Kansas State Census, 1885 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This is an image only collection of the Kansas state census taken in March 1, 1885. The census enumerated all household members.

Kansas became a state in 1861 and later passed a law requiring a state census every ten years to number the population of the various counties in order to determine apportionment of the state legislature. The first state census was taken in 1865 and continued until 1925, as the law was repealed in 1933. The state censuses provide substantially different information than the federal censuses. The enumeration is divided into two schedules.


 * Schedule 1 enumerates each household and its occupants. Each enumeration requires three pages for tabulating all information, and the enumerations are listed in 32 rows per page. Each entry has 20 columnar details.
 * Schedule 2 enumerates each farm and its agricultural product. Thirty-two enumerations are listed on each page, and each enumeration requires eight pages for tabulating 88 columnar details.

Generally a reader will see a correlation from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 easily, since each schedule is added to in the same household visit. Generally, also, only the Schedule 1 pages are indexed.

Since the 1890 Federal Census was destroyed, this state census, together with the state census of 1895, can substitute for locating ancestors between 1880 and 1900.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records (Note that each census page spans three pages or two digital images):

Schedule 1
 * All members of the household by name
 * The age of each household member
 * The sex of each household member
 * The race or color
 * The place of birth
 * Where the person came from to Kansas
 * Occupation
 * Education and literacy information
 * The military service of the person

Schedule 2
 * Name of farm occupant
 * Whether owned, rented, or representative of an agent
 * Number of acres (total and in production)
 * Cash value of farm and implements
 * Fencing data (acreage, type of fencing)
 * Acres planted to crops (wheat, rye, corn, barley, oats, buckwheat, potatoes, sorghum, castor beans, cotton, flax, hemp, tobacco, broom corn, millet, milo, Kaffir, Jerusalem)
 * Acres cultivating grasses (Timothy, clover, bluegrass, alfalfa, prairie, meadow)
 * Tons of cut hay
 * Value of garden produce
 * Value of poultry and eggs produce
 * Amount of dairy produce
 * Livestock (horses, mules, milk cows, cattle, sheep, swine)
 * Livestock death tally by type
 * Value of livestock slaughtered or sold for slaughter
 * Amount of wool produce
 * Acreage of nursery stock
 * Amount of trees in orchards (apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry)
 * Amount of small fruits (raspberry, blackberry, strawberry)
 * Acreage and gallons of vineyards
 * Beekeeping data
 * Number of dogs
 * Artificial forest data (walnut, maple, locust, cottonwood, other)
 * Value of forest product
 * General comment

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching the collection it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The residence and names of family members

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the County
 * 2) Select the Locality to view the images.

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.

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

 * Use the ages listed to determine approximate birth dates and find the family in federal census records
 * Use the information found to find vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
 * Search for church records

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle name

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Kansas.
 * Kansas Guided Research
 * 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.


 * Collection Citation: "Kansas State Census, 1885." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2019. Citing Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka.