Microforms Research Collections: Louisiana Census Rolls, 1810-1930

Location: Louisiana Collection (4th floor)

Microfilm Cabinet 19 and continued in Cabinet 20 A.

Scope: The UNO Library has a collection of all manuscript census rolls for all Louisiana parishes for the 1810 Census through the 1930 Census (except for the 1890 census which was destroyed in a fire). In addition the Soundex index rolls for the years 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 are also available.

How to search the collection:
The amount of information taken by the 19th and early 20th century decennial census rolls vary with the early 1800’s censuses containing very little information until the 1850 thru 1930 censuses which give much more information for genealogists. You can also see how the various census data sheets changed from the first census in 1790 to the 15th census in 1930 in, Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses From 1790 to 2000.

CENSUS INDEXES: 1810-1870

The UNO Library has print AIS (Accelerated Indexing System) indexes available for the years 1810-1870 in the Louisiana Collection on the Fourth Floor under the following call numbers:

1810 Census Index: F 368.J28
1820 Census Index: F 368.J29
1830 Census Index: F 368.J3
1840 Census Index: F 368.J32
1850 Census Index: F 368.J33
1860 Census Index: F 368.J34
1870 Census Index: F 368.S74 or F368.J344

For helpful hints on information provided in the 1850-1870 AIS (Accelerated Indexing System) indexes to the Louisiana census (with emphasis on New Orleans) written by the New Orleans Public Library, click here: http://nutrias.org/~nopl/info/louinfo/census2.htm for 1860-1870 or
http://nutrias.org/~nopl/info/louinfo/louinfo5.htm for 1850

The Multimedia Collection has the Louisiana census rolls from the third through the 15th censuses (except for 1890 which was destroyed in a fire). The following information is given on these rolls:
 

 

THIRD CENSUS : 1810

Reflects living standards on the 1st Monday, August, 1810.

Information recorded includes:
 

• Name of head of family/household
• Number of free white males and females in the following age brackets: under 10, 10-15, 16-25, 26-45, and over 45 including head of house
• Number of all other free persons
• Number of slaves

FOURTH CENSUS : 1820

Reflects living standards for the 1st Monday, August 1820.

Information recorded includes:
 

• Name of head of household
• Number of free white male and female in the following age brackets: under 10, 10-15, 16-25, 26-45, over 45 including head of household
• Number of male and female slaves and free "colored" in these age brackets: under 14, 14-25, 26-45, and over 45

FIFTH CENSUS : 1830

Reflects living standards on June 1, 1830 "Census Day"

Information recorded includes:
 

• Name of head of household
• Number of free white male and females in the following age brackets: under 5, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, 90-99, and over 100
• Number of male and female slaves and free Blacks in these age brackets: under 10, 10-23, 24-35, 36-45, 55-100, and over 100
• Number of white "deaf and dumb" persons under 14, 14-24, 25 and over
• Number of white persons who are blind
• Number of alien foreigners not naturalized

SIXTH CENSUS : 1840

Reflects living standards on June 1, 1840 "Census Day"

Information recorded includes:
 

• Name of county, city, ward, township, parish or precinct
• Name of head of household
• Number of free white male and female, same age brackets for 1830
• Number of male and female slaves, same age brackets for 1830
• Occupations of employed family members
• Number of persons in school
• Number of persons over 21 who cannot read nor write
• Number of persons who are "insane"
• Name and age of Revolutionary War Pensions

SEVENTH CENSUS : 1850

Reflects living standards on June 1, 1850 "Census Day"

Information recorded includes:
 

• Name of village, town, city, township or district
• County or parish
• State
• Name of enumerator (person taking the census)
• Dwelling or house number (this is not an address as we know it)
• Family Number (Note: dwelling & family number’s differ because a dwelling may house multiple families)
• Name of every person in household on "Census Day"
• Age, Sex, Color
• Profession, occupation or trade of each male over age 15
• Value of real estate
• Place of birth
• Married within the year
• Attended school within the year
• Persons over 20 who could not read or write
• Whether person was deaf & dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, a pauper, or a convict

EIGHTH CENSUS : 1860

Reflects living standards on June 1, 1860 "Census Day"

Information recorded includes:
 

• Same information as included in 1850 census
• With that addition of the value of personal estate

NINTH CENSUS : 1870

Reflects living standards on June 1, 1870 "Census Day"

Information recorded includes:
 

• Name of every person living in household on "Census Day"
• Age at last birthday
• Place of birth
• Sex
• Color
• Profession, Occupation, or trade of every person in household
• Value of real estate
• Name of father and mother of foreign birth
• Name of male citizens of U.S. aged 21 and over
• Name of male citizens of U.S. aged 21 and over who denied the vote
• Whether attended school within the year
• Whether persons in the household could not read or write
• Whether persons were deaf & dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic

TENTH CENSUS : 1880

Reflects living standards on June 1, 1880 "Census Day"

Information recorded includes:
 

• Name of every person living in household on "Census Day"
• Age, Sex, and Color
• Relationship of the person to the head of the household
• Single, Married, Widowed, or Divorced
• Whether married within census year
• Profession, Occupation, or trade of every person living in household
• Whether sick or temporarily disabled; if so, name of sickness/disability
• Whether blind, deaf & dumb, idiotic, insane, maimed, crippled, bedridden
• Whether can read and write
• Place of birth
• Father’s and Mother’s Place of birth

Note Concerning the 10th Census: Beginning with this census taken in 1880, many families enumerated were indexed using the SOUNDEX SYSTEM. A census "Soundex" is a phonetic index in which last names are grouped by how they sound rather than how they are spelled. The 1880 census Soundex only includes families with children aged 10 years or younger. Families without children in that age group do not appear in the Soundex, but are listed in the actual census forms.

Click here to learn how to find your Soundex Code number:
http://resources.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/soundexconverter

ELEVENTH CENSUS : 1890

Reflects living standards on June 1, 1890 "Census Day"

Note: Most of the original 1890 population schedules were destroyed or badly damaged by a fire in the Commerce Department in Washington in 1921. Since these records were destroyed before being microfilmed they are not available.

TWELFTH CENSUS : 1900

Reflects living standards on June 1, 1900
This census is complete, none of it was destroyed.

Information recorded includes:
 

• Name of every person living in household on Census Day
• Relationship of each person to the head of household
• Sex, Color or race
• Date of birth
• Age at last birthday
• Single, Married, Widowed, or Divorced
• Number of years married
• Number of children per mother and how many of those still living
• Whether attended school during year
• Whether owned or rented, if owned: whether owned free or mortgaged
• Whether property is farm or house and number of farm schedule
• Place of birth
• Father’s and Mother’s place of birth
• Year arrived in U.S. and number of years in the U.S.
• Naturalization Status
• Occupation and number of months un-employed

Note:The 1900 Census was indexed completely using the Soundex System.
Click here to learn how to find your Soundex Code number: http://resources.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/soundexconverter


THIRTEENTH CENSUS: 1910

Reflects living standards on June 1, 1910.

Information recorded includes:
 

• Name of every living person in household on Census Day
• Relationship to head of household
• Sex
• Color or Race
• Age at last birthday
• Marital status
• Length of present marriage
• If a mother, number of children and number of living children
• Place of birth
• Place of birth of parents
• If foreign born, year of immigration and citizenship status
• Language spoken
• Occupation
• Type of industry employed in
• If employer, employee, or self-employed
• If unemployed number of weeks unemployed in 1909
• Ability to read and write
• If attended daytime school since Sept. 1, 1909
• If home is rented or owned
• If home is owned, free or mortgaged
• If home is a house or a farm
• If a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy
• If blind in both eyes
• If deaf and dumb

Note: The 1910 Census is indexed using both the Soundex and Miracode systems. The Miracode system which uses the same code numbers as the Soundex was used for Orleans and Caddo parishes while the rest of the state used the Soundex system. The only difference involved the information provided on the Soundex and Miracode cards. Both the Soundex and Miracode contain the following information on cards: surname, first name, State and county of residence, city (if appropriate), race, age, and place of birth. Each card also lists the volume number and enumeration district number of the census schedule from which the information was obtained. A Miracode card lists the visitation number assigned by the enumerator, while a Soundex card shows the page and line numbers on the appropriate census schedule. For those people living in Orleans or Caddo, check the “number of dwelling in order of visitation” column (usually 2d or 3d) on the census schedule to find the name more quickly. For other parts of the state the Soundex gives the sheet (page) number and line number (as well as the volume and enumeration district) of the name you are searching for. Use the following link to get your Soundex or Miracode numbers. http://resources.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/soundexconverter



FOURTEENTH CENSUS: 1920

Reflects living standards on January 1, 1920. The 1920 census schedule closely resembles the 1910 schedule, but omitted questions about unemployment, service in the Union or Confederate army or navy, the number of children born and how long a couple had been married. The 1920 census included four new questions: one asking the year of naturalization and three about mother tongue. Because of changes in some boundaries following World War I, enumerators were instructed to report the province (state or region) or city of persons declaring they or their parents had been born in Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia, or Turkey. If they were from other countries, only the name of the country was entered. Race determination was based on enumerator’s impressions.

Information recorded includes:
 

• Place of abode: street, avenue, road, etc.
• House number or farm
• Number of dwelling house in order of visitation
• Number of family in order of visitation
• Name of every living person in household on Census Day
• Relationship to head of household
• Home owned or rented
• If owned, free or mortgaged
• Sex
• Color or Race
• Age at last birthday
• Marital status
• Year of immigration to the U.S
• Naturalized or alien
• If naturalized, year of naturalization
• Attended school any time since Sept.1, 1919
• Whether able to read
• Whether able to write
• Place of birth
• Mother tongue
• Place of birth of father
• Mother tongue of father
• Place of birth of mother
• Mother tongue of mother
• Whether able to speak English
• Occupation: trade, profession, or particular kind of work done
• Type of industry employed in
• If employer, employee, or self-employed
• Number of farm schedule

Note: For the 1920 Census, the Soundex Index was used and all Louisiana parishes including Orleans and Caddo were indexed together. The Census Bureau used two separate Soundex cards, the “family card” and the “individual card.” Both types of cards are arranged numerically by the Soundex code and then alphabetically by the first name of the head of the household on the family cards and the first name of the individual on the individual cards. The individual card gives the names of people other than those in the immediate household (husband, wife, son, daughter) that are enumerated with a family. These include grandparents, cousins, boarders, and servants. The card also shows the name of the head of the household or the institution name where the person is living. Use the following link to get your Soundex numbers. http://resources.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/soundexconverter



FIFTEENTH CENSUS: 1930

Reflects standards on April 1, 1930. The 1930 Census looks very much like the 1920 Census. Information recorded includes:
 

• Place of abode: street, avenue, road, etc.
• House number (in cities or towns)
• Number of dwelling in order of visitation
• Number of family in order of visitation
• Name of each person whose place of abode on Apr. 1 was in this family
• Relationship of person to head of family
• Home owned or rented
• Value of home (if owned, or monthly rental, if rented)
• Radio set
• Does family live on a farm?
• Sex
• Color or race
• Age at last birthday
• Marital condition
• Age at first marriage
• Attended school or college any time since Sept. 1, 1929
• Whether able to read or write
• Place of birth of person, father, and mother
• Language spoken in home before coming to the U.S.
• Year of immigration to the U.S.
• Naturalized or alien
• Whether able to speak English
• Occupation (trade, profession or particular kind of work)
• Industry or business
• Employment : Yes or No
• Whether a veteran of the U.S. Military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition: Yes or No and list which war or expedition

The 1930 Census was indexed using the Soundex system. Click here to get your Soundex Code numbers: http://resources.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/soundexconverter