Wisconsin State Census, 1885 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records for the Wisconsin State Census that was taken in 1885. Population schedules consisted of large sheets with rows and columns. The schedules are arranged by county, then by political subdivision. The arrangement of families on a schedule is normally in the order in which the enumerator visited the households.

In 1855 the state legislature directed that a census be taken in June of that year and every 10 years thereafter. The completed forms were sent to the Secretary of State. The census covers approximately 90% of the population.

The state census of Wisconsin was taken in order to enumerate the population for representation purposes. Censuses are usually reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care of the census enumerator. Information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Name of head of family
 * Number of white males and white females in household
 * Number of colored males and colored females in household
 * Country of nativity: United States, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Scandinavia, Holland and All Others

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The name of a family member or place of residence

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select County
 * 2) Select Township/City/Town/Village/Ward 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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to find the family in additional censuses
 * Use the information to determine an approximate birth date to find other records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records. Also search for land and probate records
 * Use the nativity information to research immigration records
 * Use the race information to find records related to that ethnicity such as records of the Freedman’s Bureau or Indian censuses
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family

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

 * Try viewing the original record. Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relatives that can be verified by records
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search
 * Try variant spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * 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 Wisconsin.
 * Wisconsin 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.