Minnesota Census
A census is a count and description of the population of a country, colony, territory, state, county, or city. Census lists are also called schedules. A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate the specific places where your ancestors lived and to identify the time period they lived there. You can also find excellent family information, particularly in more recent censuses. Use the information with caution, however, since the information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor.
Federal Censuses
Population Schedules. Federal census records are found at the Minnesota Historical Society, the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The United States Research Outline provides more detailed information on the contents of these records.
Minnesota has an 1850 federal territorial census, but the first federal census taken for the state of Minnesota was in 1860. The 1890 census was lost for all counties but Rockford. In the microfilmed schedules of the 1900 census, schedules for the White Earth Indian Reservation follow Yellow Medicine County. The Family History Library has the U.S. federal censuses of Minnesota for 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. The National Archives copy of the 1870 census was destroyed, but another version was reconstructed from duplicates preserved by the state. The Family History Library has copies from both the Minnesota Historical Society (Archives and Manuscripts Collections) and the National Archives.
Although most of the 1890 census was destroyed, small portions do exist for Minnesota:
United States. Census Office. 11th Census, 1890. Population Schedules of the Eleventh Census of the United States, 1890. National Archives Microfilm Publication M0407. Washington, D.C.: The National Archives, 1962. (FHL film 926499 is for Minnesota.) The schedules for parts of Rockford, Wright County, Minnesota start on page 1017. For an every-name index to the 1890 census see:
Nelson, Ken. 1890 U.S. Census Index to Surviving Population Schedules and Register of Film Numbers to the Special Census of Union Veterans. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1991. (FHL book 973 X2na.) This index covers the few surviving 1890 census schedules. The index gives name of individual and geographical location including state, county and township, and census schedule page number.
The Minnesota Historical Society has produced two microfiche of 1890 census information discovered several years ago. It covers several families in Rockville Township, Wright County, Minnesota:
U.S. Census Rockville Township, Wright County, Census Schedules, 1890. St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society, 1987. (Not at Family History Library.)
Statewide indexes for the census schedules of 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 are available in book format. These index the names of the heads of each household. They also include the first person in the household who has a different surname from the head. An 1860 every-name card index on microfilm is:
Index to the 1860 Federal Census Schedules for Minnesota. St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society, Division of Archives and Manuscripts, 1978. (FHL films 1373881–911). The page numbers in this card index do not always correspond to the page numbers in the National Archives microfilms of the 1860 census. This index may be used to decide which county and township the family lived in. Then that location can be searched line by line on the census schedules.
The Minnesota Historical Society has an every-name card index to the 1870 federal census that is different from the printed version. The index is on microfilm and is available through interlibrary loan. A few printed county or area indexes exist for some of the state censuses.
There is a partial soundex (phonetic index) for the 1880 census that only covers families with children age 10 and under. Complete soundex indexes exist for the 1900 and 1920 censuses. There is no statewide index to the 1910 census of Minnesota.
County-wide indexes to federal censuses often contain the names of every person in the household, and may also include heads of households who were overlooked or whose names were misspelled in statewide indexes. County-wide indexes are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under:
MINNESOTA, [COUNTY]– CENSUS – [YEAR]
Multistate Indexes. Some of the indexes mentioned above are combined into one master index of several census years, states, and census types:
FamilyFinder Index and Viewer. Version 4.0. [Novato, California]: Brøderbund Software, 1997. (FHL compact disc no.9 1997 index). This does not circulate to Family History Centers. It is a master index to the 1840 Iowa Territory census, which included selected counties of Minnesota; 1847 and 1849 territorial censuses; 1850 territorial census with records for 1852; and mortality schedules for 1850, 1860, and 1870; and additional records for 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, and 1877. These entries may not be complete for all extant records. They do not cite the exact sources. An Internet edition of this index is also available:
"Internet FamilyFinder" In FamilyTreeMaker.com [Internet site]. [Novato, California]: Brøderbund Software, 21 July 1999– [cited 26 October 1999]. Available at:
www.familytreemaker.com/allsearch.html .
You can search the FamilyFinder index for free. It displays the census year and state for each name matching the search. It may also list many vital records and genealogical collection citations. Once you know the census year and state, you must use the original index on compact disc, microfiche, or book to obtain enough data to find the name in the original census schedules. Similar index information is also available at www.Ancestry.com for a subscription fee. The FamilyFinder index includes the following Jackson indexes:
Jackson, Ronald Vern. AIS Microfiche Indexes of U.S. Census and Other Records. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems International, 1984. (No FHL fiche number, but available at many Family History Centers.) Contains a composite mortality schedule index on search 8, and separate 1840 and 1850 indexes and a partial 1860 index on other searches. For further instructions, see the Accelerated Indexing System, U.S. Census Indexes on Microfiche Resource Guide (30970).
When indexes are not available or a name is omitted from an index you can still look for the name in the census. To find a person who lived in a large city, it helps to first find his or her address in the city directory for the same year as the census. (See the "Directories" section of this outline). Then look for that address on the original census schedules.
The following reference tools help determine which census schedule microfilm and enumeration district to search for specific addresses:
Kirkham, E. Kay. A Handy Guide to Record- Searching in the Larger Cities of the United States. Logan, Utah: Everton, 1974. (FHL book 973 D27kc; fiche 6010059-60.) Contains street maps for Duluth, Minneapolis, and St. Paul.
Census Descriptions of Geographic Subdivisions and Enumerations Districts.
| 1880 | FHL film 1402861 |
| 1900 | FHL film 1303023 |
| 1910 | FHL film 1374006 |
| 1920 | FHL film 1842709 |
Buckway, G. Eileen. U.S. 1910 Federal Census: Unindexed States: A Guide to Finding Census Enumeration Districts for Unindexed Cities, Towns, and Villages. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, 1992. (FHL book 973 X2bu 1910; fiche 6101340.) This lists all Minnesota towns (or wards) with their 1910 census enumeration district numbers and FHL film numbers. Duluth, Minneapolis, and St. Paul each have special instructions, often including FHL book or film numbers for city directories.
Malmberg, Emil and Maurine. Street Indexes to Unindexed Cities in the U.S. 1910 Federal Census. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, 1993. (FHL book 973 X2str 1910; fiche 6104151.) This lists Minneapolis street addresses with their corresponding page numbers, 1910 census enumeration district numbers, and FHL film numbers.
Mortality schedules (1850–1880) list those persons who died in the 12-month period prior to the census. Mortality schedules for Minnesota exist for the years 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. The schedules for the years 1860 and 1880 are indexed for the entire state. The 1850 and 1870 schedules have separate indexes for each county. These schedules and indexes are available on film at the Family History Library. These can be looked up in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under:
MINNESOTA – CENSUS
There is also a surviving portion of a 1900 mortality schedule taken for Minnesota. The printed full transcription at the Family History Library is:
Warren, James W. Minnesota 1900 Census Mortality Schedule. St. Paul, Minnesota: Warren Research & Marketing Publication, 1992. (FHL book 977.6 X2w 1900.) The book contains 3225 individuals. It is arranged alphabetically by county, with the large cities following the counties in which they are located. Indian reservations are listed at the end of the counties. It gives name, age, color, sex, marital status, month died, cause of death, and physician. It also has a glossary of medical terms. This book lists only deaths that were not registered in Minnesota vital records in the 12 months before 1 June 1900. Some of the deaths were later copied into the county death registers. This book is available at the Minnesota Historical Society Library and many other libraries. The surviving 1900 schedules and transcripts are available at the Minnesota Historical Society.
There are published indexes to the mortality schedules for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880:
Mortality Records of Minnesota by Counties from the Territorial Period of 1850 to the End of the Year 1870: with the Records of St. Louis County to End of Year 1883. Typescript, 1947. (FHL book 977.6 V23d; film 823717 item2; fiche 6051203). This book gives name, age, sex, state or country of birth, occupation, and month of death. The St. Louis County lists are for 1872–1879 and 1881–1883. This book is arranged by county and is not indexed. The records come from the federal census except St. Louis County, which appears to come from local records.
Jackson, Ronald Vern, ed. Mortality Schedule, Minnesota 1880. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1979. (FHL book 977.6 X2j 1880.) The list is arranged alphabetically and gives the county of residence.
Veteran Schedules (1890). A special census was taken in 1890 of Union veterans of the Civil War:
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 FHL films.) The Minnesota returns are available at the Family History Library on FHL films 338181–84. This census lists the veteran’s name or widow, rank, company and regiment or vessel, dates of service, and current post office address. An index to the Minnesota returns has been published:
Dilts, Bryan Lee. 1890 Minnesota Census Index of Civil War Veterans or Their Widows. Salt Lake City, Utah: Index Publishing, 1985. (FHL book 977.6 X22d 1890).
Territorial and State Censuses
There are early censuses that list inhabitants of the area that became Minnesota. A small portion of what is now Minnesota is included in the Michigan 1820 territorial census. For this census index see:
Jackson, Ronald Vern. Michigan 1820 Census Index. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1981. (FHL book 977.4 X22m 1820.)
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. 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. (FHL films 944283–90.) The 1857 census is arranged alphabetically by county and then by the smaller jurisdiction. It was taken by 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. (FHL book 977.6 H25m; film 965778.)
After Minnesota became a state, censuses listing the name of every person were taken by the state government in 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, and 1905. 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. To find these guides, see the Place Search of the catalog under:
MINNESOTA – CENSUS – [YEAR] – INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS
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 "Archives and Libraries" section of this outline.)
Some of the early territorial censuses have been published in the Minnesota Genealogist and the Minnesota Genealogical Journal. (See the "Periodicals" section of this outline.)
Microfilm numbers of Minnesota territorial or state censuses are listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:
MINNESOTA – CENSUS– [YEAR]
They are also found in:
Buckway, G. Eileen. U.S. State and Special Census Register: A Listing of Family History Library Microfilm Numbers. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1992. (FHL book 973 X2be 1992; fiche 6104851–52.)
Web Sites
http://www.censusfinder.com/minnesota.htm
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/census/minnesota.htm