West Virginia Census

Portal:United States Census >West Virginia

Availability[edit | edit source]

Many federal census records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The following are available:

1810 (partial)–1860: West Virginia was part of Virginia.

1870–1930: The 1890 census was destroyed except for the 1890 Union veterans schedule (FHL films 338268-69).

Substitutes for missing censuses:

Most published substitutes are based on state censuses and tax lists. Each covers different counties. Most of present-day West Virginia is included in the second item, but both must be used for a complete search of West Virginia.

Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940. Reprint. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1966. (FHL book 975.5 R4f 1966; film 874197 item 4.) This includes areas of Augusta, Berkley, Hardy, and Montgomery counties in Virginia that later became part of West Virginia.
Heads of Families . . . Records of the State Enumerations: 1782 to 1785, Virginia. 1908. Reprint. Baltimore, Maryland: Southern Book Company, 1952. (FHL book 975.5 X2us 1790; film 874193 item 4.)

For the missing portions of the 1810 census use:

Netti Schreiner-Yantis, A Supplement to the 1810 Census of Virginia: Tax Lists of the Counties for Which the Census is Missing (Springfield, Virginia: Genealogical Books in Print, 1971; FHL book 975.5 R4s). This includes information from Cabell, Greenbrier, Hardy, and Tazewell counties (and 15 Virginia counties) that are missing from the 1810 census.

Historical Background[edit | edit source]

Indexes[edit | edit source]

Online Indexes

Censuses are digitized, indexed and online at these subscription websites:

www.ancestry.com ($$)
http://www.heritagequest.com/
http://www.censusfinder.com/
http://www.census-online.com/links/WV/

Book Indexes

1810–1870: Available at the Family History Library.

County-wide indexes are also available in published format for various years.

Soundex Indexes

1880–1930: Available at the Family History Library.

Special Censuses[edit | edit source]

State Censuses[edit | edit source]

The only state census that includes West Virginia was taken by Virginia, 1782–1785:

Heads of Families . . . Records of the State Enumerations: 1782 to 1785, Virginia. 1908. Reprint. Baltimore, Maryland: Southern Book Company, 1952. (FHL book 975.5 X2us 1790; film 874193 item 4.)

This is supplemented by a tax list index:

Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940. Reprint. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1966. (FHL book 975.5 R4f 1966; film 874197 item 4.) This includes areas of Augusta, Berkley, Hardy, and Montgomery counties in Virginia that later became part of West Virginia