1885 Nebraska Census Information

NEGenWeb Project Resource Center

NE Records - Census

1885 Census of Nebraska April 1998

Following extracted from messages of Chris Christensen

To order film from a census, the telephone number at NARA is 1-800-234-8861. There are two recorded voice mail type messages. The first one is directions for reaching a specific person, followed with instructions for different functions. Select "for ordering publications and films".

As 1885 NE is a rarely sought microfilm, you will probably will be transferred to an extension that has an answering machine for a specific person. Leave message with name, phone number and what is wanted. When you receive return call, be ready with a credit card number. Films are $34.00 each. (Spring 1998)

Order confirmation is sent within two days. Takes about a month for the film to arrive.

FACTS: Chris made first call to order film 27 April 1998 & dealt with answering machine then. He received 1885 Frontier Co. on 2 May 1998. Truly amazing service!

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Response from Nancy Beach -

There are 56 rolls of microfilm, which cover the 75 counties in the census.
The following is Nancy's list.

1885 NEBRASKA CENSUS
National Archives microfilm series M-352

Roll 1 Adams	Roll 29 Jefferson
Roll 2 Antelope and Boone	Roll 30 Johnson and Kearney
Roll 3 Brown	Roll 31 Keith, Keya Paha, and Knox
Roll 4 Buffalo	Rolls 32-34 Lancaster
Roll 5 Burt (partial)	Roll 35 Lincoln and Logan
Roll 6 Butler	Roll 36 Loup and Madison
Roll 7 Cass	Roll 37 Merrick and Nance(Done, see county websites)
Roll 8 Cedar, Cherry, and Cheyenne	Roll 38 Nemaha
Roll 9 Clay	Roll 39 Nuckolls
Roll 10 Colfax and Cuming	Roll 40 Otoe
Roll 11 Custer	Roll 41 Pawnee
Roll 12 Dakota, Dawes, and Dawson	Roll 42 Phelps and Pierce
Roll 13 Dixon	Roll 43 Platte (loaned for extraction, person vanished)
Roll 14 Dodge	Roll 44 Polk and Red Willow
Rolls 15-17 Douglas	Roll 45 Richardson
Roll 18 Dundy* and Fillmore	Rolls 46-47 Saline
Roll 19 Franklinand Frontier	Roll 48 Sarpy
Roll 20 Furnas	Rolls 49-50 Saunders
Rolls 21-22 Gage	Roll 51 Seward
Roll 23 Garfield, Gosper, and Greeley	Roll 52 Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Stanton
Roll 24 Hall	Roll 53 Thayer and Valley
Roll 25 Hamilton	Roll 54 Washington and Wayne
Roll 26 Harlan, Hayes, and Hitchcock*	Roll 55 Webster and Wheeler
Roll 27 Holt	Roll 56 York
Roll 28 Howard

Film appearing in green has been ordered and will be extracted for NEGenWeb.
*Combined index for Hitchcock & Dundy Counties is part of the Paul Riley Collection.

The columns of the 1885 Census are:

Name of street, house number. Dwelling house number in order of visitation. Family number in order of visitation.

Name (of each person), color, sex, age, month of birth if born in census year, relationship of that person to head of family,

Civil condition (single, married, widowed, divorced).

Married during census year? yes/no answer entered although sometimes find month of marriage.

Profession, occupation or trade

Number of months person was UNemployed during census year. (sometimes appears that answer given was for months employed)

Health (six columns total): Is person on day of visitation ill, etc. If answer yes, enumerator was to check one of following columns -
Blind; deaf & dumb; idiotic; insane; maimed, crippled, bedridden or otherwise diasabled?

Education (3 columns) : attended school within census year? cannot read? cannot write?

Nativity (3 columns): birthplace, birthplaces of parents.