Minnesota, Territorial Census, 1857
Indexes and images of the population schedule listing inhabitants of the Minnesota Territory in 1857. NOTE: "All entries for the following newly created [23 May 1857] counties were fabricated to cover voter fraud: Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, and Rock. (For further information see Robert J. Forrest, 'Mythical Cities of Southwestern Minnesota,' Minnesota History, 14 (1933), pp. 243-52)." This collection coincides with NARA publication T1175.
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Minnesota, Territorial Census, 1857
What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of indexes and images to the population schedule listing inhabitants of the Minnesota Territory in 1857.
NOTE: "All entries for the following newly created [23 May 1857] counties were fabricated to cover voter fraud: Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, and Rock. (For further information see Robert J. Forrest, 'Mythical Cities of Southwestern Minnesota,' Minnesota History, 14 (1933), pp. 243-52)." This collection coincides with NARA publication T1175 Schedules of the Minnesota Territory Census of 1857 and is part of Record Group 29 Records of the Bureau of the Census.
Minnesota became a territory in 1849, in which year a territorial census was taken. Territorial censuses were also taken in 1853 and 1855. The 1853 and 1855 censuses are very incomplete. The federal government had a territorial census taken in 1857, just before Minnesota became a state. However, there was some fraud involved in this census. Ballot boxes were stuffed with ballots that had names of fictitious voters. In addition, there are some localities within the counties of Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, and Rock which may be entirely fictitious.
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
To Browse This Collection
| You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for Minnesota Territorial Census, 1857. |
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
- Name of each person who resided with family on 21 September 1857
- Age
- Sex
- Race
- Place of birth
- Individual native to U.S. or was a naturalized citizen
- Occupation, if male and over 15 years of age
Collection Content
Sample Images
1857 Territorial Census
Collection Details
Location of Original Records
National Archives and Records Administration
"Minnesota, Territorial Census, 1857." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 25 March 2025. Citing NARA microfilm publication T1175. Washington, D.C.: Central Plains Region, National Archives, n.d.
