About this collection
The 1890 U.S. census was largely destroyed in a fire in the U.S. Commerce Building in 1921. Only the records of 6,160 people survived and they are among the records in this collection. We have supplemented those records with other records, including state censuses, city and county directories, voter lists, and alumni directories from 1890 and surrounding years. Use this collection to locate your ancestors, and then branch out to other records they may have left behind in nearby churches, cemeteries, and in civil records.