The 1890 census is a source of constant consternation to genealogists. The United States has taken a national census every 10 years since 1790. Through 1840, only the names of heads of households were recorded, along with the number of every one of each gender who fell into certain age groups. It was harder to trace families with earlier censuses, but not impossible.
Beginning in 1850, the free population schedules named each household member. Enslaved people were recorded separately without their names in most federal slave schedules. This was a vast improvement, and new information on each family member was added with each census year.
By the time of the 1880 census, we were being told:
- The names of everyone in the household, including servants
- Their ages
- How they were related to the head of the household
- Where their parents were born
- Whether they could read or write
- Whether they had gone to school in the past year
The 1880 census schedules also recorded occupation and marital status. Questions about immigration, language, and home ownership varied in later census years. That information painted a big picture of the family that genealogists continue to find extremely useful today.
The 1890 Census Disaster
The 1890 census promised to provide even more information on our ancestors, and it did. A fire in the Commerce Department building on January 10, 1921, damaged many schedules. Water and smoke added to the damage. The loss was not caused by that fire alone: most remaining population schedules were later authorized for disposal and destroyed in the 1930s. Only small fragments remain. If you are lucky, an ancestor may appear in them. The National Archives explains the full history.
Fragments that survived came from scattered counties (no records from an entire state survived) in the following states:
- Alabama (Perry County)
- Washington, D.C.
- Georgia (Muscogee County)
- Illinois (McDonough County)
- Minnesota (Wright County)
- New Jersey (Hudson County)
- New York (Suffolk and Westchester Counties)
- North Carolina (Cleveland and Gaston Counties)
- Ohio (Clinton and Hamilton Counties)
- South Dakota (Union County)
- Texas (Ellis, Hood, Kaufman, Rusk, and Trinity Counties)
You can search these surviving 1890 census fragments online at Ancestry.com. Check the National Archives guide to surviving 1890 records and the FamilySearch Catalog for other access options. FamilySearch ended microfilm lending in 2017. Its current digital-access guide explains viewing restrictions.
Where Can You Find Information on Your Ancestors in 1890?
If your ancestors didn’t live in one of these counties in 1890, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find out anything about them during that time. Many beginning genealogists get frustrated with the 20-year gap in census records from 1880 to 1900. A lot can change in a family at that time, after all. The good news is that there are alternate record sources that can help you fill in those blanks. Among them are:
City Directories
These are some of the best sources for discovering ancestors in 1890 and in all the years between 1880 and 1900. Most cities of moderate to large size put them out starting just after the Civil War. You will often find listings for entire families, or for heads of households with other family members listed as living nearby. You’ll discover their street address, and usually their occupation, as well.
The Veteran’s Census
The special 1890 schedules may identify Union veterans and their widows. They can give an address, unit, rank, service dates, disability, and remarks. They do not provide complete nationwide coverage: nearly all schedules for Alabama through Kansas, and about half of Kentucky, are missing. An absent entry does not prove your ancestor did not serve. See the Census Bureau coverage guide.
State Census Records
Not every state took a state census, but many of them did. These censuses were usually done in between the regular national censuses, typically in years ending in a 5 (though not always). For example, New York took state censuses in 1892 and 1905, as well as several earlier years. Florida also has state censuses to fill in the blanks, such as the 1885 state census.
Other states have similar censuses that give almost or just as much information as a national census. They are excellent for filling in the missing national census years. Check state archives and libraries, FamilySearch, and Ancestry for access. The New York State Library lists surviving census years by county.
The loss of the 1890 census was a great one for genealogists. It contained information on our ancestors at that time that can never be recovered. Fortunately, there are additional avenues of research we can pursue to put the pieces back together. If you are frustrated about the lack of 1890 census information, try some of these alternate record sources. You may find exactly what you were looking for in the lost census.
Learn More
1890 Veterans’ Schedules: U.S. Selected States — Free Lookups
