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State and Local Censuses Supplement Federal
Census Schedules
(from Ancestry Daily News - Ancestry.com)
– Kip Sperry
Most family historians are well acquainted with federal
population census schedules for the years 1790 through 1920. These
records are readily available on microfilm at many libraries throughout
the United States, and some schedules are even available on the
Internet.
In addition to the federal census, researchers should
determine if state, territorial, local, or special censuses are
available for the localities where their ancestors resided.
Unfortunately, all states do not have a territorial
or state census; however, those that did take a state or local census
are a valuable genealogical source. State censuses were often taken
between federal census years, such as 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895,
and so forth. State and local censuses taken during the decades
of the 1880s and 1890s serve as a substitute for the missing 1890
census that was destroyed by a fire in Washington, D.C. in 1921.
States usually took censuses to determine the number
of taxable inhabitants in that state. Some states with the most
valuable state censuses include Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin, to name
a few.
You can often trace the migration of families in
America when state census records are used with other records, such
as the federal census after 1850; family Bibles; death certificates;
church, marriage, military, probate, and land records; and other
American genealogical sources.
State Census Example for Laura
Ingalls Wilder
The C.P. Ingalls family is enumerated in the 1875 Minnesota state
census, residing in Redwood County. C.P. [Charles Phillip], age
39, is shown born in New York, his father born in Connecticut, and
his mother born in New York. His wife, Caroline Ingalls, age 25,
was born in Wisconsin, and both of her parents were born in Massachusetts.
Their children were listed as follows: Mary C.P., age 10, Laura
C. [Elizabeth], age 8, and Carrie C., age 5. While Mary and Laura
were born in Wisconsin, Carrie was born in Kansas.
By using family sources and other records, we can
determine that Laura Elizabeth Ingalls was born in 1867 near Pepin,
Wisconsin. Almanzo James Wilder became a Dakota homesteader in 1879.
Laura married Almanzo Wilder in 1885 in DeSmet, South Dakota. Laura,
with the help of her daughter, Rose, wrote the famous "Little
House" books. Laura (1867-1957), Almanzo (1857-1949), and Rose
(1886-1968) are buried in a family plot in Mansfield, Missouri.
Other Censuses
New York City took a special 1890 police (municipal) census that
is on microfilm at the Family History Library. Even censuses of
school-age children were sometimes taken. They are especially valuable
for the pre-1850 time period and show the name of the head of the
family, children's names, gender, and ages.
The LDS Church took a census of its members beginning
in 1914 and every five years thereafter from 1920 to 1960 (except
for 1945 because of World War II). The information, completeness,
and time period varied, however. These special church censuses have
been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library.
Tips for Searching State and Local Censuses
Determine if your state of interest took territorial, state, or
special censuses, and then determine the content and availability
of each census. The major reference source is "State Census
Records," by Ann S. Lainhart (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing
Co., 1992).
Check the Family History Library Catalog, or the
catalog of another library, under your state of interest and then
under the headings "Census - Indexes" and "Census."
Search the Internet to see if state and local censuses
have been indexed. See especially the AIS Census Indexes at Ancestry.
Ancestry's Web site also identifies many substitutes for the missing
1890 federal census, such as city directories. Cyndi’s List
also gives a description of censuses and identifies USGenWeb census
projects.
While the largest collection of federal, state, and
local census schedules is on microfilm at the Family History Library
in Salt Lake City, many state and local census records may be found
on microfilm at historical society libraries and university, public,
and other libraries.
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