Michigan, Non-population Census Schedules - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is In This Collection?
This collection includes records from 1850 to 1880. It consists of images of non-population schedules for Michigan 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 censuses. Includes schedules for agriculture, industry and social statistics. The mortality schedules for those years will be published in a separate collection indexed by name. These records are part of National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publication T1164.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in the records varies by census year and schedule. You may find any of the following:


 * Date of enumeration
 * Township
 * Name of owner, agent or manager
 * Condition and value of the acreage or property
 * Value, kind and number of of livestock, produce or manufactured goods
 * Social conditions such as blind, crippled, indigent or in prison

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age of your ancestor
 * The township where your ancestor lived

View the Images
Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the information found in the census to search land records
 * Use the information found in the census to search additional county records
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all families with the same surname in the same general area. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related
 * Married family members may have lived nearby but in a separate household, so you may want to search an entire town, neighboring towns, or even a county
 * You may be able to identify an earlier generation if elderly parents were living with or close by a married child. You may be able to identify a younger generation if a young married couple still lived with one of their sets of parents
 * Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the census

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Michigan.
 * Michigan Guided Research
 * Michigan Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing this Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.