1880 Census
Insight into the 1880 census can shed light on your genealogy research as given in these two newspaper articles.
The Census
“Census day will be June 1, 1880. On that date about twenty thousand enumerators will commence their labors. Those in the cities will be required to complete their work in two weeks, while others will be allowed to whole month of June. Persons alive on the first of June, but dying before the enumerator reaches them, will be counted in the census; births subsequent to the first of June will not be counted. Special agents will be employed to collect statistics relating to education, mining, manufacturing, agriculture and various other departments of trade and industry.” Lawrence Chieftain, October 2, 1897
The Rolla Herald, May 27, 1880, in addition to naming the enumerators for Phelps County, also adds that enumeration must be done by the enumerator in person and cannot be performed by proxy.
“Enumerators are not to divulge the information they receive except to the proper authority. The enumerator has to make daily returns to the census office of work done during the day as the reports are used to determine the pay of the enumerator.
The amount of pay depended on the number of persons counted. The Rolla Herald gave the rate of pay as follows:
- Each living inhabitant, 2 ½ cents
- Each Farm, 12 ½ cents
- Each establishment of industry on general schedule, 15 cents
- Each establishment of industry on special schedule, 25 cents
- Each death 5 cents
- Each insane, deaf, blind, [etc.] 5 cents
- For making list of names for clerk for such hundred names, 10 cents
- For two days correcting returns, per day, $2.50.”
The census image above shows the inhabitants of the Springfield Public Square and part of St. Louis Street in the 1880 Federal Census.
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