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From: Frances L VanScoy <>
Subject: [OHMAHONI] 1850 census, column 6
Date: Sat, 13 Jul 2002 18:37:13 -0400 (EDT)


I'm seeking advice on how to interpret check marks on a census image.
I'm looking at an image of a page from the 1850 census for Milton
Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, which contains listings for households
numbered 876 through 881.

Column 6 has a header Color { White, black, or mulatto.
(I think--my copy is a bit blurry.)

The only entries in column 6 on this page are check marks on some lines.
Of the six households on my copy of the page (I think some lines at the
bottom are missing), five households have some people with check marks and
others without. There's no particular pattern of whether it's the adults
or children with the check marks. The only correlation I can see is
between a check mark in column 6 and a birth place in column 9 other
than Ohio.

The pattern carries over to the 1860 census.

In 1850, Enoch Kime age 25 has a check mark and a birth place in
Pennsylvania, Eliza Kime age 22 has a check mark and a birth place in
Pennsylvania, and Mulvina Kime age 1 has no check mark but a birth place
in Ohio. (family 881)

In 1860, Enoch Kime age 36 has no check mark but a birth place in Ohio
(unlike the 1850 census), Elizabeth Kime age 32 has a check mark and a
birth place in Pennsylvania, and Malvina age 11 has a check mark and a
birth place in Pennsylvania (unlike the 1850 census). (This is family
603, Berlin Township, Mahoning County, Ohio.)

Have others on this list noticed this? Did this census taker use the
"color" column for a different purpose than intended?

Frances Van Scoy


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