You may know the saying "The United States Census (meaning FEDERAL) is the BACKBONE of AMERICAN GENEALOGY." While we wait and wait and wait for the 72 years that must pass before the 1960 census is revealed (April 1, 1960) to the public for the first time because we DO respect privacy (back in the day when privacy rights were understood as rights) very few people lived past 72 years old) we can look back on previous census...It's true that the FEDERAL CENSUS is the BACKBONE... though the 1890 barely exists... But it depends on what state and county you're researching too. The very LAST United States STATE CENSUS WAS IN 1985, and in Massachusetts.
State census' certainly can help "fill the gap" when the 1890 census that you need is missing forever.
So first, let's go to the NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES for the definitive statement about what happened and what still exists!
Here is the general consensus! : fragments (that offer only a small percentage of the original data) are surviving for specific counties and townships in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas, plus a special schedule for Civil War veterans and widows.NATIONAL ARCHIVES RESEARCH CENSUS This is in more detail...
Excerpt: On January 10, 1921, a fire in the Commerce Department building, Washington, DC, resulted in the destruction of most of the 1890 census, to the woe of researchers ever since.
***
If you're researching KENTUCKY or OKLAHOMA you have half a chance! But, interestingly, the census of CIVIL WAR widows and some items of interests to Native Americans and African Americans are available. Forget WEST VIRGINIA! There has never been a state census in that state!
***
This is going to be a SERIES of POSTS and so I'm going to designate a TAG that will (eventually) bring them ALL up!
The TAG WILL BE "STATE CENSUS ADVENTURE"
C 2026 Ancestry Worship - Genealogy All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights
