1880 Census Records Questions

Answers to the 1880 census records questions were to be based on the status of households on June 1, 1880.

Column Question
none name of street, in cities
none house number, in cities
1 dwelling house numbered in order of visitation
2 family numbered in order of visitation
3 name of every person whose usual place of abode on June 1, 1880 was in this family. Include all persons who were living on June 1, 1880, and no others.
4 color - white(W), black(B), mulatto(Mu), Chinese(C), Indian(I)
5 sex - male(M), female(F)
6 age at last birthday. If under 1 year, give months in fraction e.g., 8/12
7 if born within the census year, give the month
8 relationship of each person to the head of this family - whether wife, son, daughter, servant, boarder, or other
9 single
10 married
11 widowed, divorced
12 married during census year
13 profession, occupation, or trade of each person, male or female
14 number of months this person has been unemployed during the census year
15 is the person (on the day of the enumerator's visit) sick, or temporarily disabled, so as to be unable to attend to ordinary business or duties? If so, what is the sickness or disability?
16 blind
17 deaf and dumb
18 idiotic
19 insane
20 maimed, crippled, bedridden, or otherwise disabled
21 attended school within the census year
22 cannot read
23 cannot write
24 place of birth of this person, naming state or territory of the United States, or the country if of foreign birth
25 place of birth of this person's father, naming state or territory of the United States, or the country if of foreign birth
26 place of birth of this person's mother, naming state or territory of the United States, or the country if of foreign birth

Instructions to the enumerator for the 1880 US census:

  • Numbers 13, 14, 22, and 23 were not to be asked for anyone under 10 years old.
  • For entries in columns 9, 10, 11, 12, and 16-23 record the answer with the affirmative mark (/) only except in column 11 for a divorced person where they were to record a D instead.
  • Ask Number 12 only if question 10 or 11 had been answered in the affirmative.
  • Ask Number 14 only in where a gainful occupation has been recorded for column 13.
  • The 1880 US census year to be considered from June 1, 1879 to May 31, 1880.

In the 1880 census records there were 38 states (Colorado was new) enumerated. There were also 8 territories enumerated (Arizona, Dakota, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.) Also enumerated was Alaska which was non-organized. The Indian territory (Oklahoma) was not enumerated for non-Indians. Indians not taxed were not included in the regular population schedules of the 1880 census records, although some of them might be in the special Indian schedules.

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My mother and her father about 1912 when she was 4 years old