Title Info: 1871, Whatcom County Census, Whatcom County Territorial Auditor

These records contain an index and images of the Whatcom County census recorded in 1871. Information collected in this census includes the names of each member of the household and the following categories: Age at last birthday; Sex – Males, Females; Color – White, Black, Mulatto, Chinese, Taxable Halfbreed Indian, Kanakas; Occupation; Married; Unmarried; Place of birth; Father of foreign birth; Mother of foreign birth; If born within the year state month; If married within the year state month; Attended school within the year; Cannot read; Cannot write; Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic; Male citizens of U. S. of 21 years of age and upwards.

According to An Act to Establish the Territorial Government of Washington passed in 1853 by the Thirty-Second Congress of the United States, a census must be performed prior to holding an election for non-appointed members of the territorial legislature. Per An Act to Authorize the Assessors of Each County to Take the Census in the Statutes of the Territory of Washington enacted in 1854, each county’s assessor must take a census of their respective county’s inhabitants on or before the first Monday in December each year. The assessor was required to create a complete list of all white male inhabitants, with their ages, occupations, the state or county they are from, whether married or single, and also, whether citizens or aliens. Also, all white female inhabitants with their ages, whether married or single, and the county or state they are from. A separate list of all taxable half-breed Indians, negroes, kanakas, mulattoes, and chinamen was also required.

Enacted in 1869, An Act Relating to County Assessors required the assessors were to collect that same information with the census completed and returned to the county auditor by the first Monday of May. By 1871, An Act to Amend an Act Relating to County Assessors required the census be taken biennially.