Agricultural Census Information

Descriptions

Census Manuscripts

Federal agricultural schedules were taken beginning in 1840. The schedules provide information like the owner's name, acres improved and unimproved, value of the farm, farming machinery, crop and livestock production, and "home manufactures." The information collected varied with the year; in general, the level of detail got greater over time. The Federal censuses of 1850 and 1880 for Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania State census for 1927, are linked to this page and will be found in PDF form by municipality.

Tabulated Census Data

Work has been done to pull the data out of the census manuscripts themselves, and compile it, on the county and municipality level for ease of access. These tables will be found in PDF form.

Federal Agricultural Census Summaries

Federal Agricultural Census published summaries can be found at the Department of Agriculture website. This information extends from the census taken in 1840 up to the one taken in 1950. These summaries contain data for states and counties, but not townships.

1850 Federal Census

Citation of Resources

The following format should be used when citing manuscripts from the 1850 Census. Replace County viewed and Township viewed with name of county and township you are citing.

For both individual data and tabulations:
National Archives, Washington; Record Group 029, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration; Federal Decennial Census, 1850, County viewed, Township viewed.

For individual farm entries, also give page and line number.

1880 Federal Census

Citation of Resources

The following format should be used when citing manuscripts from the 1880 Census. Replace County viewed and Township viewed with name of county and township you are citing.

For both individual data and tabulations:
National Archives, Washington; Record Group 029, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration; Federal Decennial Census, 1880, County viewed, Township viewed.

For individual farm entries, also give page and line number.

1927 Triennial Agriculture Census

Citation of Resources

The following format should be used when citing manuscripts from the 1927 Triennial Agriculture Census. Replace County viewed and Township viewed with name of county and township you are citing.

For both individual data and tabulations:
Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg; record Group 1, Records of the Department of Agriculture; Division of Crop Reporting; Farm Census Returns, 1927, County viewed, Township viewed.

For individual farm entries, also give page and line number.