Oregon Census Records
in the GFO Library

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon Library has copies of all of the Oregon federal censuses. These are on microfilm. A number of 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1910 censuses have been abstracted and published. The GFO has copies of those.

The GFO has indexes to all of the Oregon federal censuses, except for 1930.

The GFO has copies of several of the special federal schedules and the territorial censuses. Few of these are indexed.

Only a few state censuses have survived. The GFO has several of them.

Territorial Censuses:

Territorial censuses were made in 1845, 1846, 1849, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, and 1859. The Oregon Historical Society, Oregon State Archives, and Oregon State Library have microfilm copies of all of them. They are to be used on-site and are not available for Interlibrary Loan.

The following territorial censuses are in the Oregon section of the GFO book collection.

Federal Censuses:

Federal censuses are available for 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930. The 1890 census was destroyed with the exception of the veteran’s census.

Oregon Federal Census Indexes
The 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 Oregon federal population censuses have all been indexed; the 1900 and 1920 by the federal government, and the others by private companies.

The following printed indexes are located on the census index bookshelf near the microfilm cabinets:

Microfilm copies of the 1900, 1910, and 1920 indexes, called soundexes, are in the GFO microfilm collection in the “Oregon” section.

Oregon Federal Censuses – on microfilm

The GFO library has a complete collection of all Oregon federal population censuses: 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (Veteran’s schedule only), 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930. These are on microfilm and are in the “Oregon” section of the microfilm cabinets.

Oregon Federal Censuses – in print

Individuals have abstracted most of the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 Oregon censuses and some of the 1910 Oregon censuses. These are found in the “Oregon” section of the book collection. Browse the counties to locate the censuses.

Note: A negative print, paper copy, of the 1850 Oregon census is in the “Rare Book Room.”

Other Federal Schedules:

In addition to the better-known population schedules taken every ten years by the federal government, there exist auxiliary schedules. Researchers have traditionally neglected these for two reasons: few are available through the National Archives; and both literature and archival labels commonly identify them as non-population schedules. Almost without exception, they cite individuals by name – those who fall within the relevant category – and are therefore of considerable value to genealogists.

1890 Census

The 1890 population schedule had to be destroyed after it was damaged by water. The “veteran’s schedule” was saved because it was in a different facility. The GFO Library has an index on the census index shelf near the microfilm. There is a microfilm copy of the veteran’s schedule in the Oregon section.

Oregon Mortality Schedules:

Mortality schedules are available for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. The following published indexes to the Oregon schedules are in the GFO library. They are shelved in the Oregon section.

Special Schedules On Microfilm at the GFO Library:

1850-1870 Social and Special Statistics, including Mortality, Agriculture, and Industrial schedules
1880 Social and Special Statistics, including Mortality, Agricultural, Industrial, and Dependent, Defective, Delinquent schedules
1890 Census Special Civil War Schedules Enumerating Union Veterans And Widows

State Censuses:

The State of Oregon authorized censuses, but only a few survived. Several are in the GFO collection. They are:

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