Most genealogists know about the missing 1890 U.S. census. If you are new and don’t know what happened: On January 20, 1921, there was a fire in the Commerce Building which damaged many of the records, including the 1890 census. Not everything was destroyed in that fire, but the remains of the records were later destroyed in 1935. So, there is a 20-year gap in census information which is vital to filling out family groups. How then can we put together the family without census records? There are at least eight different sources we can turn to for information in completing our families.
The first source would be city/county/farm directories. Directories can be like mini censuses. They list the head of household and often include the spouse as well. Occupation and place of residence are also listed. If you are lucky you might find a directory that also gives more detail such as place of work and number of children. A directory may also list race, which might help you distinguish between more than one John Smith. While the people listed in the directory at that address may or may not be related, it is a clue to follow up.
Many states also conducted state censuses at the same time as the federal censuses. They may not have been taken in 1890 but they can help fill in the 1890-1900 gap. Not all states took their own censuses either. The FamilySearch Research Wiki is a great place to start to see what state censuses do exist. If you are seeking a state census from Ohio, it doesn’t exist.
Another great source for information would be tax lists. Because governments have an interest in having tax records complete, this is a great source for research. But a word of caution: Just because a person owned a piece of property doesn’t mean he actually lived at that address; he or she was taxed where the land existed.
Voter lists are also a source for consideration. These, however, may only list a person’s name and party affiliation. Be prepared to never find a woman’s name on these lists during this timeframe.
If you haven’t already discovered the valuable tool that newspapers can be, now is the time. Obituaries can offer valuable information, but that’s not the only part of the newspaper that has value. Society and gossip pages listed who was visiting whom and the relationship of those people. Hometowns were often listed as well. Don’t overlook the legal notices, especially if you suspect that your ancestors were divorced or spent time in jail.
Churches also kept records of their members. Church rosters and church membership directories have valuable information. Births, deaths, move in and out—the kinds of information found in church records can certainly help fill in gaps in your families.
Land records give information that is also found in census records. Residence and sometimes relationships are listed in these records. Deeds can be a source of names. Often family members bought and sold property to each other. Always consider all the names listed on deed transactions. They may be possible relations or neighbors.
Remember that there are surviving fragments of the 1890 census. Although the fire and the later disposal of what was left destroyed 99% of the records, there is still that 1% left. You might be lucky enough to find your family in the approximately 6100 records that survived. You can view these records on both FamilySearch and Ancestry.com.
Another schedule from the 1890 federal census is The Special Schedule of Union Veterans and Their Widows. Not all of this schedule survived but there is much more of it than the population census. The Union Veterans Schedule survives for half of Kentucky through Wyoming, plus the District of Columbia. This collection is also available at FamilySearch and Ancestry.com. [Source: Amy Johnson Crow, “8 Sources to Fill the 1890 Census Gap,” July 13, 2018.]