Secrets of the Census, Part 6: 1890

One of the first things genealogists discover is how lucky we are to have two hundred years’ worth of federal censuses to help us. Starting in 1790, our government has collected data on citizens every ten years. After seventy-two years, that data is made public. The earliest censuses only included male heads of households, but gradually they became more useful to family historians, and we have cruised through the nineteenth century gathering information on our ancestors. We left off our “Secrets of the Census” posts in 1880, and we should be able to dig into the 1890 census next except for its very sad story. Perhaps, like many people, you’ve heard that the 1890 census was lost in a fire. However, that is not quite the case. Here’s what really happened:

State Censuses Can Add to Your Research

Although our August monthly meeting, Understanding and Working with the U.S. Federal Census, presented by StLGS librarian, Judy Belford, concentrated on the federal census, taken every ten years, mention was also made of state censuses, and what they can add to our research. Many states conducted population censuses in "off years," that is years in which the federal census was not held. Although taken randomly and in odd years, state censuses can often serve as substitutes for some missing federal records, and, for the most part, they asked different questions than the federal censuses, so you might learn additional information on your ancestors.