Minnesota Census

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Beginning Research

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Tips

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

Online Resources

United States Online Census, 1790-1940
United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890 — index and images
Minnesota, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 Index and images ($)
Minnesota, Territorial and State Census, 1849-1905($)
Minnesota, Territorial Census, 1857 Index and images. Also FindMyPast, and MyHeritage, indexing may vary
Minnesota, State Census, 1865 Index and images. Also FindMyPast, and MyHeritage, indexing may vary
Minnesota, State Census, 1875 Index and images. Also at FindMyPast, and MyHeritage, indexing may vary
Minnesota, State Census, 1885 Index and images. Also FindMyPast, and MyHeritage, indexing may vary
Minnesota, State Census, 1895 Index and images. Also FindMyPast, and MyHeritage, indexing may vary
Minnesota, State Census, 1905 Index and images. Also FindMyPast, and MyHeritage, indexing may vary

Template:Census Online Minnesota

Federal population schedules

Microfilm images

**Federal Census Microfilms Available from the Family History Library**
1940 N/A	1910	1870
1930	1900 and Soundex	1860
1920 and Soundex	1880 and Soundex	1850

**Federal Census Microfilms Available from the National Archives**
1940 N/A	1910 T624	1880 T9 and Soundex T756
1930 T626	1900 T623 and Soundex T1053	1870 M593
1920 T625 and Soundex M1569	1890 fragments M407 / index M496	1860 M653
		1850 M432

1900 The schedule for White Earth Indian Reservation follows Yellow Medicine County Census.

Indexes: fiche, film, or book

For a list of microform and book indexes for the population schedules of Minnesota, click here

Federal non-population schedules

Online indexes and images

Online Federal Non-Population Schedules for Minnesota
		Free			Free at Some Libraries (usually with library card)			Pay
Year	Type	Record Search	Census Bureau	Google Book	Heritage Quest	Ancestry FHL	Ancestry Library	Ancestry Home
1890	Veterans	Link	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1880	Mortality	Link	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1870	Social Statistics		-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1870	Mortality	Link	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1870	Industry		-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1870	Agriculture		-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1860	Mortality	Link	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1850	Mortality	Link	-	-	-	Link	Link	Link
1840	Pensioners	Link	BookLink	BookLink	-	Link	Link	Link

Microfilm images

United States. Census Office. 11th Census, 1890. Schedules Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War. National Archives Microfilm Publication M123. (On 118 Family History Library microfilms.) The Minnesota returns are available at the Family History Library on Family History Library microfilms 338181–84.

Indexes: fiche, film, or book

For a list of microform and book indexes for the non-population schedules of Minnesota, click here.

State, territorial, and colonial censuses

Minnesota took censuses in different years than the federal censuses. These censuses may have different data compared to federal censuses. Check these censuses for more information on a family.

1905 State census.^[1]^[2]
1895 State census.</ref>^[2] A partial card index exists at the Minnesota Historical Society for Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, and Big Stone counties.
1885 State census.</ref>^[2]
1875 State census.</ref>^[2]
1865 State census.</ref>^[2] Missing: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Benton, Big Stone, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Douglas, Itasca, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Murray, Nobles, Otter Tail, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Stevens, Traverse, Wadena, and Wilkin counties.
1857 Territorial census.</ref> Some people and places are fictional.^[2]^[3]
1855 Territorial census.</ref> Incomplete.^[2]
1853 Territorial census.</ref> Incomplete.^[2]
1849 Territorial census.</ref>^[2]^[4]
1838 Territorial census as part of Wisconsin Territory (Crawford and Clayton counties).</ref>^[2]
1836 Territorial census as part of Wisconsin Territory (Crawford and Dubuque counties).</ref>^[2]

Most of the original censuses are located at the Minnesota Historical Society. Some of the early territorial censuses have been published in the Minnesota Genealogist and the Minnesota Genealogical Journal.

Existing and lost censuses

For a list of available and missing Minnesota censuses, click here.

Why use a census?

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.

More about censuses

Click here for additional details about how to use censuses, such as:

Sources and footnotes

↑ Ann S. Lainhart, State Census Records (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992)[[FS Catalog book 973 X2Lai ]], 67-69.
↑ ^2.00 ^2.01 ^2.02 ^2.03 ^2.04 ^2.05 ^2.06 ^2.07 ^2.08 ^2.09 ^2.10 Minnesota Historical Society, Library and Archives Division, Genealogical resources of the Minnesota Historical Society : a guide (St. Paul : Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1989) [[Template:GenResMN]], 9-13.
↑ Robert J. Forrest, "Mythical Cities of Southwestern Minnesota," Minnesota History: A Quarterly Magazine 14, no. 3 (September 1933): 243–62. [[Template:MinnHistQuar]].
↑ Minnesota, Legislative Assembly, House of Representatives, Journal of the House of Representatives, first session of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Minnesota, 1850 Appendices C and D, pages 195-215 as cited in Minnesota Historical Society, 10.

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:

[1] Ann S. Lainhart, State Census Records (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992)[[FS Catalog book 973 X2Lai ]], 67-69.

[GenResMNGuide-2] 2.00 ^2.01 ^2.02 ^2.03 ^2.04 ^2.05 ^2.06 ^2.07 ^2.08 ^2.09 ^2.10 Minnesota Historical Society, Library and Archives Division, Genealogical resources of the Minnesota Historical Society : a guide (St. Paul : Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1989) [[Template:GenResMN]], 9-13.

[3] Robert J. Forrest, "Mythical Cities of Southwestern Minnesota," Minnesota History: A Quarterly Magazine 14, no. 3 (September 1933): 243–62. [[Template:MinnHistQuar]].

[4] Minnesota, Legislative Assembly, House of Representatives, Journal of the House of Representatives, first session of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Minnesota, 1850 Appendices C and D, pages 195-215 as cited in Minnesota Historical Society, 10.

[5] Prior to Minnesota becoming a territory much of north eastern Minnesota was in Saint Croix County (now located only in Wisconsin)

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