United States Census, 1890 - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This article describes the surviving population and veteran (Union Army and Navy and widows) schedules. Most of the 1890 census materials were destroyed in a 1921 fire. Index and images of the surviving population schedules for 6,160 names exist only for the states of Alabama, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas. The schedules are from Record Group 29, Records of the Bureau of the Census and is NARA microfilm publication M407.


 *  Related Content
 * Logbook of Frank Lowell, Special Agent, Alaska District No. 2, 1890 Census. NAID 202288465
 * 1890 Census, Delaware

The U.S. federal census was conducted each decade from 1790-present. This information pertains to censuses conducted in 1850, 1860, and 1870.

Federal census takers were asked to record information about all those who were in each household on the census day, which was 1 June. A census taker might have visited a house on a later date, but the information he collected was supposed to be about the people who were in the house on the census day. The basic census enumeration unit was the county. Each county was divided into enumeration districts, one for each enumerator. The completed forms were sent to the Census Office in the Commerce Department in Washington D.C.

The U.S. federal census was taken at the beginning of every decade to apportion the number of representatives that a state could send to the House of Representatives in Congress. In the absence of a national system of vital registration, many vital statistics and personal questions were asked to provide a statistical profile of the nation and its states.

Population schedules consisted of large sheets with rows and columns. The schedules were arranged by place, such as township or post office. The places were not filed in any particular order. The arrangement of families on a schedule is normally in the order in which the enumerator visited the households.

Federal 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 falsified.

 Related State Census Collections 


 * Iowa, 1895
 * Kansas, 1895
 * Michigan, 1894
 * Minnesota, 1895
 * New Jersey, 1895
 * New York, 1892
 * New York City, Police Census 1890
 * Wisconsin, 1895

Related Articles


 * Kelle Blake. "First in the Path of the Firemen. The Fate of the 1890 Population Census, Part 1" Prologue 28 (Spring, 1996)
 * Christopher A. Nordmann. "Substitutes for the 1890 Census." NGS Magazine 33 #4 (October-December 2007): 23-26.
 * Evangeline Thurber. "The 1890 Census Records of the Veterans of the Union Army." National Genealogical Society Quarterly pp. 7-9

To Browse the Veteran Schedules
Index and images of surviving veteran schedules enumerating Union veterans and widows of veterans of the Civil War for the states of Kentucky through Wyoming. Some returns include U.S. Naval Vessels and Navy Yards. The schedules are from Record Group 15, Records of the Veterans Administration and is NARA microfilm publication M123. See also Evangeline Thurber. "The 1890 Census Records of the Veterans of the Union Army" published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 3

Veterans and widows schedule • 2

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search you will need to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The residence of your ancestor
 * The age of your ancestor

United States Census, 1890
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United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890
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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 estimated birth year 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 military service information to locate their military files in the State or National Archives

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * United States Research Tips and Strategies
 * Beginning Research in United States Census Records
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records

Related Family History Library Holdings

 * Schedules enumerating Union veterans and widows of Union veterans of the Civil War
 * Population schedules of the eleventh census of the United States, 1890
 * Plans of division into enumeration districts, eleventh census, 1890 : NA T1224

Related FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

 * United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890
 * United States General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934
 * United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917
 * United States Civil War Widows and Other Dependents Pension Files, 1861-1934
 * United States National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938
 * Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865

Related Digital Books

 * The history and growth of the United States census : prepared for the Senate Committee on the Census

Citing This Collection
Estados Unidos, censo de 1890 (registros históricos de FamilySearch) Estados Unidos, Censo, 1890 (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)