Minnesota State Census, 1905 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of indexes and images to the population schedule listing inhabitants of the State of Minnesota as of June 1, 1905

The census is a printed form that was filled in by hand by the enumerator. The record is arranged by county and by community within each county. The census does not include schedules for the counties of Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, or Pennington, as they were not yet organized at the time the census was taken.

Minnesota became a territory in 1849 and took territorial censuses in 1849, 1853, 1855, and 1857. After statehood in 1858, Minnesota took state censuses in 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, and 1905.The census was compiled to obtain a count of the population of the state to determine how many representatives the state would send to Congress. The information is generally reliable. However use the information with some caution, since the information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately falsified.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Census
 * Name of each person who lived with this family on 1 June 1905
 * Residential street/avenue address or RFD
 * Gender, age and color of each person in household
 * Place of birth (U.S. state or territory or country, if foreign born)
 * Father's place of birth
 * Mother's place of birth
 * Length of residence in state
 * Length of residence in enumeration district
 * Occupation
 * Whether an individual had served in the Spanish-American War

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection,it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The place where your ancestor lived
 * The approximate age of your ancestor
 * The names of family members who may live nearby

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor in the census, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Search for birth, marriage, and death records
 * Search for the family in federal census records
 * Search for church, land, and probate records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census
 * Consult the Minnesota Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Minnesota.
 * Minnesota Guided Research
 * Minnesota Record Finder
 * Minnesota Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Minnesota Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Minnesota Historical Society. Division of Archives and Manuscripts. Inventory to a microfilm edition of the Minnesota state population census schedules, 1905Saint Paul, Minnesota : Minnesota Historical Society, Division of Archives and Manuscripts, 1977 FHL 977.6 X23i 1905
 * Population schedules, 1905

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * P.E. Hanson, Secretary of State and Superintendent of Census, Fifth decennial census of the State of Minnesota by major and minor civil division : taken by authority of the state as of June 1, 1905Saint Paul, Minnesota : McGill-Warner Co., 1905

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.