From the 1850 census on, each household member's name was listed in the census data. With each census taken, more inquiries were placed on the census form in the hopes of obtaining more detailed information about each family. Because of the tremendous volume of information, a census index can save many hours of fruitless, frustrating research. The type and completeness of each index varies. For 1860 and 1870, most censuses are indexed only by individual county within a state.
More recent censuses are more fully indexed.
Unfortunately, most of the 1890 census was destroyed by fire, but a small amount of it still remains. This library has microfilm records of that surviving information. Due to a 72-year privacy law, the most recent census that can be accessed today is the 1920 census. The 1930 census records will be available in the year 2002. Many libraries, state and local historical societies, and state archive offices have microfilm copies of at least local census records.