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.

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.