Wisconsin Census

Additional Information may be found on the United States Census Portal page.

Availability

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, 1920, and 1930.

 1890-- Wisconsin census was destroyed, but there is a published index of the Union Army veterans and widows who resided in Wisconsin.

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.

Historical Background

1800-- Wisconsin area was included in Indiana Territory.

1809--Wisconsin was part of Illinois Territory.

1818--Wisconsin was included in Michigan Territory.  The first two counties, Brown and Crawford, were created.

1836--Wisconsin Territory created by Congress. This included lands west of the Mississippi River to the Missouri River. Much of the western portion was later transferred to Iowa Territory, created in 1838.

1848--Wisconsin became a state.

Indexes

• 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.

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.

Special Census

Mortality Schedules

Mortality Schedules, which recorded 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).

Territorial Census

Wisconsin territorial or state censuses are listed 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.

State Census

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 -- Family History Library (FHL films begining with film 1020439). For the 1905 census, there are every-name indexes. The indexes cite page numbers. The 1905 census is the only state census of Wisconsin which lists entire families and households by name.

The following state censuses contain information about Civil War soldiers:

                            1885-- Family History Library (FHL films 1032695–704) There is an alphabetical list of 30,000 Civil War veterans. This list was published in Tabular Statements of the Census Enumeration (FHL book 977.5 X2w, Appendix, film 962237).

                             1895--  Family History Library (FHL films 1032705–716). This record lists 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. 

Web Sites

Ancestry: http://www.ancestry.com  

Heritage Quest Online: http://www.heritagequestonline.com  

Census Online: http://www.census-online.com/links/KS/  

Genealogy Today: http://dir.genealogytoday.com/usa/ks/census.html  

Access Genealogy: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/census/kansas.htm  

National Archives:http://www.archives.gov/  

Kansas State Historical Society:http://www.kshs.org/ 

Bibligraphic Citations 

Wisconsin Research Outline. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve Inc., Family History Department, 1998, 2001.