1850 and 1857: These records consist of typed abstracts of the names listed in the census with the location roughly defined by the nearest trading post. The record includes the age of each person, occupation if over 15, and place of birth by country or state. You need to know the full name of the person. Spelling varies for many names.
1860, 1870 and 1880: Microfilmed copies of the original records are arranged by county or by military posts in unorganized areas, and record the age, occupation and place of birth of each family member. The 1870 census indicates if a person is of foreign birth and the 1880 census adds the relationship of each individual to the head of the family. You need to know the full name of the person. The location of the person at the time of each census is helpful in case of duplication or similarity of names in the index.
1885: The Dakota Territory 1885 Census database was developed by the Institute for Regional Studies in cooperation with NDSU Libraries, the State Historical Society, and volunteer indexers. It contains over 128,000 names, which is more than two-thirds of the total population for the northern half of Dakota Territory at that time. Extracting the census data has been a cooperative project involving Jane Skjei, NDIRS volunteer (Fargo); George Barron of Jamestown; Donald Smith of Mandan; and Carol Norsby.
This database is not yet complete. It contains information for forty-eight counties, excluding Sargent and Grand Forks. The latter has been indexed by the University of North Dakota, Chester Fritz Library, Department of Special Collections, and is available in print format. Missing county schedules include Boreham, De Smet, Flannery, Hettinger, Sheridan, and Stevens.
Microfilmed copies of the original records for the Northern half of Dakota Territory are arranged by county, and include age, occupation and place of birth (country or state) of each individual in the family. Listings for some counties are missing, location of the boundary lines of the county may vary from present day, and some parts are too faded to read. A map is provided at the beginning of each roll to aid in research. The 1885 census is available for interlibrary loan and should be requested by county.
1890: Only Union Civil War Veterans and Widows of Veterans are listed in this census. Most 1890 population schedules were destroyed or badly damaged by fire, but the few surviving segments are arranged by county on one roll of microfilm. The 1890 special census gives information about the military service of each veteran named and the post office address of each person listed at the time of the enumeration. You need the name of the individual and the county of residence at the time of the census.
1900: Microfilmed copies of the original census schedules (organized by county) and of the soundex cards. The 1900 census schedule provides the following information for each person: name; relationship to head of household; sex; color or race; age at last birthday; marital status; length of present marriage; if a mother, number of children and number of living children; state or nation of birth; state or nation of birth of parents; if foreign born, year of immigration and citizenship status; language spoken; occupation; type of industry employed in; ability to read and write; if home is rented or owned; if home is owned, free or mortgaged; and if home is a house or a farm. Since not all names were included in the soundex, the precise location of residency at the time of the census may be helpful in finding the correct census information. Persons living in central Walsh County were among those missed in the index. A guide on how to use the Soundex is available upon request.
1910: Microfilmed copies of the original census schedules are arranged by county and enumeration districts within each county. Similar to the 1900 census, the following information is added to each entry: employer or employee or self-employed; if unemployed, number of weeks unemployed; if attending daytime school; if survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy; if blind in both eyes; if deaf. You need the name of the individual, precise location of person at the time of the census, age, names of other family members and other information that will aid the search. The 1910 Census contains many areas where the names are too light to read or to provide readable copies. A map of the enumeration districts is available on request.
1915: Microfilmed copies of the original census schedules are arranged by county. The names of townships, cities and towns are arranged alphabetically and the unorganized townships are arranged by enumeration districts. The 1915 census, taken by the state of North Dakota, was one of the several "growth" censuses used to indicate changes in the population between the federal censuses. The 1915 census will provide only the names of the members of the household and their approximate ages. A census guide listing the division within each county is available at the reference desk. Requests must provide the name of the individual and the location (county and township or town) of the person at the time of the census. The 1915 census is available through interlibrary loan by requesting the county of residence at the time of the census.
1920: Microfilmed copies of the original census schedules (organized by county) and of the soundex cards. The 1920 census schedule provides the following information for each person: name; relationship to head of household; tenure which indicates home ownership or rental, if owned free or mortgaged; personal description including sex, color or race, age at last birthday; marital status; citizenship showing year of immigration, naturalized or alien and year of naturalization; education indicating attendance at school since September 1919, ability to read and write; state or nation of birth and birth of parents; ability to speak English; and occupation. A guide to using the Soundex is available upon request.
1925: Microfilmed copies of the original census schedules which are arranged by county. Names of townships are alphabetically arranged with unnamed townships listed by enumeration districts. Cities and towns are in most cases listed alphabetically and are separate from the townships and enumeration districts. The 1925 census provides the names of the members of the household and their age. Requests must provide the name of the individual and the location (county and township or town) of the person at the time of the census. The 1925 census is available through interlibrary loan by requesting the county of residence at the time of the census.
1930: Microfilmed copies of the original census schedules are arranged by county with townships and cities listed alphabetically within the counties. The 1930 census schedules provide the following information for each person: place of abode; number of the house in order of visitation; full name, relationship to the head of the household; home data, owned or rented, value of house, does the home have a radio set; own a farm; personal description such as sex, color, race, age at last birthday, marital condition, age at first marriage; education and able to read or write; place of birth of each person and of their parents; language spoken; citizenship such as year of immigration and if able to speak English; occupation or profession, industry or business, class of worker, employment; as well as an identification of veterans and the war in which they fought. A map of the counties and townships is available upon request.
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