Kansas State Census, 1865 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
This is a collection of the Kansas state census taken in 1865. The census enumerates 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 The first state census was taken in 1865 and continued until 1925, as the law was repealed in 1933.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The census images usually show the following information:


 * Name of every person whose usual place of abode on May 1, 1865 was in this family
 * Age
 * Sex
 * Color
 * Regiment if in military
 * Company if in military
 * Occupation of everyone over 15
 * Value of real estate
 * Value of personal estate
 * Place of birth (state, territory, or country)
 * Marital status
 * If attended school within the year
 * Whether literate
 * Whether deaf, dumb, blind, insane, pauper or a convict

Indexed records usually contain the following:
 * Name
 * Residence
 * Gender
 * Age
 * Estimated birth year
 * Birthplace
 * Names of the members of the household with gender, age, and birthplace

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person
 * The age or birth date and residence
 * The 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?

 * Search for a birth records
 * Birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * If they are subject to military service they may have military files in the State or National Archives
 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment 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, 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 names

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.

"Kansas State Census, 1865." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka.
 * Collection Citation:

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