Utah Census

A census is a count and description of the population of a country, territory, state, county, or city. A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate specific places where your ancestors lived and to identify the dates when they lived there. You can also find 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

Many federal census records are found at the Family History Library, the Utah State Historical Society, and the National Archives. The United States Research Outline provides more detailed information about these records.

Population Schedules. The library has federal census records for Utah for 1850 (1851), 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930. The 1890 population schedule was destroyed. The 1850 census was actually taken in 1851 but is often referred to as the 1850 census.

Statewide surname indexes. These represent every household in the Utah censuses. For most families, they index only the first person listed in each household, who was usually the father or head of the house. Many families had relatives or friends with a different surname living with them when the census was taken. In those cases, the first person of each surname in the household is included in the index.

Statewide indexes for the 1850, 1860, and 1870 censuses are available in books, on microfiche, or microfilm. They are listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under: UTAH - CENSUS - [YEAR] - INDEXES

There is a Soundex (phonetic) index on microfilm for part of the 1880 census (households with children born between the last half of 1869 and census day in 1880) and all of the 1900, 1920 and 1930 censuses. Soundex indexers are found in the catalog with the census they index.

Because the 1880 Soundex only indexes households with children age 10 and under, this complete head of household index for the 1880 census may be more helpful:

Index to the 1880 Census of Utah Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1970. (FHL films 538587–93.) This is a card index listing all the families in the Utah 1880 census. All members of the family are listed with relationship, age, place of birth, and parents' places of birth.

Multi-year census index. For an index to three Utah census years see:

Kearl, J.R., Index to the 1850, 1860, & 1870 Censuses of Utah: Heads of Households. Baltimore, Maryland.: Genealogical Publishing, 1981. (FHL book 979.2 X2k; fiche 6051336.) This index lists the census year and each head of household's name, age, sex, occupation, household visitation number, city, county, birthplace, real wealth, and personal wealth.

Multi-state indexes. Some of the statewide indexes mentioned previously are combined into composite master indexes of several census years, states, and census types:

FamilyFinder™ Index and Viewer. Version 4.0. Family Tree Maker Archives, index. [Novato, California]: Brøderbund Software, 1997. (FHL compact disc no. 9 1997 index.) This does not circulate to Family History Centers. It is a single composite index to Utah 1850 and 1860 federal censuses and the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 mortality schedules. 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 "Internet 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 easily find the name in the original census schedules. Similar index information is also available for a subscription fee at the Internet site: www.Ancestry.com/census . 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. (This is not cataloged, but it is available on microfiche at many Family History Centers.) Census indexes for 1850 and 1860 are combined together on Search 7. There is a composite index for the mortality schedules of 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 on Search 8.

When indexes omit a name or are not available you can still look for the name in the census. For large cities it helps first to learn the person's address by searching the city directory for the same year as the census (see the "Directories" section). Then look for that address on the original census schedules.

Two reference tools are helpful in locating the Enumeration District for towns in Utah and street address for Salt Lake City. These reference tools help determine which census schedule microfilm and enumeration district to search for specific addresses:

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, 1993. (FHL book 973 X2bu 1910; fiche 6101340.) The book lists Utah towns, their 1910 enumeration district numbers, and their Family History Library microfilm call numbers. It also includes special instructions and information for Salt Lake City, including film numbers of city directories.

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 [set of 5].) This book gives the street name and street number for Salt Lake City. It gives the page numbers, enumeration district, and the Family History Library microfilm number for most addresses.

Mortality Schedules (1850-1880). Mortality schedules list persons who died during the 12 months before the 1850-1880 federal censuses were taken. In addition to providing the same information about the deceased person that census schedules provide for the living, mortality schedules also state the month and cause of death and the number of days ill. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 schedules and the indexes for all four schedules (1850, 1860, 1870, 1880).

Slave schedules (1860). The Family History Library also has copies of the 1860 slave schedule. This schedule is combined with the filming of the population schedule listed above. The names of some slaves are included in the 1850 census.

Veterans schedules (1890). Films of the 1890 census of Union veterans are available at the Family History Library, Utah State Archives and the National Archives. A published index for this census is:

1890 Utah Census Index: Special Schedule of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans of the Civil War. Salt Lake City, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1983. (FHL book 979.2 X22jv 1890 index.) This index includes every name of the Union veterans or their widows. It gives the county of residence and page of enumerations.

Additional Federal Schedules. The Church Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have:

• Utah agricultural schedules for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880
• Utah manufacturing schedules for 1860, 1870, and 1880

Many of the additional census schedules are included with the films of the population schedule. Check the Family History Library Catalog under the following subjects in the Place Search:

UTAH - CENSUS - [YEAR]

Territorial Censuses

Each time the people of Utah or Deseret applied for statehood a census was taken. The 1856 and 1872 censuses have been located, but the 1872 is not publicly available. Both have varying information ranging from names, ages and birthplaces to only statistics for different counties. There may be other unlocated censuses taken for 1862, 1882, 1887, and 1894 when Utah applied for statehood.

An 1856 territorial census is at the Church Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and at the Family History Library on microfilm. This census includes the names of everyone in the household, but has many duplicate names and inaccuracies. The handwritten census is found in:

1856 Utah Census Returns. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1981. (FHL film 505913.)

The library also has indexes for this census. Look at the Family History Library Catalog in the Place Search under:

UTAH - CENSUS - 1856 - INDEXES

An 1872 census is at the Church Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is part of the Utah Constitutional Correspondence papers, 1872. The majority of the census gives the number in each household but no surnames or given names. The census is arranged by county and then city. For Rich and Kane counties, there is a list of every person living in the county. The Rich county census also gives age, residence, and birth place, some include the city of birth. For Utah County, some of the cities list the head of household and the number of individuals in the household.

Census records and mortality schedules and indexes are listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

UTAH - CENSUS - [YEAR]

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