California Census
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Online Resources[edit | edit source]
- United States Online Census, 1790-1940
- California Spanish Mission Censuses, 1796-1798 Index and images ($)
- California, State Census, 1852 Index only
- California State Census, 1852 Index and images ($)
- California, Index to Census Roll of Indians, 1928-1933, index and images, ($).
Tips[edit | edit source]
- If at first you don't find a name, try again under another spelling.
- Photocopy each ancestor's census. Identify where you found it.
- Look for an ancestor in every census during her or his lifetime.
- On the family group record show each person's census listings.
- Study others in the same household, neighbors, and anyone with the similar names nearby on the census in community context.
- For a list of the exact date of each federal census, click here.
Why use a census?[edit | edit source]
A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate where an ancestor's family lived and when they lived there. You can also use censuses to follow the changes in a family over time, and identify neighbors. These and other clues provided by censuses are important because they help find additional kinds of records about the family.
State Censuses[edit | edit source]
- California Spanish Mission Censuses, 1796-1798 Index and images ($)
- California, State Census, 1852 Index only
- California State Census, 1852 Index and images ($)
Online California indexes and images[edit | edit source]
Template:Census Online California
Federal population schedules[edit | edit source]
Microfilm Images[edit | edit source]
| 1940 N/A | 1910 and Soundex | 1870 |
| 1930 | 1900 and Soundex | 1860 |
| 1920 and Soundex | 1880 and Soundex | 1850 |
Indexes: fiche, film, or book[edit | edit source]
For a list of microform and book indexes for the population schedules of California, click here
Federal non-population schedules[edit | edit source]
Online indexes and images[edit | edit source]
| Online Federal Non-Population Schedules for California | ||||||||||
| Free | Free at Some Libraries(usually with library card) | Pay | ||||||||
| Year | Type | Record Search | Heritage Quest | Ancestry FHL | Ancestry Library | Ancestry Home | ||||
| 1880 | Defective | Link | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1880 | Mortality | Link | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1880 | Industry | - | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1880 | Agriculture | - | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1870 | Mortality | Link | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1870 | Industry | - | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1870 | Agriculture | - | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1860 | Social Statistics | - | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1860 | Mortality | Link | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1860 | Industry | - | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1860 | Agriculture | - | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1850 | Mortality | Link | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1850 | Industry | - | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
| 1850 | Agriculture | - | - | Link | Link | Link | ||||
Microfilm images[edit | edit source]
Family History Library Federal Census Non-Population Schedule Microfilms for California
- 1880 Special census of Indians FHL Collection
National Archives Federal Census Non-Population ScheduleMicrofilms for California
- 1935 Census of Business
Indexes: fiche, film, or book[edit | edit source]
For a list of microform and book indexes for the non-population schedules of California, click here.
State, territorial, and colonial censuses[edit | edit source]
California often took censuses in the years between the federal censuses, the dates are listed below. State census records may have columns that were different or more unusual than those found on federal censuses. The responses and years of coverage may give additional information on the family.
| 1852 State[1] |
| 1844 Los Angeles[2] |
| 1837 Santa Barbara[3] |
| 1836 Los Angeles[4], Monterey[5] |
| 1834 Santa Barbara[6] |
| 1816 Los Angeles[7] |
| 1808 Monterey[5] |
| 1804 Monterey[5] |
| 1798 San Antonio, and Soledad[1] |
| 1797-1798 San Luis Obispo[1] |
| 1796 San Carlos[1] |
| 1790 Los Angeles, Monterey, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara[3][8] |
| 1788 Los Angeles, Monterey, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and Villa Branciforte[1] |
- The California State Library and the Family History Library have copies of a state census of 1852 FHL 909229-909234. This census gives information on the entire household, including an individual's state or country of birth and last residence.
A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:
California 1852 State Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
- Pre-statehood lists (called padrons) of Spanish, Mexican, and Indian residents have been published in The Quarterly (Historical Society of Southern California), Volumes 15, 18, 41-43, 54 FHL 979.4 B2s. Especially helpful are the Los Angeles censuses of 1790, 1836, and 1844. The original records are scattered among various archives. The Family History Library has copies on microfilm.
Existing and lost censuses[edit | edit source]
For a list of available and missing California censuses, click here.
More about censuses[edit | edit source]
Click here for additional details about how to use censuses, such as:
Sources and footnotes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ann S. Lainhart, State Census Records (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992)[[FS Catalog book 973 X2Lai ]], 21-26.
- ↑ Ann S. Lainhart, State Census Records (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992)[[FS Catalog book 973 X2Lai ]], 21-26, citing the Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly, 42 (1960).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mrs. Joseph M. Northrop, California Collection (Typescript, Los Angeles, Calif.: Northrop, 1958)[FHL Book 979.4 D4n; Film 1421704 item 12].
- ↑ Ann S. Lainhart, State Census Records (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992)[[FS Catalog book 973 X2Lai ]], 21-26, citing the Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly, 18 (1936).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Catholic Church, Monterey (California), "Extracts of Monterey municipal censuses, 1804-1836" Microfilm of photocopy of original typescript. (Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 197-.)[FHL Film 944282 Item 12].
- ↑ Ancestry.com, "California Census, 1790-1890" at http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3535 (accessed 4 January 2010).
- ↑ Ann S. Lainhart, State Census Records (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992)[[FS Catalog book 973 X2Lai ]], 21-26, citing the Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly, 43 (1961).
- ↑ "1790 Padron (census) of California" (Typescript [photocopy], copied from Las Familias de California section in Southern California Historical Society Quarterly.)[FHL Book 979.4 A1 no. 67; Film 1036747 Item 6].
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