Online Resources

Guides to Missouri Genealogical & Historical Research

Federal and State Census Records

A BRIEF HISTORY

The census of the United States has been taken by the federal government every ten years beginning in 1790.  The National Archives in Washington, D.C. has microfilmed many of the original population schedules from 1790 to 1930. Census records are arranged by state and county. Researchers should remember that census records often contain misspellings, inaccuracies and omissions.  Visitors to the Society may view any of these films. Copies of all available film also may be viewed at any of the twelve regional branches of the National Archives.

The State Historical Society of Missouri has a large collection of these microfilms: Missouri, 1830-1880, 1900-1930; all available film for most other states through 1880; and the 1900 census of Arkansas, Kansas, Oregon and Indian Territory.

INFORMATION FOUND IN FEDERAL POPULATION CENSUSES

Before 1850: Names the heads of households, but other persons are not named, only enumerated by sex in age groups.

Beginning in 1850: Names of all free persons are given, with age, sex, color, occupation, value of property, and birthplace (state or country).

Beginning in 1880: Also gives the birthplace (state or country) of the mother and father of each person.

1890: Destroyed by fire in Washington D.C., except for a special schedule to that census which lists living Union veterans of the Civil War or their widows. The Society has the Union Veteran schedule of 1890 for Missouri and Kentucky.

All schedules should be available from the National Archives and its branches. Limited census information from 1940 and later (unreleased census years) may be researched for a fee by writing for an application from the: Bureau of the Census, P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, IN 47131. They will search only for relatives or special cases of research. Census of 1940 and later years remain closed to the public for reasons of privacy.

INDEXES TO THE FEDERAL POPULATION CENSUSES

The Society has composite indexes to the Missouri censuses of 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860 and 1870; individual indexes to each Missouri county for 1840 and 1850; indexes to some Missouri counties for other census years; and indexes to many early censuses of other states. By an indexing system called Soundex, the National Archives has indexed all households in the 1880 census in which there was a child ten years old or younger. The Soundexes to the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930* censuses include all families. SHS has microfilm copies of the Soundexes for the 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920 censuses of Missouri; for the 1880 censuses of Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wyoming and for the 1900 census of Oklahoma.

* Soundex for Alabama, Arkansas, Flordia, Georgia, Kentucky (counties of Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Kenton, Muhlenberg, Perry, and Pike only), Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia (counties of Fayette, Harrison, Kanawha, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, adn Raleigh only).  

OTHER SCHEDULES TO FEDERAL CENSUSES

This Society has microfilm of the mortality, agricultural and industrial schedules to the censuses of Missouri for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880; the 1880 schedule of defective, dependent and delinquent classes; and the 1850 and 1860 Missouri slave schedules. The mortality schedules list persons who died during the one year preceding the taking of the census. Agricultural schedules list the farm operators, with facts about each operation. Industrial schedules list businesses and facts concerning each business. Slave schedules list only the slave owners by name. Slaves are enumerated by sex and age. The schedules described above are arranged by county, and except for a few of the mortality schedules, are not indexed and cannot be searched by Society staff members.

BORROWING CENSUS THROUGH INTERLIBRARY LOAN

Residents of Missouri may borrow microfilm of federal census records through 1880 from this Society on interlibrary loan through public or college libraries. The Soundexes and other indexes may not be borrowed. State census microfilm and transcriptions may not be borrowed. However, anyone may borrow any census or Soundex microfilm from: National Archives, Census Microfilm Rental Program, P. O. Box 30, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0030 or Heritage Quest Genealogical Services, P. O. Box 329, Bountiful, Utah, 84011, (801) 298-5446.

MISSOURI STATE CENSUSES

The Territory of Missouri took censuses in 1814, 1817, and 1819. The State of Missouri took censuses in 1821, 1824, every four years through 1868 and in 1876, the last year.  Most of these Territorial and State Censuses no longer exist.  Listed below are copies currently available:

At the State Historical Society of Missouri:

At the Missouri State Archives: