Iowa State Census, 1885 - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Iowa 

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of an index to the Iowa state census taken in 1885. The population schedule names every person in the household.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information is found in these records: The 1885 census contains the following biographical information: Iowa became a territory in 1838 and a state in 1846. The state of Iowa conducted statewide censuses in the following years; 1847, 1849, 1854, 1856, 1859, 1862, 1865, 1867, 1869, 1873, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, and 1925 .
 * Name
 * Place and date of event
 * Approximate Age
 * Gender                                                                                                                                                             *Martial status                                                                                                                                                    *Occupation of individual
 * Parentage (if native or foreign) of father and mother
 * Whether subject to military duty
 * Whether entitled to vote
 * If an alien whether or not have taken out naturalization papers
 * Whether literate or not
 * Any disabilities

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * Name of the person
 * The name of a parent or date of the event

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page. br>
 * 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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Copy the citation below, in case you need to find this record again later.
 * Use the ages listed to determine approximate birth dates and find the family in additional censuses.
 * Use the information found in the record to find church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can't Find Who 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, then 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. 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.

Known Issues with This Collection
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Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation

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