What Happened to the 1890 US Federal Census

Most of 1890 Census Destroyed by Fire, Water, Bureaucratic Mistakes

Nov 11, 2009

Fire, smoke and water damaged much of the 1890 US Census in 1921. Most of the remaining records were destroyed by bureaucracy and lack of care.

Genealogists mourn the loss of the 1890 US federal census, which is largely attributed to a fire in 1921. Kellee Blake’s article, “First in the Path of the Firemen: The Fate of the 1890 Population Census” in the Spring 1996 volume of NARA’s Prologue magazine, gives extensive details.

Here is a summary version of what really happened to these important records, plus ideas for research without the 1890 census.

Where was the 1890 Census Stored?

US censuses are taken every ten years. For the 1790 through 1880 censuses, county clerks sent copies to state and federal offices. Unfortunately, in 1890 the county clerks were not required to keep their own copies. The originals were sent to Washington.

The Department of the Interior had charge of the census. Officials, genealogy societies, and members of the public were requesting a separate building for historical archives, but in the meantime, the 1890 census ended up in stacks on shelves in the Commerce Building basement, outside the fireproof vault that held other census records.

Fire and Water Damage Census Records

An earlier fire in 1896 badly damaged the special schedules of the 1890 census, including mortality schedules, and details of crime, poverty, and the blind/deaf/dumb/insane population. However, the 1890 general population schedule was in good condition.

On January 10, 1921, a fire started in the Commerce Building basement about 5:00 pm. The fire department was called as soon as smoke was noticed and flooded the fire until 10:30 at night.

Thick stacks of paper do not burn easily, but because of their position on the floor, the 1890 census returns took the brunt of the water from the fire hoses. About 25% was destroyed completely, but only half of the rest was damaged by water, smoke and/or fire. There was hope that if the census pages could be separated, dried, and possibly re-copied, at least a portion of it could be salvaged. But it would need to start immediately and would require several years to accomplish.

Salvage efforts were stymied, however, because insurance investigators would not allow access. The records were finally moved at the end of the month to temporary storage, and then eventually back to the census building to be somewhat organized.

Census Destroyed by Mistake?

In the end, it was inattention and government bureaucracy that finally destroyed the 1890 census. The records were left damaged, and in 1932 they were included on a list of papers to be destroyed. The Library of Congress checked the list for anything of historical interest, but the 1890 census schedules seem to have been overlooked. Congress authorized destruction of all items on the list in 1933, and the 1890 census was finally destroyed in 1934/35.

Creation of National Archives

The need for a national archives had been discussed before, but the 1921 fire built even stronger support for the idea. The National Archives, now called the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), was finally formed in 1935. It has the responsibility for the safe storage and accessibility of historically important documents in the U.S., including the federal census records.

1890 Census Fragments Found

In 1942 and again in 1953, NARA officials found fragments of the 1890 census, including returns from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington DC. These are available on microfilm, and contain more than 6,000 names.

While 6,000+ names doesn’t sound like much, genealogists looking for 1890 records should always check these fragments. If ancestors are not found there, census substitutes such as veteran's schedules, tax and voter lists and land records can provide vital information.

Sources

The copyright of the article What Happened to the 1890 US Federal Census in Genealogy is owned by Jennifer Jensen. Permission to republish What Happened to the 1890 US Federal Census in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.