What state census records are available at the Indiana State Library?
State censuses giving family information have never been taken for all of the State of Indiana. According to John Newman, former State Archivist, Indiana only had a “census” in respect to the general definition of the word, i.e., a numbering of the people for taxation, congressional districts, etc. Article 3, Section 2 of the 1816 Constitution required an enumeration of all white male inhabitants above the age of 21, the first to begin in 1820 and thereafter every 5 years. This was for apportionment purposes. The various census laws later passed required these to be deposited with the county auditor. These were alphabetical lists of males over the age of 21 by township. Ages were given after 1865. Indiana State Censuses were taken in 1820. 1825, 1830, 1835, 1840, 1845, 1850, 1853, 1866, 1871, 1877, 1873, 1889, 1895, 1901, 1913, and 1919. Only fragments of these censuses survive. There is no state-wide index to any of these censuses. The Genealogy Collection has photocopies or transcrip
