Minnesota Census

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Tips If at first you don't find a name, try again under another spelling. Photocopy each ancestor's census. Identify where you found it. Look for an ancestor in every census during her or his lifetime. On the family group record show each person's census listings. Study others in the same household, neighbors, and anyone with the similar names nearby on the census in community context. For a list of the exact date of each federal census, click here.

Federal population schedules

Microfilm images

• 1900 The schedule for White Earth Indian Reservation follows Yellow Medicine County Census.

Indexes: fiche, film, or book

For a list of microform and book indexes for the population schedules of Minnesota, click here

Federal non-population schedules

Online indexes and images

Online Federal Non-Population Schedules for Minnesota
		Free			Free at Some Libraries (usually with library card)			Pay
Year	Type	Record Search	Census Bureau	Google Book	Heritage Quest	Ancestry FHL	Ancestry Library	Ancestry Home
1890	Veterans	-	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1880	Mortality	-	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1870	Mortality	-	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1860	Mortality	-	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1850	Mortality	Link	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1840	Pensioners	-	BookLink	BookLink	-	Link	Link	Link

Microfilm images

• United States. Census Office. 11th Census, 1890. Schedules Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War. National Archives Microfilm Publication M123. (On 118 Family History Library microfilms.) The Minnesota returns are available at the Family History Library on Family History Library microfilms 338181–84.

Indexes: fiche, film, or book

For a list of microform and book indexes for the non-population schedules of Minnesota, click here.

State, territorial, and colonial censuses

1865--Name, sex, colored, deaf, dumb, blind, soldier in service on June 1, 1865.

1875--Name, age, sex, color, place of birth, father of foreign birth, mother of foreign birth

1885--Name, age, sex, color, place of birth, father of foreign birth, mother of foreign birth, whether deaf, dumb, blind, insane or soldier in Civil War

1895--Name, age, sex, color, place of birth, father of foreign birth, mother of foreign birth, whether deaf, dumb, blind, insane or soldier in Civil War

1905--Gives same as 1895, plus: street address, place of birth of father, place of birth of mother, service in Civil and Spanish Wars.

Portions of some counties have been indexed, and some are available in published format. Census schedules for some years have been lost for some counties. Microfilms are available at the Minnesota Historical Society and at the Family History Library.

The Minnesota Historical Society created guides of their collection for the 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, and 1905 censuses that include a county index, an introduction that lists counties that have no schedule, and a roll content list that has the subdivisions (townships, municipalities) in each county and the order they appear on the roll.

The Minnesota Historical Society’s Genealogical Resources of the Minnesota Historical Society, A Guide has information on all the censuses that pertain to Minnesota. (See the "Minnesota Archives and Libraries" article.)

Some of the early territorial censuses have been published in the Minnesota Genealogist and the Minnesota Genealogical Journal.

The film numbers for Minnesota State Censuses are also found in:

• State Census Register: State and County Censuses Located at the Family History Library  Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,2005  (Family History Library book 973 X23us Vol. 1-3)

Portions of present-day Minnesota were included in the 1836 Wisconsin territorial census, as part of Crawford and Dubuque counties. (Dubuque County was later in Iowa Territory.) In 1838, the Wisconsin territorial census covered some of Minnesota in Crawford and Clayton counties. Some Minnesota residents are listed in the 1840 territorial censuses of Wisconsin and Iowa.

In 1849 Minnesota became its own territory.  Territorial censuses were taken in 1849, 1850, 1853, 1855 and 1857. A microfilmed index is at Minnesota Historical Library and available through interlibrary loan. Parts or all of some of these censuses have been lost. Others are at the Minnesota Historical Society Library. The Family History Library has:

• Minnesota. Census Bureau. Schedules of the Minnesota Census of 1857. National Archives Microfilm Publication, T1175. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1973. (Family History Library microfilms 944283–90.) The 1857 census is arranged alphabetically by county and then by the smaller jurisdiction. It was taken 21 September 1857 and lists each household member and includes name, age, sex, race, birth locality (state, territory, or country), occupation, and if naturalized or native citizen.

According to the article below, some fictional names of people and places of residence were listed in southwestern Minnesota in the 1857 census:

• Forrest, Robert J. Mythical Cities of Southwestern Minnesota. Minnesota History: A Quarterly Magazine. 14, no. 3 (September 1933): 243–62. (Family History Library book 977.6 H25m; film 965778.)

Existing and lost censuses

For a list of available and missing Minnesota censuses, click here.

Why use a census?

A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate where an ancestor's family lived and when they lived there. You can also use censuses to follow the changes in a family over time, and identify neighbors. These and other clues provided by censuses are important because they help find additional kinds of records about the family.

More about censuses

Click here for additional details about how to use censuses, such as:

• index searching tips
• analyzing and using what you find
• census accuracy
• historical background
• contents of various census years and types

Sources and footnotes

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Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)