Minnesota State Census, 1865 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of indexes and images to the population schedule listing inhabitants of the State of Minnesota as of June 1, 1865.

Minnesota became a territory in 1849 and took territorial censuses in 1849, 1853, 1855, and 1857. After statehood in 1858, Minnesota took state censuses in 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, and 1905. The census information was handwritten on printed sheets.

The census was compiled to obtain a count of the population of the state to determine how many representatives the state would send to Congress. Reliability of the information in the census is determined by the accuracy of the knowledge of the informant, which could have been any member of the family or even a neighbor.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Census
 * Name of each person whose usual abode was in this household on 1, June 1865
 * Gender and race of each person
 * Whether any member of household was deaf, dumb, blind, or insane
 * Whether any male of household was serving in the military on June 1, 1865

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The place where your ancestor lived
 * The names of other family members

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 in the census, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

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

 * Use the residence and dates to search for federal census records, church records and land records
 * If your ancestor was subject to military service they may have military files in the State or National Archives
 * 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

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, 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
 * Consult the Minnesota Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Minnesota.
 * Minnesota Guided Research
 * Minnesota Record Finder
 * Minnesota Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Minnesota Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Minnesota state census guide. Roseville, Minnesota : Park Genealogical Books, c2001FHL 977.6 X27m
 * territorial census schedules, 1849-1855
 * State census, 1865
 * State census, 1875

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * United States Census, 1860
 * United States Census, 1870
 * Minnesota State Census, 1875

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.