As mentioned in one or more previous posts, I use the Minnesota Historical Society (MnHS) website frequently when researching my Minnesota lines. I am particularly fond of the birth and death indices, but there are many other resources that are helpful to family researchers.
One such resource is the index to the Minnesota State Census. The index is just that, an index, and does not link to the actual images. Those images can be ordered online from MnHS for $9 each. The actual images can also be found on Ancestry.com if you are lucky enough to have a subscription.Ancestry.com is also available at many local libraries for patrons. If you are planning a trip to a library that has Ancesty.com, using the MnHS index online ahead of time can save you some searching time at the library and allow you to quickly access the images you need during your visit.
As explained on the MnHS site, "This index includes Minnesota State Census records from 1849, 1850, 1853, 1855, 1857, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895 and 1905."
Did you notice what I did? There are census records available for 1885 and 1895. Since the 1890 Federal Census records are all but destroyed, the state census can supply an excellent 1890 substitution for those Minnesota families.
The information returned during a state census search can vary by census year. Information returned when searching in the 1905 census, for example, includes:
Name
Age
Birth place
County
City/Township
Gender
Census Year
To the upper right is an image from my great-great-grandfather's census record returned when I searched by first and last name. By his age, birth place, and residence, I can be relatively sure this is my great-great-grandfather even though there was more than one Andrew Jackson Riggs in the state at the time. I could search again, using only the last name, the county, and year of census to identify other possible family members.
I hope you enjoy using the resources available at the Minnesota Historical Society site as much as I do.
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