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The 1890 U.S. Census Substitute is a substitute for the original records of the 1890 U.S. Federal Census.

Purpose

It is used by Ancestry.com because seventy-five percent of the original 1890 census records were destroyed in a 1921 fire in the basement of the Commerce Building in Washington, D.C. before census records were stored permanently in the National Archives.

=Questions from the original 1890 census= Charles W. Walker

• address (modern address) 404 Ann Street McGregor,Iowa 52157
• number of families in house 1
• number of persons in house Family-4 Domestic help-3
• whether a soldier, sailor or marine for the Union or Confederate army during the American Civil War, or widow of such person No
• relationship to head of family Head
• race, described as white, African American/black, mulatto, quadroon, octoroon, Chinese American, Japanese American, or Native American White
• sex Male
• age 59
• marital status married
• mother of how many children and number now living 2
• place of birth of person and their father and mother MA, NY,NY,NY
• if foreign-born, number of years in US NA
• whether naturalized NA
• whether papers have been taken out
• profession, trade or occupation Ticket agent for steamship and railroad
• months unemployed during census year 0
• ability to read and write Yes
• ability to speak English, and, if unable, language or dialect spoken
• whether suffering from acute or chronic disease, with name of disease and length of time afflicted
• whether defective in mind, sight, hearing or speech, or whether crippled, maimed or deformed, with name of defect No
• whether a prisoner, convict, homeless child, or pauper No
• home rented, or owned by head or member of family, and, if owned, whether free from mortgage Owned
• if farmer, whether farm is rented, or owned by head or member of family; if owned, whether free from mortgage; if rented, post office box of owner