Michigan, Non-population Census Schedules - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes records from 1850 to 1880. It consists of images of non-population schedules for Michigan 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 censuses. Includes schedules for agriculture, industry and social statistics. The mortality schedules for those years will be published in a separate collection indexed by name. These records are part of National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publication T1164.

Record Content
Sample images for the census years 1860 through 1880 are available in the wiki article Michigan, Non-Population Census Schedules, Sample Images (FamilySearch Historical Records).

The information in the records varies by census year and schedule. You may find any of the following:


 * Date of enumeration
 * Township
 * Name of owner, agent or manager
 * Condition and value of the acreage or property
 * Value, kind and number of of livestock, produce or manufactured goods
 * Social conditions such as blind, crippled, indigent or in prison

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Name
 * Name of township

Search the Collection
To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the 'Schedule type and year' category ⇒ Select the 'County' category ⇒ Select the 'Township or Other Division' category which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example use the township and farmer's name to search for land and property records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all families with the same surname in the same general area. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related.
 * Married family members may have lived nearby but in a separate household, so you may want to search an entire town, neighboring towns, or even a county.
 * You may be able to identify an earlier generation if elderly parents were living with or close by a married child. You may be able to identify a younger generation if a young married couple still lived with one of their sets of parents.
 * Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the census.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for 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.
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census.

Related Websites

 * Michigan Census Records
 * Access Genealogy

Related Wiki Articles

 * Michigan
 * Michigan Census
 * Michigan Census Existing and Lost

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation

Image Citation