The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-07-18
Our First Census Records.

names of heads of families at the first
census. Persons who pride themselves
on belonging to the oldest families of
America will be able to produce gov
eminent records to back up their claims
to genealogical antiquity.
The first censns of the United States
was taken in 1870, and comprised an
enumeration of the inhabitants of the
present states of Connecticut, Delaware,
Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,
| Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Penn
| sylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
Tennessee and Virginia.
| A complete set of schedules for each
state, with a summary for the counties
and in many cases for towns, was filed
in the state department., but unfortu-
nately they are not now complete, the
returns for the states of Delaware,
Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Vir-
ginia having been destroyed when the
British burned the capitol at Washing
ton during the war of 1872.
These schedules form unique inheri-
lance for the nation, since they repre-
sent for each of the states concerned a
complete list of the heads of families in
the United States at the time of the
adoption of the constitution. The
farmers were the statesmen and leaders
of thought, but those whose names APP
pear upon the schedules of the first
census were in general the plain citi-
zens, who, by their conduct in war and
peace made the constitution possible.
and Ply their intelligence and self re-
straint put it into successful operation.
The total population of the United
| Gfof in Of c1o
derived from the schedules, was
1921 ,533. The only names appearing
upon the schedules, however, were
those of heads of families, but as at that
period the families averaged six
persons, the total number was, of course
much larger. The number of names
which is now lacking because of the
destruction of the schedules is approx
mately 100000 thus leaving schedules
containing about 100000 names.
The information contained in the
published report of the first census of
United States, small volume of fifty
six pages, was not uniform for the sew
eral states and territories. For New
England and one or two other states
the population was presented by coun-
ties and towns. That of New Jersey
appeared partly by counties and towns
and partly by counties only. In other
states the returns were given by coun-
ties only. Thus the complete transcript
of families, with accompanying infor-
nation, would present for the first
time detailed information as to the
number of nhabitants-males, females
etc. for each minor civil division in all
those states for which such information
was not originally published.
Last year some persons interested in
patriotic societies got bill through
congress directing the publication OF
the names of the heads Of families re-
turned at the first census. No funds
were provided to defray the cost of the
publication, however. The director oil
J the census has small amount of money
which he decided could be utilized fol-
} this purpose, and the facts for the states
of New Hampshire, Vermont and Mary.
land have been printed. The volumes
for the other states will be prepared as
soon as additional funds are forthcoming
In March, 1890, the Union consisted Of
: twelve states-Rhode Island, the last
Z of the original to enter the Union, being
} admitted May 20. Vermont, first adj
dition, was admitted in the following
year, before the results of the frs
census were announced. Maine was a
part of Massachusetts; Kentucky was a
part of Virginia, and the present states
; of Alabama and Mississippi were parts
of Georgia. The present states of Ohio
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wiscon
: sin, with part of Minnesota were known
as the Northwest Territory, and the
present state of Tennessee, then a par
of North Carolina, was soon to be organ
: lied as Southwest Territory.
The United States was bounded or
the west by the Mississippi River
beyond which stretched that vast and
unexplored wilderness belonging to the
Spanish king, which was afterwards
coded to the United States by France
as the Louisiana, Arkansas, 1ndia1
, Territory, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas
Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North
Dakota and Montana, and most Of Colo
RADIO, Wyoming and Minnesota. The
Louisiana Purchase was not completed
/ for more than decade after the frs
census was taken. On the south wal
) another Spanish colony known as the
Floridas. Texas, then a part of the
colony of Mexico, belonged to Spain
and California, Utah, Arizona and New
) Mexico, also the property of Spain, al
( though penetrated here and there by
) venturesome explorers and missionaries
were, for the most part an undiscover
ed wilderness.
The gross area of the United State.
) was 1874 square miles. but the set
, tied area was only 239,93 square miles
or about 20 per cent of the total
Though the area covered by the enumera
tion in 1890 seems very small when com
pared with the present area of the
United States, the difficulties. which
confronted the census taker, were vast
ly greater then in 1900. In many local.
ties there were no roads and where
these did exist they were poor anG
and frequently impossible; bridges
were almost unknown. Transportatior
was entirely by horseback, stage o.
private coach. A journey as long al
that from New York to Washington was
a serious undertaking, requiring eight
! days under the most favorable condi
:, tions.
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