Census Information
Census on the Internet
Census in the HSU Library
Census Schedules
Census - California Indians
Census information is one of the most important government information sources. Even though HSU became a federal depository library in 1962, the Library's census collection covers materials since the last century. This guide attempts to list the important titles in that collection and on the Internet.
CENSUS ON THE INTERNET
- American FactFinder Population, housing, economic, and geographic data from the decennial census of population and housing, the economic census, and the American Community Survey (ACS).
- Census Index (Ohio State University Libraries) Index to U.S. Census Bureau publications from 1790 to 1997
- CensusScope (University of Michigan Social Science Data Analysis Network) Presents 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census demographic information in chart, map and ranking list format. Data is available at national, state, county and metropolitan levels.
- Fedstats Provides links to statistics generated by over 100 federal agencies.
- U.S. Census Bureau The main page with lots of links. Also includes the U.S. and World population clocks.
- United States Historical Census Browser Will retrieve and format data describing the people and the economy of the U.S. gathered by every federal census from 1790 to 1960. Data is available down to the county level.
- Census of Agriculture Includes subject and geographic data for the agriculture census conducted every 5 years. Online data is available from 1992 to the present.
CENSUS IN THE HSU LIBRARY
- Census of Agriculture (Docs C3.31/4) (1925-)
- Census of Business
- 1940 (Docs C3.940-30 L97)
- 1948- (Docs C3.202/5)
- Census of Commercial Fisheries (Docs C3.234) (1960s)
- Census of Construction Industries (Docs C3.245/4) (1960s-)
- Preliminary Report (Docs C3.245/6) (1960s-)
- Special Report (Docs C3.245/5) (1960s-)
- Census of Financial, Insurance, and Real Estate Industries (Docs C3.291) (1990)
- Census of Governments (Docs C3.145) (1950s-)
- Advance Releases CGA (Docs C3.145/2) (1950s-)
- Census of Housing
- 1940 (Docs C3.940-30, 32, 33, 34)
- 1950 (Docs C3.950-8/3)
- 1960 (Docs C3.224/9)
- 1970 (Docs C3.224/3)
- 1980 (Docs C3.224/3)
- 1990 (Docs C3.224/3)
- Census of Local Jails (Docs J29.21) (1980s-)
- Census of Manufactures (Docs C3.24) (1914-)
- Census of Mineral Industries (Docs C3.216) (1950s-)
- Census of Population - The Library has census of population data since 1850. These volumes are housed in the Government Documents area on the third floor. The call numbers are:
- 1850 (Docs I8.5)
- 1860 (Docs I9.5)
- 1870 (Docs I11.2)
- 1880 (Docs I12.5)
- 1890 (Docs I13.5)
- 1910 (Docs C3.16)
- 1920 (Docs C3.28/5)
- 1930 (Docs C3.37/5)
- 1940 (Docs C3.940/5)
- 1950 (Docs C3.950.5)
- 1960 (Docs C3.223/9)
- 1970 (Docs C3.223/9)
- 1980 (Docs C3.223/8)
- 1990 (Docs C3.223/7)
- 2000 California Summary Tape File 3 (ref HA 201.122 C46 C2 2002--cd-rom)
- Census of Retail Trade
- 1970 (Docs C3.202/5-1)
- 1990 (Docs C3.255)
- Census of Selected Service Industries (Docs C3.202/5-3) (1972)
- Census of Service Industries (Docs C3.202/5 and Docs C3.257) (1948-)
- Census of State Adult Correctional Facilities (Docs J29.16)
- Census of Transportation (Docs C3.233) (1963-)
- Census of Civil Aircraft (Docs TD4.18) (1964-)
- Census of Whole Sale Trade (Docs C3.202/5-2 and Docs C3.256) (1948-)
- Census Tract Papers (Docs C3.227/2) (1965-)
- Reports (1980 California Census Tract) (Docs C3.223/11) (1960-)
CENSUS SCHEDULES
Census Schedules are the handwritten information sheets recorded by Census takers for every population census since 1790. The schedules were usually large or ledger-sized pages. The information was recorded in the order in which the Census taker visited homes. In the 1940s, the schedules were microfilmed and the originals destroyed.
Census Schedules include the names of individuals and a varying amount of detail about their social and economic conditions. Genealogists often use the them for their initial research. Information from any given census is released 72 years after the date it was taken in order to protect the privacy of individuals. The latest Census schedules currently available are from the 1930 Census.
Information on the Census Schedules varies with the year the Census was taken. For example, literacy was first asked in 1830 and place of birth in 1850. Sample questionnaires appear in Population and Housing Inquiries in U.S. Decennial Censuses, 1790-1970 (Docs C3.214:39).
A very useful collection of links for historians, focusing on California sources, is Genealogy Information from the Meriam Library at CHU Chico.
A complete digital set of the scanned microfilmed Census Schedules from 1790 to 1930 is available from the Internet Archive. The 1940 Census will be freely available online on April 2, 2012, at the National Archives.
Holdings at HSU. Microfilm for the State of California, 1850-1920, and for Northwestern California, 1930, is located on the second floor under the call number MF 245. The original 1890 Census was destroyed in a Washington, D.C. fire and is unavailable anywhere in the nation. See also:- Humboldt County, California 1860 census schedule 1: a transcription with notes by Ann Hunt (HumCo HA 267 H8 1860 H86 2008)
- Original census returns of Humboldt County for the year A.D. 1860, by William C. Espie (HumCo HA 267 H8 1860 E78 1986 - oversize)
- US Gen Web transcription of 1860 census for Humboldt County
- California census of 1852 (microfilm MF2532, Klamath County on reel 1 and Trinity County on reel 3)
- 1852 census [of California: Trinity County], taken by William C. Estes, transcribed by Rita Hanover, ca 1980? (HumCo HA 267 T6 1852 E78)
- Index to the 1850 Census of the State of California, compiled by Alan P. Bowman (HumCo HA 267 H8 1850 Index)
CENSUS - CALIFORNIA INDIANS
- Native Americans in the Census, 1860–1890
- The USGenWeb Project: Native American
- For discussion of the various censuses of California Indians, see Cook, The Population of the California Indians, 1769-1970 (Ref E78.C15 C698 1976) and chapters on Treaties and Litigation and its effects from the California volume of the Handbook of North American Indians (Ref E76.2 .H36).
- California special Indian census 1910: National Archives film M595, roll 12 / edited and indexed by Larry S. Watson. (HumCo E78 C15 W38 1993, another copy in Reference)
- Census of non-reservation California Indians, 1905-1906 / C.E. Kelsey (HumCo E78 C15 K45) Full text is online through AnthroHub.
- Copy of role approved in 1933, listing the Indians of California qualified under sec. 1 of the act of May, 18, 1928. (HumCo E78.C15 C6982 1933 – by appointment) This is the 1928 “Great Roll.” See also the complete microfilm of this census on microfilm, MF2663,and MF2664, M1853.
- Indian agency census: population, Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation 1887-1899 / Office of Indian Affairs, 13 annual folders. (HumCo E99.H8 I53 1887)