Wisconsin Census
Federal Censuses
Population Schedules. Many census records are found at the Family History Library, the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The United States Research Outline(30972) provides more detailed information about these records.
The Family History Library has the U.S. federal censuses for the state of Wisconsin from 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920. The 1890 census for Wisconsin was destroyed, but there is a published index of the Union Army veterans and widows in Wisconsin who were enumerated with the 1890 census:
Jackson, Ronald Vern. 1890 Wisconsin Veterans Census Index. Salt Lake City, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, Inc., 1988. (FHL book 977.5 X22w 1890.) This index was taken from the schedule of Union Army veterans and widows, Schedules Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows . . . (FHL films 338270–275).
Statewide indexes are available for the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (for families with children ten years of age and under), 1900, and 1920 censuses. Card indexes for 1850, 1860, and 1870 are at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin and on microfilm at the Family History Library. There is a card for each member of the household in the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1905 indexes. The county, village, town, or township is on these cards.
These indexes do not match the page numbers used on the National Archives and Family History Library microfilm copies of the census, but they do give the county and township. For 1850, a published index is available with page numbers that match the microfilmed census:
Jackson, Ronald Vern. Wisconsin 1850 Census Index. North Salt Lake, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1978. (FHL book 977.5 x2p 1850j). This volume indexes only the heads of households.
Soundex (phonetic) indexes are available on microfilm for part of the 1880 and all of the 1900 and 1920 censuses.
Countywide indexes sometimes help you locate names overlooked in statewide indexes. Some countywide indexes are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under WISCONSIN, [COUNTY]- CENSUS.
If you need to find an enumeration district, the following sources may help:
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.) Includes a ward map and street index for Milwaukee, 1878.
United States. Census Office. Census Descriptions of Geographic Subdivisions and Enumerations Districts. Contains the items below:
1900 FHL film 1303028
1910 FHL film 1374013
1920 FHL film 1842721
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.) Lists all Wisconsin towns (or wards) with their 1910 census enumeration district numbers and FHL film numbers.
Mortality schedules (deaths during the year preceding the census) exist for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. The schedules are available at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. The Family History Library has an index, in book form, to the 1850 mortality schedule (FHL 977.5 X2jm 1850) and a copy of the 1880 mortality schedule on microfilm (FHL films 1032684 item 3–1032686).
Master 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. Not available at Family History Centers.) A master index to Wisconsin 1820, 1830, 1840, and 1850 federal censuses.
The FamilyFinder Index includes the following indexes by Ronald Vern Jackson:
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.) This record indexes Wisconsin censuses 1820–1850. Search 3 includes the 1830 federal census for Wisconsin and the Wisconsin 1836 state census. Search 4 includes the 1840 federal census and the Wisconsin 1842 state census. Indexes for the 1820 and 1850 federal censuses for Wisconsin and the 1842 Wisconsin state census are on other searches.
Territorial and State Censuses
Microfilm numbers of Wisconsin territorial or state censuses are listed in Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under WISCONSIN- CENSUS- [YEAR]. They are also found in:
Buckway, G. Eileen. U.S. State and Special Census Register. Salt Lake City, Utah:Family History Library, 1992. (FHL book 973 X2be; fiche 6104851–52.)
The area that is now Wisconsin was included in the censuses of Michigan Territory in 1820 and 1830 and Wisconsin Territory in 1840. Indexes are available for the federal territorial censuses of 1820 and 1830.
In addition to the federal censuses, special censuses were taken by the territory and state in the following years:
1836, 1842, 1855, 1885
1838, 1846, 1865, 1895
1840, 1847, 1875, 1905
The following indexes are available at the Family History Library:
1836 — FHL book 977.5 X2 1836a; also 977.7x2j 1836
1838 — FHL book 977.5 X22j 1838
1840 — FHL book 977.5 X2j 1840
1842 — FHL book 977.5 X22j 1842
1855 — FHL book 977.5 X22w 1855
1905 — on film at the Family History Library (FHL films begining with film 1020439). For the 1905 census, there are every-name indexes listed in the Library Catalog under each individual county. The indexes cite page numbers.
The following state censuses contain information about Civil War soldiers:
1885 — on film at the Family History Library (FHL films 1032695–704); at the end of the set of films there is an alphabetical list of 30,000 Civil War veterans, taken 20 June 1885. This list was published in Tabular Statements of the Census Enumeration (FHL book 977.5 X2w, Appendix, film 962237).
1895 — on film at the Family History Library (FHL films 1032705–716). This record also has a special section at the end of the set of films, listing Civil War veterans by county.
The existing records of Wisconsin Territorial and state censuses are available at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, and microfilm copies of most of them are at the Family History Library. The film numbers are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under WISCONSIN - CENSUS. The 1905 census is the only state census of Wisconsin which lists entire families and households by name. The other Wisconsin state censuses list the head of household, with some age statistics.
There are helpful censuses of Native Americans in Wisconsin for the time period 1885–1933. These are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under WISCONSIN - CENSUS and WISCONSIN - NATIVE RACES.