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 The first state census was taken in 1865 and continued until 1925, as the law was repealed in 1933.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

Sample Image
Click on the image for a larger view.

How Do I Search the 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 County
 * 2) Select Locality

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.

Remember to:
 * Whenever possible, look at the original record. If often has more information than the indexed record.
 * Print or download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed.
 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation found on each record or image. Familysearch wiki has a Example Research Log that you can download and use for this purpose.

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

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

 * Use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date. This date along with the place of birth can help you find a birth record. Birth records often list biographical and marital details about the parents and close relatives other than the immediate family.
 * Use the race information to find records related to that ethnicity such as records of the Freedman’s Bureau or Indian censuses.
 * Use the naturalization information to find their naturalization papers in the county court records. It can also help you locate immigration records such as a passenger list which would usually be kept at the port of entry into the United States.
 * 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 or other types of records such as school records; children’s occupations are often listed as “at school.”
 * Repeat this process with additional family members, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

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.
 * Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing This Collection
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