Rhode Island, State Census, 1885

What is in This Collection?

The collection consists of an index & images of census population schedules of the State of Rhode Island as of June 1, 1885. The State of Rhode Island conducted its own census every ten years on the half-decade year between 1865 and 1935.

The schedules consist of two pages per image with numbered lines. The records are arranged by:
1. Town/city
2. Gender, males are all grouped together first followed by females
3. Alphabetical order by the first letter of the surname within the gender

They are not arranged by household. This census also enumerated each individual.

The information is generally reliable. However use the information with some caution, since the information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately falsified.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The census was compiled to obtain a count of the population to determine how many representatives the state had for legislative purposes. Reliability of information in the census is determined by the accuracy of the knowledge of the informant. Informants could have been any member of the family or even a neighbor.

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

Sample Image

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  1885 State Census