U.S. Census Report for 1890

U.S. Department of Interior 1893. Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census: 1890. U.S. Department of Interior, Census Office.

Table of Contents - Click to Enlarge

This important reference gives an early and comprehensive overview of Alaska's resources, industries, population centers and cultures, not so long after Alaska's 1867 purchase. "Experts and special agents" were hired for the special case of Alaska. As these census enumerators fanned out over the territory, they recorded voluminous textual observations, in addition to the raw data of population numbers which was their central charge. Interestingly, National Geographic writer Eliza Ruhama Scidmore authors the section of the Southeast Alaska district from Frederick Sound to Yakutat. It is difficult to ascertain from the text whether it represents additional visits to her 1883 and 1884 excursion voyages. It is known that she visited Alaska again in 1891, and was a staunch and outspoken advocate for establishing Alaska territorial government. This page presents some alternative methods of viewing this valuable information.

Reading the Report

• From the Census Bureau directly: The entire census report can be obtained online from The U.S. Census Bureau Web Page for the 1890 Census. However, the reports are voluminous! The section on Alaska alone is a 58 megabyte PDF download.
• From Google Books: Volume 8 (Alaska) may be viewed online as a Google book (accessed 3/31/2008). The text is searchable, but some figures and perhaps other things are not present (as of 3/31/2008). The scan quality is quite good, so that the text can be read quite easily.
• Split into eight smaller sections and cached here locally (on 3/31/2008). The 58MB zipped collection of PDFs were downloaded from the U.S. Census Bureau (see above) and are cached here locally for easier research access due to the very large file sizes. Each section is approximately 8MB,and the section splits appear to have been done rather arbitrarily, not necessarily falling on any major headings. The sections are exactly as contained in the downloaded zip file.
  1. 1890a_v8-01.pdf. Cover to page 39.
     • Introduction
     • Description of Southeastern Alaska from Cape Fanshaw to the Southern Boundary, by Miner W. Bruce
  2. 1890a_v8-02.pdf. Pages 40-64 (end of SE District).
  3. The first district of Alaska from Prince Frederick Sound to Yakutat Bay, by Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore

1880 Census Reports

The 1880 Census Reports are far less informative than the 1890 report. No mention is made of Killisnoo, and only a very brief section on fisheries appears.

Reading the Report

• From the Census Bureau directly: The entire census report can be obtained online from The U.S. Census Bureau Web Page for the 1880 Census. However, the reports are voluminous!
• Split into smaller sections and cached here locally (on 4/3/2008). The zipped collection of PDFs were downloaded from the U.S. Census Bureau (see above) and are cached here locally for easier research access due to the very large file sizes. Each section is approximately 8MB,and the section splits appear to have been done rather arbitrarily, not necessarily falling on any major headings. The sections are exactly as contained in the downloaded zip file. Only the sections with the 189 pages of Ivan Petroff's report: "Report on the population, industries, and resources of Alaska." are included here:
  1. 1880a_v8-09.pdf Cover to page 48
  2. 1880a_v8-10.pdf pages 49-96
  3. 1880a_v8-11.pdf
  4. 1880a_v8-12.pdf
  5. 1880a_v8-13.pdf (index)