Everyone researching family history in the United States between the founding of our country and 1940 has looked at federal census records. These censuses – in which the country’s citizens were counted – are also called population schedules.
Many years when the census was being taken, auxiliary schedules – or non-population schedules – were also created. The purpose of these censuses was to look at more specific segments of the population – like those who worked in manufacturing, farming, or the recently deceased.
In this blog post, we’re going to take a look at one type of non-population schedule: Agricultural Schedules. If you had any ancestors in the mid- to late-1800s who were farmers – or even if you just want to learn about community's history as farmland – the Agricultural Schedules are a gem for researchers.
When were Agricultural Schedules created?
Agricultural Schedules were taken in 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 (and a few in 1885, too!). In 1900 and 1910 Farm Schedules were created, but those records were destroyed and never microfilmed. Agricultural Schedules continue to be recorded even now – you can learn about the modern Census of Agriculture and its data at https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.
Where can Agricultural Schedules be found?
The most complete collection of Agricultural Schedules is found on Ancestry. Currently, Ancestry Library Edition can be accessed from home, for free, with your MCDL Library card through September 30, 2021. Here is a 2-minute tutorial for accessing the Agricultural Schedules on Ancestry Library Edition:
What can be learned from the Agricultural Schedules?
Over time, more and more details were added to the schedules. You may be able to learn…
How many acres the farmer owned
The value of the property and goods produced
If the farmer employed laborers
What livestock was raised on the farm
What crops the farmer grew
And more!
As an example of the rich details you can find in an Agricultural Schedule, let’s look at MCDL’s founder, Franklin Sylvester, on the 1880 Agricultural Schedule of Granger Township, Medina County, Ohio.
The 1880 Agricultural Schedule is the most detailed Agricultural Schedule available. We’ll examine the schedule by looking at one-fourth of it at a time.
In the first part of the schedule, we learn that Franklin Sylvester owned his own farm. His farm included 275 acres of tilled land, 150 acres of permanent meadows, pastures, orchards, or vineyards, and 65 acres of woodlands.
The farm land, fences, and buildings were valued at $25,000 – more than twice any of the other farmers listed on this page of the schedule. His farming tools and machinery were valued at $500, while his livestock was valued at $4,500. He didn’t build or repair any fences in 1879, nor did he spend any money on fertilizers in 1879. He did pay farm hands $700 in wages, which may have included boarding them. In 1879, the value of Franklin’s farm produce was $2,500 – again, more than twice what any of the other five farmers enumerated along with him produced.
In 1879, he had 80 acres of mown grasslands, and 150 acres not mown. These grasslands produced 100 tons of hay, 25 bushels of clover seed, and zero bushels of grass seed. As of June 1, 1880, he owned 8 horses, but zero mules/asses.
In the second part of the schedule, we learn about the livestock on Franklin Sylvester’s farm. As of June 1, 1880, he owned zero working oxen, 6 “milch” cows, and 74 other cattle. Over the course of the prior year, no calves were born on the farm, but Franklin bought and sold 110 cattle. During 1879, no cattle were slaughtered and none died. The cattle produced no milk or cheese, but did produce 500 pounds of butter.
In addition to cattle, the Sylvester farm included 200 sheep as of June 1, 1880. 110 lambs had been born in the previous year, and another 100 had been purchased. A total of 150 had been sold, while none had been slaughter, killed by dogs, died of disease, nor died of stress from the weather. The sheep did produce 200 fleeces at a weight of 1,000 pounds.
As of June 1, 1880, the farm included 2 swine. It also included 30 barnyard chickens, who had produced 125 dozen eggs in 1879.
In the final section of the schedule, data was collected on other crops farmers might grow, including hops, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, tobacco, orchards, nurseries, vineyards, market gardens, bees, and forest products. Franklin Sylvester’s farm produced a modest 15 bushels of Irish potatoes in 1879. That same year, he had 10 acres planted with apple trees, with 500 fruit bearing trees – though he collected and sold no bushels of apples! Forest products (likely from the woodlands on his farm) 70 cords of cut wood in 1879, with a value of $370.
Take a moment to delve into these records and see what you can discover about the historic farms in your area or your own ancestor's property. Share your findings in the comments below!
Learn More about Agricultural and Other Non-Population Schedules
- If you're onsite at any MCDL Library location, click this link to access the non-population schedules directly https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/collections/1276 then read the text below the search box to learn more!
- Read about Nonpopulation Census Records at NARA.
- Read about the United States Census Agricultural Schedules on the FamilySearch Wiki.
