THE MISSING 1890 FEDERAL CENSUS: The Eleventh Census of the United States taken in June 1890 would have provided a wonderful study of our country if available today. Over 47,000 enumerators usually chosen by political appointment, distributed the schedules in advance to give the residents time to complete the forms. Once completed the population of the US topped over 62 million individuals. Shortly before publication in 1896, the original 1890 special schedules for mortality, crime, pauperism and benevolence, special classes, and portions of the transportation and insurance schedules were damaged and finally destroyed by the Department of the Interior. According to a 1903 census clerk the general population schedules seemed to be in good shape at that time. However, disaster struck in the afternoon of January 10, 1921, when a building fireman reported seeing smoke in the Commerce Building where the schedules were located in the basement. The fire department was called and the fire was contained to the basement level of the building. However, water flooded most of the area. After the fire was extinguished, no immediate surveys were done of the damage. The records were allowed to remain soaking in water overnight and the next morning when the damage was assessed, the census director, Sam Rogers sent a note to the Secretary of Commerce reporting: ...a cursory examination show that the census schedules from 1790 to and including 1870, with the exception of those for 1830 and 1840, are on the fifth floor of the Commerce Building and have not been damaged. The schedules of the censuses of 1830, 1840, 1880, 1900 and 1910 have been damaged by water, and it is estimated that ten percent of these schedules will have to be opened and dried and some of them recopied. These schedules were located in the basement in a vault considered at the time to be fire and waterproof, but the archivist discovered a small broken pane of glass, which allowed water to seep in damaging the schedules located in low shelves." The 1890 schedule did not fair as well as it was located outside the vault. Approximately 25 percent of these schedules have been destroyed and it is estimated the 50 per cent of the remainder have been damaged by water, smoke and fire. The cause of the 1921 fire was never determined. Although some speculate that a worker in the basement was smoking and set off the blaze, others believe that bundles of papers spontaneously combusted causing the blaze. The remaining schedules of the 1890 census abandoned by the government, survived for many years. Rumors speculated that Census Director Sam Rogers had recommended that the schedules be destroyed. The public and historians were outraged and began a letter writing campaign which resulted in everyone being told that the records were NOT going to be destroyed and plans were being made to provide a suitable archive. In May of 1921, the census remained in temporary storage and the new census director William Steuart reported that they would gradually deteriorate, so they were returned to the census building for storage at his order. Ten years would pass and finally in December of 1932, the Chief clerk of the Bureau of Census sent the Librarian of Congress a list of papers to destroy. Included in the list was Item 22, "Schedules, Population-1890, Original." The librarian gave the OK to destroy these records including the 1890 Census Schedule. Congress authorized the destruction. Sadly, just one day before Congress authorized the destruction of the census, President Herbert Hoover laid the cornerstone of the permanent National Archives building. Many researchers fail to realize that some of the original schedules still exists. In 1942 during the move to the new building, a bundle of the Illinois schedules appeared during a shipment. In 1953, more fragments were discovered including those from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and the District of Columbia. The remnants of the 1890 census have been filmed and are available through many sources. There are only three rolls of microfilm containing the records. Only about 6,000 names are listed on these precious pieces of our past. According to the National Archives, the ONLY surviving U.S. census records for 1890 are as follows: ALABAMA-Perry County; two precincts only. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-two precincts only. GEORGIA-part of Muscogee County- town of Columbus only ILLINOIS-only one precinct in McDonough Co. MINNESOTA-Rockford precinct in Wright Co. NEW JERSEY-Jersey City in Hudson Co. NEW YORK-two townships in two counties: Westchester and Suffolk. NORTH CAROLINA-two townships in Gaston Co, and one in Cleveland Co. OHIO-Cincinnati in Ellis Co, and Wayne township in Clinton Co. SO DAKOTA-one township in Union Co. TEXAS-three precinct is Ellis Co, one in Hood Co, parts of two precincts in Rusk, two in Trinty Co, and one in Kaufman. - ------------------------------ Please go to url in my below signature for more on this and other This and That Genealogy Tips. ----Shirley Hornbeck - hornbeck@s-hornbeck.com MY HOME PAGE: <http://www.s-hornbeck.com/home.htm> HORNBECK SURNAME RESOURCE CETER: <http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hornbeck/hsrc/home.htm> THIS & THAT GENEALOGY TIPS: <http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hornbeck> My book - THIS AND THAT GENEALOGY TIPS is published by Genealogical Publishing Co. Order from: <http://www.genealogybookshop.com/genealogybookshop/files/General,General_Re ference/9377.html> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++