Kansas, State Census, 1895 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This is an image collection of the Kansas state census taken in 1895, with an index incorporated through independent contributors. The census schedules enumerate all members of the household as of 1 March 1895.

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 The first state census was taken in 1865 and continued until 1925, as the law was repealed in 1933.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 twelve pages for tabulating 100 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.

The counties of Comanche, Finney, Saline, and Seward were not enumerated. Due to a delay in funding, this census was taken "carelessly" and "hurriedly" according to a report by the Kansas State Board of Agriculture. Some counties were not enumerated completely (Cherokee, Gove, Lyon, Marion). See Kansas State Historical Society: Kansas 1895 State Census.

Since the 1890 Federal Census was destroyed, this state census, together with the state census of 1885, can substitute for locating ancestors between 1880 and 1900.

To Browse This Collection
You can browse through images in this collection by visiting the list of counties for Kansas State Census, 1895.

You can search for entries in this collection by entering search criteria.

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
 * Number of acres (total and in production)
 * Irrigation data (acres, source, power in use)
 * Fencing data (acreage, type of fencing)
 * Cash value of farm and implements
 * 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

Marshall County, Vermillion Township
Presented in 151 images. It is unclear whether the following issues are from the original photography to microfilm or from digitizing the images.


 * Image 82 displays portions of two adjacent page spreads from Schedule 1. The left half of the image shows columns 8 through 16 of enumerated households 54 through 58 (B. Nauman, Aaron Cass, John Golden, John Brown, and John F Auld). The right half of the image shows columns 7 through 14 of the enumerated household 59 through 63 (possibly Thomas Carney, Edward McGary, Albert Busby, B. Sheehan, Thomas Warner, and John Marksman). Image


 * Image 120 is photographed incompletely. The image shows only Schedule 2 columns 49 through 51, and columns 35 through 48 have been lost. Image

Mitchell County, Beloit Township
The name of the township is missing as a linked name in the browse page Image. However, it is likely that the township was simply missed while digitizing the images. At least one known resident is found in a search on the name, and the township is available for browsing at Link.

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 family members and their relationships

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 Was 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, try providing other then try searching records of a nearby town or county.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name. Remember that the indexes are made by people without direct knowledge of family names, who are reading the handwritten entries that may be less than readable.
 * Try entering the family name as an initial followed immediately by an asterisk.
 * Try different combinations of known information, without the person's name. For example, the name of a child or spouse, a birth location and year.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names.

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.