WVBERKEL-L Archives

Archiver > WVBERKEL > 2000-03 > 0954102280


From: "Barbara F. Bonham" <>
Subject: [WVBERKEL] This and That 1890 Census
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 15:24:40 -0500


Subject: This and That Missing 1890 Census
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 05:56:55 -0800
From: Shirley Hornbeck <>


THE MISSING 1890 FEDERAL CENSUS:

The Eleventh Census of the United States taken in June 1890 would have
provided a wonderful study of our country if available today. Over
47,000
enumerators usually chosen by political appointment, distributed the
schedules in advance to give the residents time to complete the forms.
Once
completed the population of the US topped over 62 million individuals.

Shortly before publication in 1896, the original 1890 special schedules
for
mortality, crime, pauperism and benevolence, special classes, and
portions
of the transportation and insurance schedules were damaged and finally
destroyed by the Department of the Interior. According to a 1903 census

clerk the general population schedules seemed to be in good shape at
that
time. However, disaster struck in the afternoon of January 10, 1921,
when
a building fireman reported seeing smoke in the Commerce Building where
the
schedules were located in the basement. The fire department was called
and
the fire was contained to the basement level of the building. However,
water flooded most of the area. After the fire was extinguished, no
immediate surveys were done of the damage. The records were allowed to
remain soaking in water overnight and the next morning when the damage
was
assessed, the census director, Sam Rogers sent a note to the Secretary
of
Commerce reporting:

...a cursory examination show that the census schedules from 1790 to and

including 1870, with the exception of those for 1830 and 1840, are on
the
fifth floor of the Commerce Building and have not been damaged. The
schedules of the censuses of 1830, 1840, 1880, 1900 and 1910 have been
damaged by water, and it is estimated that ten percent of these
schedules
will have to be opened and dried and some of them recopied. These
schedules were located in the basement in a vault considered at the time
to
be fire and waterproof, but the archivist discovered a small broken pane
of
glass, which allowed water to seep in damaging the schedules located in
low
shelves."

The 1890 schedule did not fair as well as it was located outside the
vault.
Approximately 25 percent of these schedules have been destroyed and it
is
estimated the 50 per cent of the remainder have been damaged by water,
smoke and fire.

The cause of the 1921 fire was never determined. Although some speculate

that a worker in the basement was smoking and set off the blaze, others
believe that bundles of papers spontaneously combusted causing the
blaze.

The remaining schedules of the 1890 census abandoned by the government,
survived for many years. Rumors speculated that Census Director Sam
Rogers
had recommended that the schedules be destroyed. The public and
historians
were outraged and began a letter writing campaign which resulted in
everyone being told that the records were NOT going to be destroyed and
plans were being made to provide a suitable archive. In May of 1921,
the
census remained in temporary storage and the new census director William

Steuart reported that they would gradually deteriorate, so they were
returned to the census building for storage at his order.

Ten years would pass and finally in December of 1932, the Chief clerk of

the Bureau of Census sent the Librarian of Congress a list of papers to
destroy. Included in the list was Item 22, "Schedules, Population-1890,

Original."
The librarian gave the OK to destroy these records including the 1890
Census Schedule. Congress authorized the destruction. Sadly, just one
day
before Congress authorized the destruction of the census, President
Herbert
Hoover laid the cornerstone of the permanent National Archives building.

Many researchers fail to realize that some of the original schedules
still
exists. In 1942 during the move to the new building, a bundle of the
Illinois schedules appeared during a shipment. In 1953, more fragments
were
discovered including those from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota,
New
Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and the
District of Columbia. The remnants of the 1890 census have been filmed
and
are available through many sources. There are only three rolls of
microfilm
containing the records. Only about 6,000 names are listed on these
precious
pieces of our past.

According to the National Archives, the ONLY surviving U.S. census
records
for 1890 are as follows:
ALABAMA-Perry County; two precincts only.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-two precincts only.
GEORGIA-part of Muscogee County- town of Columbus only
ILLINOIS-only one precinct in McDonough Co.
MINNESOTA-Rockford precinct in Wright Co.
NEW JERSEY-Jersey City in Hudson Co.
NEW YORK-two townships in two counties: Westchester and Suffolk.
NORTH CAROLINA-two townships in Gaston Co, and one in Cleveland Co.
OHIO-Cincinnati in Ellis Co, and Wayne township in Clinton Co.
SO DAKOTA-one township in Union Co.
TEXAS-three precinct is Ellis Co, one in Hood Co, parts of two precincts
in
Rusk, two in Trinty Co, and one in Kaufman.

- ------------------------------

Please go to url in my below signature for more on this and other This
and
That Genealogy Tips.


----Shirley Hornbeck -
MY HOME PAGE: <http://www.s-hornbeck.com/home.htm>;
HORNBECK SURNAME RESOURCE CETER:
<http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hornbeck/hsrc/home.htm>;
THIS & THAT GENEALOGY TIPS: <http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hornbeck>;
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This thread: