NYSCHOHA-L Archives

From: FI WATROUS <>
Subject: Research Help/Census
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1998 04:47:49 EST

Fwd: Research help.
------------------------

GENEALOGY TODAY
MARCH 1998

CENSUS RECORDS: U.S. POPULATION CENSUS DATA

United States census data is a critical resource for genealogical research.
The federal government began collecting population census data in 1790. Since
that time censuses have been taken every ten years. The most recent census
that is available to the public is the 1920 census. All of the 1890 census was
destroyed by fire - except for 6,160 names.

The federal government considers census data confidential for seventy-two
years following the census, however, it is possible to request data for a
deceased relative for censuses since 1920. These requests must be submitted on
Form BC-600 which can be obtained from the Bureau of the Census, P.O. Box
1545, Jeffersonville, IN, 47131.

The information contained in each census has changed over the years. The
following summary describes the type of information that was collected during
each period:

1790-1840 During this period, the census lists the name of the head of
household. It does not give the names of other people living in the house. The
number of other people living in the household, grouped by age and sex, is
given.

The 1800-1840 censuses increased the number of age group categories. These
censuses also give the number of slaves in the household.

1850 - Beginning in 1850, the census lists the name, age, sex, color,
occupation(of those over 15 years old), birthplace (country or state), married
within the year, attended school this year, cannot read or write, and whether
deaf, blind, insane, etc, of each person living in the household.

1860 - This census was the first to inquire about the value of each free
person's personal estate.

1870 - This census also indicates if the parents of the individual were born
in a foreign country and asked about the U.S. citizenship of every man 21
years or older.

1880 - Beginning in 1880, the birthplace (country or state) of the parents of
each individual was added.This census also identified the relationship between
the listed individuals and the head of the household(wife, son, daughter,
servant, boarder, or other). The 1880 census was also the first to be indexed
by a sound code (Soundex). However, in 1880,households were indexed only if
there was a child under 10 years old living at the residence. This means that
an older couple without young children living at home would not be included on
the Soundex listing. If a child lived in the home of someone else, the child
would be listed under their own name - unless the head of household had the
same last name. There are other indexes for some areas.

1890 - The 1890 census was destroyed by a fire at the Commerce Department in
1921. A few records were saved for some areas in Alabama, the District of
Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina,
Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas. There is no Soundex for this census. There was
also a census in 1890 of Union veterans and widows of Union veterans. Some of
these records were also destroyed in the fire. Part of the census for Kentucky
and the states that follow Kentucky alphabetically were saved.

1900 - The 1900 census added the number of years the individual had been
married, the year of immigration, citizenship status, the month and year of
birth, number of months not employed, number of months attended school, can't
speak English, home owned or rented, mortgage status, farm or house, and for
married women, the number of children and the number of those children then
living.

1910 - The 1910 census was similar to 1900 except that only the age of the
individual - not the month and year of birth - was given. This census
indicated if survivor Union, Confederate, Army, or Navy. Also, additional
detail concerning the occupation of the listed individuals was added. This
census also indicated if deaf or blind or dumb.

1920 - In 1920 the year of naturalization was added. This census also included
the 'mother tongue' of the individual and parents. Some items were deleted:
number of years of present marriage, number of children born to mother and the
number living, whether survivor of Union, Confederate, Army, or Navy, weeks
out of work, and if blind, deaf, or dumb.

The list below shows the availability of census indexes by state through 1870:
ALASKA-1870-1907
ALABAMA-1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
ARKANSAS-1819-39, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
ARIZONA-1864-66, 1860, 1870
CALIFORNIA-1850, 1860, 1870
COLORADO-1860, 1870
CONNECTICUT-1790, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860
DAKOTAS-1860,1870
DC-1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
DELAWARE-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
FLORIDA-1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
GEORGIA-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
IOWA-1836, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
IDAHO-1870
ILLLINOIS-1807, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
INDIANA-1807, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
KANSAS-1855, 1860, 1870
KENTUCKY-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
LOUISANA-1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
MASSACHUSETTS-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860
MARYLAND-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860
MAINE-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860
MICHIGAN-1799-1827, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
MINNEAPOLIS-1840, 1850, 1870
MISSOURI-1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
MISSISSIPPI-1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
MONTANA-1860, 1870
NORTH CAROLINA-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
NEBRASKA-1854-56, 1860, 1870
NEW HAMPSHIRE-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860
NEW JERSEY-1800, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860
NEW MEXICO-1790-1845, 1850, 1860, 1870
NEVADA-1860, 1870
NEW YORK-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860
OHIO-1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1880
OKLAHOMA-1860, 1870
OREGON-1850, 1860, 1870
PENNSYLVANIA-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
RHODE ISLAND-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
SOUTH CAROLINA-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
TENNESSEE-1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
TEXAS-1829, 1839, 1849, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880
UTAH-1850, 1860, 1870
VIRGINIA-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
VERMONT-1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860
WASHINGTON-1850, 1860, 1870
WISCONSIN-1836, 1840, 1850, 1860
WEST VIRGINIA-1860, 1870
WYOMING-1860, 1870
============================================================
New Databases Added to Genealogy World at http://www.enoch.com/genealogy

What's NEW for March 1998: DATABASES: 1910 Federal Census for Hamburg
Township, Marathon County, Wisconsin; 1910 Federal Census for Berlin Township,
Marathon County, Wisconsin; and Essex County Registry of Deeds, Massachusetts.
============================================================

prepared by

This thread:

• Research Help/Census by FI WATROUS <>