Kansas Census

Availability[edit | edit source]

1860-1930--The Family History Library has the federal censuses for the state of Kansas.

1860 United States Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1860 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1860, birthplace, occupation, other family members, whether married or single, and neighbors.

1870 United States Census---A free internet index and images can be viewed on FamilySearch Record Pilot site. This index includes the full name, age, sex, race, birthplace, occupation, month if born in census year, month if married in census year, birth place of father and mother, if born in a foreign country.

1880 United States Census– A Free Internet Index and Images to the US Census can be viewed on the Family Search Record Pilot – Pilot Site. This index includes an every name index to population schedules listing inhabitants. It includes the full name, race, sex, age, birth month (if born during the previous year), relationship to head of household, whether married, single or divorced, whether married during the previous year, country or state of birth of each person and his parent’s, occupation and street address and house number.

1890--Census was destroyed.

1900 Federal Census - A free Internet index and images to the 1900 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. Important additions to this census are month and year of birth of each household member, number of years married for each married person, number of children born to each mother and the number of those still living, year of immigration, and number of years in the United States.

Historical Background[edit | edit source]

1803--The United States acquired Kansas from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

1804-1820--United States government expeditions explored the Kansas region.

1821--The Santa Fe Trail across Kansas was opened. It served as a wagon road from Missouri to the Southwest until 1880, when the railroad was completed.

1827-1853--The United State Army built forts and roads in Kansas for frontier defence and to protect trade along the Santa Fe Trail.

1830-1854--Kansas was part of Indiana Territory, where 20 tribes from the east were relocated. The Indian Territory was closed to white settlement.

1854--The Kansas-Nebraska Act created two territories extending from the Missouri border westward to the tops of the Rocky Mountains and opened the area to white settlement.

1861--Kansas, with its present boundaries was admitted to the Union.

Indexes[edit | edit source]

1880, 1900-1920-- A soundex (phonetic) index is available on microfilm.

The Family History Library also has a street index for Kansas City (Family History Library fiche 6331481) for use with the 1910 census.

Special Census[edit | edit source]

Mortality Schedules[edit | edit source]

1860-1880--Kansas has mortality schedules.

The schedules and indexes are available in book or microfilm format at the Family History Library and at the Kansas State Historical Society.

Mortality Schedules 1850-1880

Voter Censuses [edit | edit source]

1856, 1857, 1859--Censuses exist for some counties. The original records are at the Kansas State Historical Society. Many of these were printed in vols. 17-19 of Kansas Kin.

Territorial and State Censuses[edit | edit source]

1860--Federal census for the Territory of Kansas and parts of Colorado and an index.

1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925--Censuses taken by the territory and the state also exist. The 1855 census sometimes lists all the members of the family, but in some cases gives only the head of household and number of family members. The later censuses give information on the entire household and, after 1875, include the county or state of former residence. The Family History Library has the state censuses. All are available at the Kansas State Historical Society.