss these census records in great depth, scheduled for June 2021. The show for May will discuss methods of finding out the secrets of the past and finding the details of our ancestors. Please share your experiences with these records, and let us hear from you. Most of all, enjoy your journey to the past !!
The Genealogy Off The Grid series incorporates years of studying my personal family history. The phrase, off the grid, is used to portray the importance of getting out there and discovering these records. Visit the small towns, large cities and locate these records by following the footsteps your ancestors left behind. The feeling of discovery can hold no words. It overwhelms you with a sense of belonging to a beautiful design. It steadies you while the search continues, and the roots will never let go. Webster’s definition of family states a basic unit in society, but you and I know that the word family means so much more.
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But you forgot Pennsylvania in your table! 😪CharlesSent from my Galaxy
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Pennsylvania did not conduct an individual state census away from the mandated federal census. The ones listed are the states who conducted a separate census.
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