Colorado State Census, 1885 - FamilySearch Historical Records

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Collection Time Period
1885

Record Content
On June 1, 1885 a special federal census of Colorado was taken. The 1885 census included four general schedules: population, agriculture, manufactures, and mortality. These schedules are organized alphabetically by county and thereunder by the number assigned to each type of schedule. Within each type of schedule the records are arranged by enumeration district.

Population Schedule

The 1885 population schedule resembles a typical census schedule and can provide valuable information that can be used to fill the gap caused by the loss of the 1890 federal census in the 1921 Department of Commerce fire.

The first two columns provide the street name and the house number. The next two give the visitation number and the family number. As with all post-1840 census schedules, all members of the household are listed. Also listed is the relationship of each person to the head of household, their age, sex, color, and their birth month if born in the census year. Included along with each individual's personal description is information on their "civil condition"—single, married, widowed/divorced—along with a notation if the individual married during the census year.

The second half of the population schedule gives the occupation of each individual over the age of 10 and asks for the number of months he or she had been unemployed during the census year. The next section records information about the person's health. Question 15 asks, "Is the person sick or temporarily disabled? If so, what is the sickness or disability?" In questions 16 to 20, the enumerator recorded if the individual was blind, deaf and dumb, idiotic, insane, maimed, crippled, bedridden, or otherwise disabled. Questions about an individual's education are found next. The last section of the population schedule will give the birthplace of the individual and his or her parents.

Mortality Schedule

The 1885 mortality schedule enumerated all individuals who died between June 1, 1884, and May 31, 1885. This schedule was to include individuals who died within the district, even if they had no family in the district, and individuals who died outside the district but had family within the district.

These schedules include the name of the deceased, a personal description (age, sex, and color), marital status, birthplace as well as parents' birthplaces, profession, the month in which the person died, the cause of death, the length of their residency in the county, the place where disease was contracted, and the name of the attending physician.

A second smaller schedule found with the above schedule provides more information about the deceased. The first section of this schedule pertains to individuals who died within the enumeration district but who had families who resided outside the district. In this case the town, county, and state are listed for the deceased's family.

The third and final section of the 1885 mortality schedule provides a statement from the attending physician. This statement would list the primary and immediate causes of death along with a signature of the attending physician. At the bottom of each page a space was left for physician's remarks. This space was to be used if any particular malady or strange disease caused a significant number of deaths in the enumeration district, or if an unusual amount of deaths were recorded due to violence or an accident. It was also stated that all enumerators should ask the physicians in the area to examine all entries and verify or restate the information given about their patients.

Counties Included Araphoe, Archuleta, Bent Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Eagle, Elbert, El Paso, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jefferson, Lake, La Plata, Larimer, Las Amimas, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, Summit, Weld

Population Schedule Information Included

Enumeration place (locality, county, state)

Enumeration District (ED) number

Name of individual

Relationship to the head of household

Race

Gender

Age

Marital Status

Birth date

Birth location

Father's birth location

Mother's birth location

Street Address

Occupation

Length of Employment

Disability and Type

Attended School Within Year

Can Read, Write, and Speak English

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Sources of This Collection
“Colorado State Census, 1885”, database, FamilySearch; (http://familysearch.org); from Colorado Census Bureau. Digital images of originals housed in the National Archives and Records Administration, District of Columbia. FHL microfilm, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

"The Forgotten Federal Census of 1885", magazine, Prologue Magazine,

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Sample Citations:
United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71

Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

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