Research Guides: Microform Research Sets: U.S. Census Schedules for Arkansas (Manuscript Census)

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National Archives: Search Census Records Online
A growing collection both fee and free services with historical census schedules
Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940
The National Archives provides search access to the full 1940 census.
1950 Census
The National Archives provides free access to the 1950 schedules.

About this Collection

U.S. Census Schedules for Arkansas (Manuscript Census)

Also called: Manuscript Census
Location: Library Annex LISA
see below for detailed location and call number information
Format: Microfilm
Items: Several hundred reels of film
Arrangement: Arranged by county and township within each census year.
A good guide to earlier county boundaries and names is Throndale's Map Guide to the Federal Census.
For Arkansas township names and boundaries, see Russell Baker's Arkansas township atlas: 1819-1930
Publication: U.S. National Archives
Content: The census schedules (sometimes called the "Manuscript Census" or the "Enumerated Census") are the handwritten ledgers of house-by-house information gathered by census takers.; Census schedules provide valuable information for the genealogist or local historian. Questions asked of each householder vary from census to census but usually include the names, ages, race, gender, and occupations of persons in the household (there are separate slave censuses for several years) as well as country of origin, and, in some years, religion affiliation, years of schooling / literacy, and land or property ownership.
Census schedules are usually not made available until 70 years after the census date to protect the privacy of respondents.

For more information about census schedules:

Locations and Call Numbers

Population

Census of the United States. Population, 1830-1910. Arkansas
Library Annex LISA Microfilm ; F410 .C458
Census of the United States. Population,Slave Schedules, 1850 - 1860. Arkansas
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 .C458.

The so called "slave schedules" are separate enumerations of enslaved persons by county. There are appended at the end of the population schedules for each state. These schedules did not record personal names but instead provided the name of the slave holder as well as the gender, age, and "color" of the enslaved persons in that household.

All counties for 1850 are at barcode 35129012441065
The two reels from 1860 cover Arkansas - Jefferson counties and Johnson - Yell counties at barcodes 35129013133240 and 35129012440893.
14th census of population 1920 Arkansas.
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 .C458 1920a
15th census, population, 1930.
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 .C458 1930a

Agriculture

[Seventh census of the United States, 1850, Arkansas, agriculture].
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 .C42 1850a
1 reel
[Eighth census of the United States, 1860, Arkansas, agriculture, counties]
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 .C42 1860a
2 reels
[Ninth census of the United States, 1870, Arkansas, agriculture].
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 .C42 1870a
3 reels
[Tenth census of the United States, 1880, Arkansas, agriculture].
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 .C42 1880a
10 reels

Manufacturing

[Seventh census of the United States, 1850, Arkansas, products of industry]
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 C44 (on same reel as 1860 and 1870)
[Eighth census of the United States, 1860, Arkansas, products of industry]
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 .C44 (on same reel as 1850 and 1870)
[Ninth census of the United States, 1870, Arkansas, products of industry]
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 C44 (on same reel as 1850 and 1860)
[Tenth census of the United States, 1880, Arkansas, manufactures]
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 .C45 1880a

Mortality

[Seventh census of the United States, 1850, Arkansas, mortality]
Library Annex LISA Microfilm ; F410 .C46 (on same reel as 1860 and 1870)
[Eighth census of the United States, 1860, Arkansas, mortality]
Library Annex LISA Microfilm ; F410 .C46 (on same reel as 1850 and 1870)
[Ninth census of the United States, 1870, Arkansas, mortality]
Library Annex LISA Microfilm ; F410 .C46 (on same reel as 1850 and 1860)
[Tenth census of the United States, 1880, Arkansas, mortality]
Library Annex LISA Microfilm F410 .C46 1880a

Social Statistics

[Census of the United States social statistics : Arkansas] (7th - 9th censuses, 1850 - 1870)
Library Annex LISA Microfilm ; F410 .C446

Indexes and Guides

While online searching is now the easiest way to located specific names there are printed indexes to the population schedules.

For 1920 and 1930, the Libraries have a Soundex index to names located at Library Annex LISA Microfilm F 410 .I52 920a and F 410 .I52 1930a.

There are a number of specialized indexes for individual counties in Special Collection; these can be found by searching the Library Catalog under the subject [county name] ark--census, e.g., "Johnson County Ark --Census--1860."

Aggregate Census Statistics

Published census materials covering 1790-2010, which would usually provide county-level data for Arkansas, can be found in the GovRef Census collection on Level Four of Mullins Library as well as online through the Census Bureau website.