Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-01-14
FIRsr cENsus N zee.
Orange County Then Embraesa Most
Of Eastern Vermont.

been provided with very interesting ana
valuable book in q COPY Of the first census
Of the United States for Vermont taken IN /
1890 aud giving the heads Of families h
the commonwealth the year before ia ad-
mission to the Union.
This frst census comprised an enumer-
ation OF the inhabitants OF the present
states Of Connecticut. Delaware, Georgia.
kentucky. Maine, Maryland, Mausachu-
setts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Vermont and Virginia. A complete Get
Of the schedules for each state, with q
summary for the counties. and in MANY
casea for the towns, was filed IN the atate
department, but unfortunately they are
not now complete, the returns for the
states Of Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky.
/ New Jersey, Tennessee and Virginia hav-
/ ing been destroyed when the British
burned the capitol at Washington during
the War Of 1912.
The first census act was passed at the
second session OF the FIRST Congress and
was signed by President Washington ON
March /, 1870. The task Of making the
first enumeration OF inhabitants was
placed upon the president. and under this
law the marshalg ofthe several judicial
districts were required to ascertain the
number Of people within their respective
districts, emitting Indians not taxed, and
distinguishing free persons Including
those bound to service for a term OF
years. the sex and color Of free persons,
and the number OF tree males IS years OF
age and over.
The object OF the last inquiry. I'M
doubleday, was to obtain definite knowl-
"a - - -
strength OF the country. Thus the de-
mand for increasingly extensive informa-
tion, which has been so marked q charac-
teristic Of census legislation. began
with the first Congress that dealt with
the subject.
The census taking was supervised BY
the n marshals OF the judicial districts,
who employed about $50 assistant mar
shals. The schedules prepared by these
officials had five columns headed, "Free
white males, rs years and upward. includ-
ing heads OF families; Free white males
under rs years; Free white females, in
GLIDING beads of families; All other free
persons; Slaves" The. total population
Is returned was 3,920, 2i4, and the entire
cost OF the census was s44,377.
!, A summary Of the results vas trans
! mitted to Congress Oct. p, 1871. The
. legal period of enumeration, nine
months, had been extended, the longest
time consumed being IS months in South
Carolina. The report OF Oct. q was
printed in full and published in what is
now a very rare little volume; afterwards
the report for South Carolina was
clipped IN"
In March, 1890, the Union consisted Of
~ states-Rhode Island, the last Of the
original IS to enter, being admitted May
20. Vermont was admitted the next year
before the results Of the FIRST census were
announced. Maine was a part Of Massa-
chusetts, Kentucky was part OF Virgin
Ia. and the present states Of Alabama and
Mississippi were parts of Georgia. The
present states Of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan and Wisconsin, with part OF
Minnesota, were known as the Northwest
Territory, and the present state OF Ten
: nessee, then a part Of North Carolina,
was soon to be organized as the South
. west territory.
The United States was bounded on the
7 west by the Mississippi river, beyond
: which stretched q vast and unexplored
I wilderness belonging to the Spanish
king, and a decade later coded to the Unit
( cd States BY France a. the Louisiana Pur'
; chase. This tract now comprises tbs
: great and populous states OF Louisiana
Arkansas, Indian Territory, Oklahoma
: Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska
, North and South Dakota, Montana, mos
OF Colorado. Wyoming and Minnesota
e On the south was another Spanish colonl
3 known az the Floridas. Texas, then
le part of the colony Of Mexico, belonged Il
n spain, and California, Utah, Arizona an'
{. New Mexico, also the property Of Spain
Ie made 4 wilderness unknown except 4
q venturesome explorers and missionaries
= The gross area of the United States wa
ss 827, s44 square miles, but the settled are
B. was only 238, 1886 square miles, or abou
,. 20 per cent OF the total.
81 Though the area OF enumeration in 179
10 was small compared with present expans
4; OF tho United States, the difficulties con
e. fronting the census taker were vastl
a greater than In 1900. In many locaiitie
y there were no roads, and where these di
lo exist they were poor and frequently I'm
passable; bridges were almost unknown
DO Transportation was entirely BY horse
Ia hack. stage or private coach. The joul
be uev from New York to Washington r
st ouired eight days under the most tavori
e. bic conditions. Philadelphia was the car
n ital OF the United States. Washingto
ed was q mere government project, not eve
an named, bat known as the Federal citl
he Indeed, BY the spring OF 1898, only or
q vail OF the White House had been col
ut structed, and the site Of the capitol be
RI been merely surveyed. New York Gil
us In 1870 possessed = population Of -, ~
ed Philadelphia, e, 52z and Boston, lesSz
r.. There were, moreover, other dimcu
8. ties which were Of serious moment
W. 1870, but which long ago ceased TO
ed problems In census-taking. The imam
re-. tanta. having had no experience IN sus
IN matters, imagined that some scneme =
lily increasing taxation was involved 81
lto were inclined to be cautious lest tn
es. should reveal too much Of their ov
lon Affairs. There was also opposition
la enumeration on religious GROUNDS,
in count Of inhabitants being regarded
- 4. -. g. dfvfna dianlnaRul