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Census Population Schedules

The Census Population Schedules contain the information about individuals collected by the Census, and are released 72 years later.

The Files

The Census Population Schedules (also called the enumeration schedules, or federal manuscript census) list the information collected by the census about individuals, including their names, occupations, etc.  It is released 72 years after each census. 

Western Libraries has the available schedules for Oregon and Washington on microfilm.  They can be found in Wilson 2 East, near the very end of the Government Microform.  See the bottom of this page for part of a sample page.  Most of the 1890 Census was destroyed in a fire. The 1940 Census files, released in 2012, are available for free on the Web.

The chart indicates which microfilm  reel contains the Census Population Schedules for which counties.  Keep in mind that the names and borders of many counties have changed over the years.  A good place to look for information on changes in counties is Notes Regarding Changes in County Boundaries in the Fourteenth Census (C3.28/5: 920/ v.1, pp 145-148)   Some of the Population Schedules are available through the Census Project.

Lummi Indian Census rolls. taken by the Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1885-1912, and 1950, are available in the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies on campus.

Aggregate information from the census (how many people lived in Bellingham, how many farmers lived in Whatcom County, etc.) can be found in census books in the Government Information collection, as well as in the Historical Census Data Browser, and Census Data.

Part of a sample page

Sample Census Page

Historical Census Records: Internet.org

The Internet Archive and Allen County Public Library (Ft Wayne, IN) provide access to Census date from the National Archives. The data available here is not complete. 

Washington Microfilm Reels

Geography 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930
WASHINGTON                  
Adams         * 1741  1653 1920  2484
Asotin         * 1741 1653 1920 2484
Benton              1653 1920 2484
Chehalis   1398  1683  1396 * 1741  1653-4    
Chelan           1742 1654 1921 2484-5
Clallam   1398 1683 1396 * 1742 1654 1921 2486
Clark 742  1398 1683 1396 * 1742 1655 1921-2 2485
Columbia       1396 * 1742 1655 1922 2486
Cowlitz   1398 1683 1396 * 1742 1655 1920 2487
Douglas          * 1742 1656  1922 2486
Ferry           1743 1654 1921 2486
Franklin          * 1743 1656 1920 2486
Garfield         * 1743 1654 1920 2486
Grant              1656 1922 2487
Grays Harbor               1923 2488-9
Island   1398  1683 1396 * 1743  1656 1923 2489
Jefferson   1398 1683 1396 * 1743 1656 1922 2487
King   1398 1683 1396-7  * 1743-5 1657-62 1924-31 2490-2505
Kitsap   1398 1683 1397 * 1746  1662 1931-2 2506
Kittitas         * 1746 1662-3  1932 2506
Klickitat    1398 1683 1397 * 1746 1666  1932 2489
Lewis 742 1398 1683 1397 * 1746-7 1666 1933 2507
Lincoln         * 1747 1666 1933 2508
Mason     1683 1397 * 1747 1666 1934 2508
Okanogan         * 1747 1667 1934 2508
Pacific   1398 1683  1397 * 1747 1667 1932 2509
Geography 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930
Pend Orielle               1934 2509
Pierce   1398 1683 1397 * 1748-9 1663-5 1935-7 2509-12
San Juan       1397 * 1749 1667 1934  2507
Skagit         * 1749 1667-8 1934-5 2513
Skamania   1398 1683 1397 * 1749 1668 1938 2508
Snohomish       1397 * 1750 1668-9 1938-9 2519-20
Spokane  
  1397 * 1750-1 1669-71 1939-42 2513-18
Stevens     1683 1397 * 1752  1672  1938 2520
Thurston   1398 1683 1397 * 1752 1672 1942 2521
Wahkiakum     1683 1397-8 * 1752 1672 1942 2521
Walla Walla   1398 1683 1398 * 1752 1673 1943 2523
Whatcom   1398 1683 1398 * 1753 1674 1943-4 2521-22
Whitman     1683 1398 * 1753-4 1674-5 1944-5 2523-24
Yakima      1683 1398 * 1754 1675-6  1945-6 2524-5
Indian population           1754      
Geography 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930

OREGON Microfilm Reels

Geography 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930
OREGON                  
Baker      1285 1080  * 1345  1278  1491 1939
Benton  742 1055 1285 1080 *  1345 1278 1491-2 1939
Clackamas  742 1055 1285 1080 * 1345 1279  1492 1940
Clatsop 742 1055 1285 1080 * 1346 1278 1493 1941
Columbia   1055 1285 1080 * 1346 1279 1493 1941
Coos   1055 1285 1080 * 1346 1280 1493 1942
Crook          * 1346 1279 1491  1939
Curry   1055 1285 1080 * 1346 1280 1491 1939
Deschutes                1493 1942
Douglas    1055  1285  1080/1 * 1346 1280 1494  1943
Gilliam         * 1347  1280 1492 1941
Grant      1286 1080  * 1347 1280 1494 1939
Harney          * 1347 1281 1493 1943
Hood River              1278  1494 1942
Jackson    1055 1286  1080 * 1347 1281 1495  1944
Jefferson               1494 1940
Josephine   1055 1286 1080 * 1347 1281 1495 1943
Klamath         * 1347 1282 1494 1945
Lake        1080 * 1347 1282 1495 1943
Lane   1055 1286 1081-2 * 1348 1282-3 1495-6 1946
Geography 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930
Lincoln           1348 1281 1495 1944
Linn 742 1055 1286 1082 * 1348 1283 1496 1947
Malheur         * 1348 1283 1497 1945
Marion 742 1056 1287 1082 * 1349 1284 1497-8 1947-8
Morrow         * 1348 1284 1498 1944
Multnomah    1056 1287 1082-3 * 1349-51 1285-9  1499-1503 1949-1954
Polk 742 1056 1287 1083 * 1351 1282 1497 1948
Sherman         * 1351 1289 1504 1955
Tillamook   1056 1287 1083 * 1351 1283 1504 1955
Umatilla      1288 1084 * 1352 1289 1504 1956
Umpqua   1056              
Union      1288 1084 * 1352 1290 1505 1956
Wallowa         * 1352 1284 1505 1956
Wasco    1056 1288 1084 * 1353 1290  1504 1957
Washington Co. 742  1056 1288 1084 * 1353 1291 1505 1957
Wheeler           1353  1283 1506 1957
Yamhill 742 1056 1288 1084 * 1353 1290-1 1506 1958
Indian population           1353