Newsgroups: soc.roots
Date:         Thu, 3 Sep 1992 17:02:22 -0400
Reply-To:     Carol Botteron <botteron@BU-IT.BU.EDU>
From:         Carol Botteron <botteron@BU-IT.BU.EDU>
Subject:      State Censuses -- Summary
Comments: To: ROOTS-L@VM1.NoDak.EDU

A few days ago I asked:

>Some states have taken censuses in years when federal (US) censuses
>were not taken, particularly years ending in 5.  For example, I read
>recently that the Massachusetts 1855 census is being published, town
>by town, starting with the towns where I had no ancestors.  B-(
>
>Is there a list somewhere showing what states took censuses in what
>years?  Better yet, does it show how to see them and what information
>is in them?
>
>If there isn't a list, maybe we could start one.  If you know about
>one or more state censuses, either email me or post the info to the
>list.  I'll post a compilation.

Here are the replies.  Some were posted and some sent by email, but I've put
them all together and organized them by type of information.  First is what
state censuses exist, then books and other sources.  I hope that some of these
sources tell what information is in the censuses, which ones are actually
available for research (e.g. on microfilm instead of just the original books
in a vault), and how they can be seen.  Thanks again to all who replied.


WHAT STATE CENSUSES EXIST?
--------------------------

From: Walt Criteser <waltcr@MICROSOFT.COM>

I have a list that I picked up at the National Archives (Seattle
branch) that lists all states.  I think it was compiled by the
local genealogical society.  The list looks pretty good, 1.5 pages
listing all states, with the years they did a census.  Unfortunately,
it does not give the information contained in each.

I do not have any further information, except that I obtained the list from
the National Archives, Seattle branch. Futhermore, I believe the list was
gathered by a Seattle area genealogical society.  I apologize for any
typographical errors you may encounter.

     SCHEDULE OF COLONIAL, TERRITORIAL AND STATE CENSUS RECORDS

These are not available at National Archives.
Would be available through LDS, State Archives and in books.

ALABAMA - 1801, 1808, 1810, 1818, 1820, 1821, 1823, 1832, 1838, 1840,
	1844, 1850, 1855, 1866, 1875
ALASKA - 1870, 1876, 1878, 1880, 1881, 1885, 1887, 1889, 1890, 1891,
	1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907
ARIZONA - 1790, 1796, 1864, 1866, 1867, 1869
ARKANSAS - 1823, 1829, 1854
CALIFORNIA - 1790, 1798, 1836, 1852, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1897,
	1905, 1915, 1925, 1935
COLORADO - 1861, 1866, 1885
CONNECTICUT - 1636, 1756, 1762, 1774, 1798
DELAWARE - 1776, 1798
D. C. - 1798, 1803, 1807, 1818, 1867, 1878, 1885, 1888, 1897, 1905, 1906,
	1907, 1908, 1909, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1919
FLORIDA - 1790, 1825, 1837, 1845, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905,
	1915, 1925, 1935, 1945, 1955
GEORGIA - 1738, 1740, 1750, 1753, 1756, 1810, 1817, 1824, 1829, 1831,
	1838, 1845, 1852, 1859
IDAHO - 1863
ILLINOIS - 1787, 1793, 1810, 1818, 1820, 1825, 1830, 1835, 1840, 1845,
	1855, 1865
INDIANA - 1801, 1815, 1820, 1825, 1830, 1835, 1840, 1845, 1850, 1865,
	1871, 1877, 1883, 1889, 1895, 1901, 1907, 1914, 1921
IOWA - 1836, 1838, 1840, 1844, 1846, 1847, 1849, 1851, 1852, 1854, 1856,
	1859, 1862, 1863, 1865, 1867, 1869, 1873, 1875, 1885, 1895,
	1905, 1915, 1925
KANSAS - 1855, 1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
KENTUCKY - 1792, 1798, 1799, 1803, 1807, 1811, 1815, 1819, 1823, 1827,
	1831, 1835, 1839, 1843, 1847, 1851, 1859, 1867, 1875, 1883,
	1891, 1899
LOUISIANA - 1790, 1805, 1806, 1811, 1813, 1817, 1821, 1825, 1829
	1833, 1837, 1841, 1845, 1853, 1858
MAINE - 1798, 1837
MARYLAND - 1701, 1704, 1708, 1710, 1712, 1755, 1762, 1776, 1778
MASSACHUSETTS - 1754, 1764, 1783, 1785-86, 1793, 1798, 1837, 1840,
	1850 1855, 1860, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925,
	1935, 1945
MICHIGAN - 1799, 1806, 1827, 1834, 1837, 1845, 1854, 1864, 1874, 1884,
	1894, 1904, 1935
MINNESOTA - 1830, 1849, 1857, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905
MISSISSIPPI - 1774, 1788, 1789, 1792, 1801, 1805, 1808, 1810, 1816,
	1820, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825, 1830, 1837, 1840-41, 1845, 1850-53,
	1866, 1880
MISSOURI - 1789, 1790, 1796, 1803, 1814, 1817, 1821, 1824, 1828, 1832,
	1836, 1840, 1844, 1848, 1852, 1856, 1860, 1864, 1868, 1876
MONTANA - 1864
NEBRASKA - 1854, 1855, 1856, 1861, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879,
	1882, 1883, 1884, 1885
NEVADA - 1861, 1863, 1865, 1867, 1875
NEW HAMPSHIRE - 1767, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1786, 1798
NEW JERSEY - 1726, 1737, 1738, 1745, 1772, 1798, 1855, 1875, 1885, 1895
	1905, 1915
NEW MEXICO - 1790, 1823, 1845, 1864, 1865, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915
NEW YORK - 1698, 1703, 1712, 1714, 1723, 1731, 1737, 1746, 1749, 1756,
	1771, 1795, 1798, 1801, 1804, 1807, 1814, 1821, 1825, 1835,
	1845, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1880, 1885, 1892, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
NORTH CAROLINA - 1784, 1785, 1786, 1787, 1798
NORTH DAKOTA - 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
OHIO - 1790, 1801, 1802, 1807, 1811, 1815, 1819, 1823, 1827, 1831, 1835
	1839, 1843, 1847, 1851, 1855, 1859, 1863, 1867, 1871, 1875,
	1879, 1883, 1887, 1891, 1895, 1899, 1903, 1907, 1911, 1915
OKLAHOMA - 1860, 1890, 1896, 1907
OREGON - 1845, 1849, 1851, 1852, 1856, 1857, 1865, 1875, 1895, 1905
PENNSYLVANIA - 1776, 1798
RHODE ISLAND - 1708, 1730, 1745, 1749, 1755, 1774, 1782, 1798, 1865,
	1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935
SOUTH CAROLINA - 1798, 1868, 1875
SOUTH DAKOTA - 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1945
TENNESSEE - 1798
TEXAS - 1790, 1815, 1829, 1836, 1847, 1848, 1858
UTAH - 1851, 1856, 1895
VERMONT - 1765, 1771, 1798
VIRGINIA - 1623, 1624, 1625, 1634, 1699, 1701, 1703, 1779, 1798
WASHINGTON - 1871, 1883, 1885, 1889, 1892
WEST VIRGINIA - Part of Virginia until 1863
WISCONSIN - 1830, 1836, 1838, 1842, 1846, 1847, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885,
	1895, 1905
WYOMING - 1905, 1915, 1925
---

From: Sharon L Palmateer <ASDSLP@UACSC2.ALBANY.EDU>

New York State has several state census by county.  Unfortunately, not every
county participated until 1915 and 1925.  With few exceptions, most counties
participated in the 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892 and 1905 census.  The earlier
state census were taken in 1825, 1835 and 1845 with only Cattaraugus,
Chautauqua, Orange, Steuben and Yates counties doing all three.

The NYS Library in Albany has microfilm available to the public for both
federal and state census data and are open from 9-5 M-F.
---

From: David Pike <dapike@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca>

I recently wrote to the Florida Archives in Tallahassee and found out
(much to my surprise) that Florida had censuses in 1885, 1935, and 1945.
From the sounds of the pamphlet I received, all are publicly available
at the state archives.
---

From: rp04@Lehigh.EDU (R M Price)

There are fragmentary state censuses for Arkansas 1823 and 1829 (these dates
would imply Arkansas Territory as statehood didn't come until the 1830s).
They are available for use at the Arkansas History Commission in Little Rock.
I don't know what they contain.
---

From: <info!louisvil!philh@uunet.UU.NET>

      Just to reply to your state census question - I found that Minnesota
did a state census in 1865.
---

From: lh erickson 913-469-9264 <lhe@DASH.UDEV.CDC.COM>
Subject:      Re: State Census-Neb 1885 is interesting!

If any of your ancertors were farmers in Nebraska in 1885, I would urge you
to find them in the 1885 Nebraska State Census because - there is a Schedule
2 - Productions of Agriculture that provides a very interesting description
of each farm.  This is true, even if they were renting for fixed amount, or
renting for share of production.  Information includes: ownership or rental
arrangement, acres unimproved, tilled, permanent meadows, woodland/forest,
other unimproved, farm value of land and buildings, implements, and livestock,
cost of building and repairing fences in 1884, cost of fertilizers purcheased
in 1884, amount paid for farm labor in '84, weeks in '84 in which hired labor
was used, estimated value of all farm productions in '84, description of grass
lnads in '84 including acrs mown, and production of hay, clover seed, and
grass seed. Separate counts of; horses, mules, asses, "working" oxen, "milch"
cows.  Movement of cattle in 1884; calves dropped, cattle purchased, sold,
slaughtered, adn died, strayed or stolen and not returned.  Amount of milk,
butter and cheese sold. Additional statistics for sheep movement in 1884.
Some stats. on swine, poultry.  Then details on production of cereals broken
down into barley, buckwheat, indian corn, oats, rye, wheat, pulse (canadian
peas and beans) fiber including flax and hemp, sugar (sorghum, maple) broom
corn, hops, irish and sweet potatoes, tobacco.  Orchards - apple and peach,
nursery and vinyards, market gardens, bee production and forest rpoductions.
 Here one finds a great description of their farm in 1885

Note:  While I found this information on the regular 1885 State census tape,
it was NOT with the Schedule 1 data, but as I recall it followed either at the
end of the township or the county.  You may have to look for it with a little
patience the first time, but your efforts will be rewarded.


BOOKS AND OTHER SOURCES
-----------------------

From: Bill Green <ak385@CLEVELAND.FREENET.EDU>

The topic of state censuses is covered quite well in "The Source".
It's quite a book.
---

From: Tom Lincoln <lincoln@iris.rand.org>
To: botteron@BU-IT.BU.EDU

Just saw such a list... Maybe on roots or maybe in the LDSGL....
included Kansas (which I have used, Ohio, NY).. all in the last century.

LDSGL stands for LDS Genealogical Library, whereever it may be.

The list shouldn't go out of date, because most such censuses were
before 1900... when states were forming and things were pretty volitile.
---

From: "Bob Oliphant " <oliphant@BBN.COM>

"A state-by-state listing of state census records appears in the January
1992 issue of _MASSOG_, v.16, no. 1, pp. 18-25.  [MASSOG is the
quarterly journal of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists).  For
another somewhat different listing, see _The Source, A Guidebook of
American Genealogy_, edited by Arlene Eakle & Johni Cerny, Salt Lake
City: Ancestry Publishing, pp. 113-118 and 120-121 (1984)."

The above is taken from my article, with Jim Holmes, on using census
records in the most recent issue of _MASSOG_.
---

From CARTER2@CL4.CL.UH.EDU Fri Aug 28 10:50:15 1992

Two books come to mind immediately:

  Library of Congress. Census Library Project.  STATE CENSUSES: AN
       ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CENSUSES OF POPULATION TAKEN AFTER
       THE YEAR 1790 BY STATES AND TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES.
       Prepared by Henry J. Dubester.  1948.  Repr. New York: Burt
       Franklin, 1967.

       Affectionately known as "Dubester," this is the standard list
       for state censuses.  On p. 25, the description of the Massachusetts
       Census of 1855 says that it gives "data on sex and color of the
       population by nativity, age by 5-year classes...nativity of the
       population of counties and towns by selectec countries of birth;
       social statistics including number of dwellings and families...."
       (oops--pardon the typo!  that SHOULD say "selected" up there!)

  Stemmons, John "D". THE UNITED STATES CENSUS COMPENDIUM: A DIRECTORY OF
       CENSUS RECORDS, TAX LISTS, POLL LISTS, PETITIONS, DIRECTORIES, ETC.,
       WHICH CAN BE USED AS A CENSUS.  Logan, UT: Everton, 1973.

  In his bibliography on genealogy, P. William Filby comments, "Complements
  Dubester..., but is somewhat incomplete."  I have seen this at one of our
  libraries, and what I remember is a neat series of maps as well as the
  census information.  Might be worth looking up.

  Ancestry has also published at least three catalogs to help locate censuses.
---

From reilley@studio.enet.dec.com Fri Aug 28 00:44:02 1992

_State_Census_Records_
Compiled by Ann S. Lainhart, 13 Sachem Street, Boston, MA 02120.
Circa 1989, 45 pages, circa $5.00 - $7.00.

Mass. took several state censuses, but original returns exist only
for 1855 and 1865. Those 2 are being published town by town. For
a brochure of available towns and their prices, send a business size
SASE to: Ann S. Lainhart, [address above].

Amazingly her booklet isn't even copyrighted!!
---

From: JMFREED%OWUCOMCN.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU

A request appeared on the net within the last day or two about state
censuses, and in today's mail came the announcement of a new book on
state census records:
    Author:  Lainhart, Ann S.
    Title:  State Census Records
    Pub. Date:  1992
    pages:  116, cloth bound
    Publisher:  Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.
                  1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21203
          Phone:  410-837-8271
    ISBN 0-8063-1362-5     $17.95

It is listed as
   "The First comprehensive list of state census records ever published....
.....State by state, year by year, often county by county and district by
district, she [Ann Lainhart] shows the researcher what is available in state
census records, where it is available, and what one might expect to find in
the way of data."
NOTE:  I do not have any financial interest in Genealogical Publishing Co, but
have been an extremely satisfied customer for 10 or more years.
---

From reilley@studio.enet.dec.com Fri Aug 28 13:48:12 1992

I just saw [JMFREED's announcement of the 1992 edition of Ann Lainhart's book].
I didn't know Ann went with GPC!  And she must have really expanded it because
the version I bought ~2 years ago was only 45  8.5 x 11 pages....
---

From: JMFREED%OWUCOMCN.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU

One additional comment about the new book about State Census records:  If
you wish to order directly from Genealogical Publishing Company (rather than
calling and charging the book), I just noted that in addition to the $17.95 cost
 for the book, postage and handling is $3.00 for the first book and $1.00 for
 each additional book.  If you are a Maryland resident add 5% sales tax
and if Michigan resident, add 4% sales tax.  If you wish to order this book
by phone, you may reach Genealogical Publishing Co at 800-296-6687, and
they will take VISA or MasterCard orders by phone.
    Again, I have not financial interest in Genealogical Publishing Company,
but this sounds like an excellent reference for your personal library, or to
recommend to your local history and genealogy library to obtain a copy.
---

From: Robert Haack <Robert.Haack@P242.F4115.N124.Z1.FIDONET.ORG>
Subject:      State Census Records
To: Multiple recipients of list ROOTS-L <ROOTS-L@VM1.NoDak.EDU>

 Responding to Carol Botteron's (botteron@gnu.ai.mit.edu) question about
 state census records, I might suggest a new resource book available from
 Genealogical Publishing Company in Baltimore.  STATE CENSUS RECORDS by Ann
 S. Lainhart is a textual compilation of state records. The book is organized
 by state, and lists:
  * When census was taken
  * Which counties are included is not complete state
  * Where records are located, such as state archives or library
  * Which, if any, of the records are indexed or microfilmed
    and where some of the holdings may be found.
  * References to known state materials, such as territorial index or
    other resource books
  This book appears to be a thorough reference for your question!
---

Good luck with your research!
Carol Botteron    botteron@bu-it.bu.edu