Filling in the Gaps: Alternatives to the 1890 U.S. Federal Census - The Census of Union Veterans and Widows
The loss of the 1890 U.S. Federal Census is a never-ending challenge for genealogists and family historians, and most of us are always on the hunt for census substitutes or alternative sources of vital information on our ancestors. One source that is frequently overlooked by researchers is the Federal Census of Union Veterans and Widows, otherwise known as the Veterans Census.
This census was conducted at the same time as the 1890 Federal Census but required census takers to complete separate schedules for any Civil War Union Veteran or Widow of a Union Veteran. These schedules were maintained separately from the 1890s population schedules and other associated documents, which, as fate would have it, allowed some 75,000 such veteran schedules to have survived the catastrophes that stole so much of our national and family history from us.
The 1890 Federal Census was completed in early June 1890. The year prior, legislation was passed that funded the next census and defined the data to be collected during that census, as well. The 1890 Census collected more information about individuals than any prior census and more than most of the censuses that followed soon after. The robust nature of the information collected makes the destruction of the 1890 Census an even harder loss to bear for woeful family historians.
Thankfully though, remnants of the 1890 U.S. Census population schedules remain, and some genealogists are lucky enough to have research subjects whose names appear among these remnant schedules. Still other researchers find themselves in luck when they discover ancestors recorded on the surviving Veterans Schedules, which are now among the holdings of the U.S. National Archives and are searchable online via various paid and free websites, including Ancestry and Family Search.
The Veterans Census was undertaken by the Federal Government for several reasons. Firstly, it helped officials gauge pension legislation needs for Union Veterans and Widows. The data collected was also specifically designed to elicit information that could assist Union Veterans’ in their application for pensions. Most veterans needed witnesses that could testify on their behalf to prove their military service, and the Veterans Census helped locate potential witnesses.
Unfortunately, not all of the 1890 Veterans Schedules survive. Many were destroyed before the 1947 call to transfer remaining documents from state archives to the National Archives. For example, only about half of the schedules from the State of Kentucky made their way to Washington, D.C. When researching in many parts of the United States though, the Veterans Census is a viable alternative to the 1890 Census and shouldn’t be discounted by any researcher. Although it only works as a partial census substitute and doesn’t offer all of the information that an 1890 population schedule would, it does provide a significant amount of data on the citizens it recorded.
This special census was intended to only enumerate Union Veterans and Widows, but some census takers recorded information on Confederate Veterans and their Widows, too. This offers a windfall of personal and military information for researchers, including the 1890 place of residence and the state in which the veteran and widow lived at the time the veteran entered military service in the 1860s. These details alone can help researchers overcome previously insurmountable brick walls. Knowing where a veteran or widow lived in 1890 can also help researchers seek pension records, and if located, these records may yield incredible detail about an ancestor’s life, particularly when application and appeals documents are included.
Pictured at Left: a blank copy of the Veterans Schedule from the 1890 U.S. Federal Census
Sources:
“1890 Overview” Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/overview/1890.html on 9 Sep 2023.
“1890 ‘Veterans Census’” Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/history/www/genealogy/decennial_census_records/1890_veterans_census.html on 9 Sep 2023.