Louisiana 1860 Agricultural Census (Volume 1) [Paperback]

Linda L. Green (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2003 | ISBN-10: 1585498629 | ISBN-13: 978-1585498628

This census names only the head of the household. Often times when an individual was missed on the regular U.S. Census, he would appear on the agricultural census. These records yield unique information about how people lived. The original census listed 46 columns of information, six of which are transcribed here. They are: Name of the owner, improved acreage, unimproved acreage, cash value of the farm, value of farm implements and machinery, and value of livestock. A surname index is included. The records are presented in order by parish. Volume 1 covers Ascension through Madison parishes. 2003, 8.5 x 11, index, paper, 254 pp.

G0862 - A4050HB

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Heritage Books Inc. (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585498629
• ISBN-13: 978-1585498628
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,099,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to a little-used source, January 30, 2004

By 

Michael K. Smith (South Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Louisiana 1860 Agricultural Census (Volume 1) (Paperback)

While the decennial federal census is one of the first information sources the novice genealogist learns about, many researchers never go beyond the general population schedules, to the slave and agricultural schedules. In fact, a household that was missed in the general census (it happens to all of us) is quite likely to show up there. The agricultural schedule names only the head of each household, but also provides considerable other information that helps to place the family in context in the community. Actually, it consists of forty-eight columns, showing production of everything from bushels of tobacco and gallons of wine to pounds of beeswax and tons of "water rotted hemp." Green, who has previously abstracted the agricultural censuses of Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, and several other states, has limited herself to only six columns: Name of the owner, improved and unimproved acreage, cash value of the farm itself, value of farm implements and machinery, and value of livestock. These generally give a good indication of the prosperity of the establishment and, because these data are common all across the country (unlike cotton or flax production), the researcher may gain a good idea of wealth relative to other regions. The transcription follows the order in which names were recorded by the census enumerator within each parish, with a surname-only index in each volume. Original page numbers are not given, however. The parishes appear alphabetically, Ascension through Madison in Volume 1 and Morehouse through Winn in Volume 2 (which may also be purchased separately). If you find someone of interest here, of course, I recommend you make a date with a microfilm reader and examine the full listing!