Census Research Guide: 1890

These are computer files intended to be loaded into statistical software for analysis and creating your own tables. In some cases these files can be used with spreadsheet software as well.

Census population schedules (or "name schedules" or "manuscript census") are copies of the original questionnaires collected during each decennial census. They list the individual names and family information of the people enumerated. Unlike the statistics published soon after the census, the population schedules remain confidential for 72 years. Virtually all of the 1890 schedules were destroyed by a fire in 1921. 1930 is the most recent population schedule available.

• Online version: Heritage Quest [UCSD only]

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Highlights

• 11th decennial census
• US population: 62,947,714
• California population: 1,213,398
• Electrical tabulating machines first used.
• First census to use a separate questionnaire for each household.

Questions asked

Address; name; relationship to head of family; race; sex; age; marital status; number of families in house; number of persons in house; number of persons in family; whether a soldier, sailor or marine during Civil War (Union or Confederate) or widow of such person; whether married during census year; for women, number of children born, and number now living; place of birth of person and parents; if foreign born, number of years in the U.S., whether naturalized or whether naturalization papers had been taken out; profession, trade, or occupation; months unemployed during census year; months attended school during census year; literacy; whether able to speak English, and if not, language or dialect spoken; whether suffering from acute or chronic disease, with name of disease and length of time afflicted; whether defective in mind, sight, hearing or speech, or whether crippled, maimed, or deformed, with name of defect; whether a prisoner, convict, homeless child, or pauper; home rented or owned by head or member of family; if owned by head or member, whether mortgaged; if head of family a farmer, whether farm rented or owned by him or member of his family; if owned, whether mortgaged; if mortgaged, post office address of owner. Supplemental schedules for the Indian population; for persons who died during the year; insane; feeble-minded and idiots; deaf; blind; diseased and physically defective; inmates of benevolent institutions; prisoners; paupers and indigent persons; surviving soldiers, sailors, and marines, and widows of such; inmates of soldier's homes.

For more information:

For more information:

Find all 1890 census publications in the Library.

Multi-year census compilations (compare across years): These sources tend to include statistics for large geographic areas (e.g. states), but can be very useful when comparing statistics over time.

Key publications: