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1870 United States Federal Census

Original Images

This database contains images of original records.

Sample Forms
Download blank Census forms
You can fill out the form with information on your ancestor, or just use it to better read the column headings.

Handwriting Help
View a sampling of handwriting examples
The examples should help you read the text on the original images more easily.

Please choose a county in Minnesota:

Aitkin Houston Redwood
Anoka Isanti Renville
Becker Itasca Rice
Beltrami Jackson Rock
Benton Kanabec Saint Louis
Big Stone Kandiyohi Scott
Blue Earth Lac qui Parle Sherburne
Brown Lake Sibley
Carlton Le Sueur St Louis
Carver Martin Stearns
Cass McLeod Steele
Chippewa Meeker Stevens
Chisago Mille Lacs Todd
Clay Monongalia Traverse
Cottonwood Morrison Wabasha
Crow Wing Mower Wadena
Dakota Murray Waseca
Dodge Nicollet Washington
Douglas Nobles Watonwan
Faribault Olmsted Wilkin
Fillmore Otter Tail Wilkin, Clay, Polk, and Pembina
Freeborn Pembina Winona
Goodhue Pine Wright
Grant Pope
Hennepin Ramsey

Census Records - Counties

After separating the census records into groups by state, the federal government subdivided these records into county groups. Searching for an ancestor on the county level provides a smaller region for research if you remain uncertain about the specific township where your ancestor resided. Researchers should also be aware of boundary line or jurisdictional changes through time. These changes may affect where an ancestor was enumerated on the census, so it remains important to search the counties surrounding the area where your ancestor lived.