A Brief Survey of the Laws Governing the Illinois State Census Enumeration

When evaluating Illinois state census records from 1845, 1855, and 1865, it helps to understand the laws which governed when and how the census was collected. Many of the early legislative references are available online, such as the Illinois Revised Statutes of 1845. So in addition to summarizing them here, the references provided will make it easier to track down and consult the original documents.

William C. Sharp household, 1880 U.S. Census, Livingston Co., KY

At the time of this census enumeration, the William C. Sharp family had been living at their Livingston County, Kentucky farm for about 10 years.  Here, is the extract of the household enumerated in 1880, lines 38 to 45...