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Introduction
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On the 13 rolls of this microfilm publication are
reproduced the schedules of the Census of Florida taken by that State in
1885, partially with funds provided by the Federal Government. All counties
then in the State are represented with the exception of Alachua, Clay,
Columbia, and Nassau. Schedules for these counties were not received by
the National Archives and appear to have been lost many years ago.
The act of March 3, 1879, providing for the taking
of the tenth and subsequent censuses, also made provision for any state
or Territory to take a "semi-decennial" census "according to the schedules
and forms of enumeration in the census of the United States." This census
was to be taken "during the two months beginning on the first Monday in
June of the year which is the mean between the decennial censuses of the
United States." A "full and authentic copy of all schedules returned" was
to be deposited with the Secretary of the Interior on or before the first
day of the following September. If a State or Territory complied with these
provision it was to receive from the Federal Treasury 50 percent of the
amount paid to all supervisors and actual enumerators within the State
or Territory in the preceding United States Census. This sum, furthermore,
was to be increased by one-half-the percentage of gain in population in
such State or Territory between the two United States census immediately
preceding the State or Territorial enumeration.
In accordance with the requirements of this law,
censuses were taken in 1885 in the States of Florida, Nebraska, and Colorado,
and in the territories of New Mexico and Dakota, and the copies required
were filed in the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. They were later
transferred to the Office of the Director or the Census Bureau. No editing
or publishing of the returns were ever done by the Federal Government.
With the exception of those for the Territory of Dakota, the copies were
transferred by the Bureau of the Census to the National Archives in 1944.
The Census of 1885 of Florida was taken as of the
first day of June of that year on three general schedules for population,
agriculture, and manufactures. A fourth schedule, mortality, was taken
as of the date of this enumeration. A schedule, mortality, was taken as
of the date of the enumeration. A schedule for social statistics was authorized
but not used. The schedules measure about 21 by 16 inches. Space on Schedule
1, population was provided for the entry of 50 names on each page and there
were 4 pages to each schedule, lettered A, B, C, and D, with each page
numbered in sequence. B was the verso of A and D the verso of C. Schedule
2, agriculture, contained space for the entry of 10 names on each page.
Each schedule was paged, lettered, and numbered in the same manner as Schedule
1. Schedule 3, manufactures, contained space for 45 entries on a single
page and was blank on the verso. Schedule 4, social statistics, was not
used. Schedule 5, mortality, contained space for 36 names on a single page,
with instruction on the verso.
These schedules are part of the records in the National
Archives designated as Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group
29. Schedules for the State census of 1885 have also been microfilmed for
Colorado (M158) and Nebraska (M352).
The records reproduced in this microfilm publication
were prepared for filming by Kathleen E. Riley, who also wrote these introductory
remarks and provided the other editorial material.