Crawford County, Wisconsin - Territorial Census For 1836 ********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** Submitted by: David W. Taft , August 2002 THE [FIRST WISCONSIN] TERRITORIAL CENSUS FOR 1836 Source: Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Edited and Annotated by Reuben Gold Thwaites, Corresponding Secretary of the Society, Vol. XIII, Madison, Democrat Printing Company, State Printer, 1895, Pages 247-1, 251 - 257. By The Editor. In the act of Congress approved April 20, 1836, establishing the Territorial government of Wisconsin, it was provided (sec. 4) that "Previously to the first election, the governor of the Territory shall cause the census or enumeration of the inhabitants of the several counties in the territory to be taken or made by the sheriffs of said counties, respectively, and returns thereof made by the said sheriff s, to the governor." Upon the basis of this census, the governor was to make an apportionment "as nearly equal as practicable among the several counties, for the election of the council and representatives, giving to each section of the territory representation in the ratio of its population, Indians excepted, as near as may be." The returns of this first Wisconsin census, taken in July 1836, are preserved in the office of the secretary of state. No printed blanks were furnished; the sheriffs were instructed simply to report, in writing, the names of heads of white families, with the number of persons in each family, divided into the usual four groups: I. No. of males under 21 years. II. No. of females under 21 years. III. No. of males over 21 years. IV. No. of females over 21 years. The returns made to the governor were in tabular form, and for the most part on ordinary foolscap paper. In the case of Crawford County, the enterprising sheriff exceeded his instructions by returning an elaborate broadside, dividing the population into numerous groups according to their ages; lie also re-grouped those of his people who were deaf and dumb, or blind, and included tables of aliens and "slaves and coloured." Wisconsin Territory was, at the time of its creation, of much larger dimensions than the present State. It embraced all of the present Iowa and Minnesota, and the country still farther westward to about the site of Bismarck, N. D. The census ordered by Governor Dodge, however, covered only those counties in Iowa and the present Wisconsin in which there was considerable settlement, it being understood that the greater part of the trans-Mississippi country was but temporarily attached to Wisconsin, for administrative purposes. The Wisconsin counties in what is now Iowa were Des Moines and Dubuque, both of which were well populated (Des Moines 6,257, Dubuque 4,274), but these do not now concern us. The census revealed to Governor Dodge that in the four principal counties lying east of the Mississippi - Brown, Crawford, Iowa, and Milwaukee - the number of inhabitants was 11,688, and on the 9th of September he proclaimed the following apportionment for the counties named: Brown - Population 2,706 Crawford - Population 805 Iowa - Population 5,234 Milwaukee - Population 2,893 The following list of "heads of families," with the size of each family, is taken directly from the manuscript re turns. The spelling of the names is an exact transcript of the original; it is needless to say that the enumerators in this respect frequently made ludicrous mistakes, which the editor has not attempted to rectify, preferring that the returns should stand on their own merits, as other historical documents in these Collections. Where errors are apt to be misleading, explanatory footnotes have been given, although most of the phonetic renderings explain themselves. The alphabetical arrangement is an editorial device, for convenience of reference, - in the original returns, there is no attempt at this; had there been, the enumerators would have avoided frequent duplication in the accounting, to which reference will be made in the footnotes. CRAWFORD COUNTY Sheriff - William W. Wilson. Population (White and Negro) - Males: under 5 years, 43; 5 and under 10, 38; 10 and under 15, 34; 15 and under 20, 38; 20 and under 30, 82; 30 and under 40, 68; 40 and under 50, 28; 50 and under 60, 6; 60 and under 70, 3; 70 and under 80, 2 - none older. Females: under 5, 47; 5 and under 10, 32; 10 and under 15, 23; 15 and under 20, 26; 20 and under 30, 84; 30 and under 40. 24; 40 and under 50, 6; 50 and under 60, 8; 60 and under 70, 1 none older. Total, 850. Slaves (previously included) - Male: 24 and under 86, 1 (in family of T. H. Lockwood). Female: 10 and under 24, 1 (in family of Thomas Street). This is exclusive of the slaves in Fort Crawford. Free colored (previously included) - Male: 24 and under 36, 1 (in family of John Bruny). Female: 24 and under 86, 1 (Maria Fostnot). Stationed at Fort Crawford (previously included) -Total number of officers and men, 260; women, 13; children, 23; slaves of both sexes, 17. This left but 573 in the county, beside the 313 persons in the fort. Miscellaneous (previously included) - Blind: (1 in family of Michael Brisbois). "Forinors not Naturalised*" 48. * Assumed this represents "Foreigners [who were] not Naturalized." Heads of families, with number in each family - P. Allard, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") H. S. Allen, 4 Charles Antoine, 12 Christofer Antoyer, 1 Whiteside Argus, 1 Louis Barette, 5 Pierre Barette, 7 S. Barthe, ("forinor not naturalised") Tunis Bell, 2 Jos. Benson, 1 Jos. Billard, alias B. Lanitor, 2 (inc. 1 "forinor not naturalised") J. Borfseau, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Jos. Bouseau, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Benj. Braudrick, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") M. L. Brine, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Barnard W. Brisbroise, 4 (inc. 1 "forinor not naturalised") George Brisbroise, 4 Joseph Brisbroise, 8 (inc. 1 "forinor not naturalised") Michael Brisbroise, 6 (inc. 1 "who is blind") Exivier [Xavier] Brisset, 2 Elisa Brown, 1 J. B. Brown, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Charles Bruce, 1 A. Brunett, 1 John Bruny, 5 Agustin Buisson, 2 Thomas Burnet, 1 D. Cambell, 1 John Cambell, 1 Margaret Cambell, 7 L. Cardinal, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Henry Certes, 1 Jos. Champigne, 1 Oliver Cherier, 11 H. Colbert, 1 John Colton, 4 Dennis Courtes, 7 Richard Curtis, 9 (inc. 8 "forinors not naturalised") Alexis Cuvchirer, 2 J. B. Dallam, 2 Margaret Davis, 4 J. B. Demerer, 7 L. Demerer, 8 Joseph Dernerior, 9 J. Dourifle, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") H. L. Dousman, 16 (inc. 6 "forinors not naturalised") Joseph Duneau, 3 John Dunlap, 1 Alex. Dupine, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Alex. Famboust, 1 (forinor not naturalised") P. Felix, 1 J. Dourille Fillion, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") John Finley, 1 George Fisher, 6 M. Fitzpatrick, 1 Maria Fostnot, 1 D. Frost, 1 Limis Frost, 8 Francis Galino, 7 Alix Gardupie, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") G. M. Gaulin, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Baptiste Gauthier, 2 Isack P. Gentil, 3 James Gilbert, 3 Samuel Gilbert, 13 Joseph Godfry, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Arcange Grenio, 6 Ellen Grenio [Grignon], 2 S. Griffin, 1 Peter Grimard, 6 G. Gruthery, 1 A. Hagon, 1 Jettedier P. Hall, 4 Silas Halloway, 1 Isack Harrison, 1 Richard Hartwell, 1 ("forinor not naturalised ") Betsey Hawkins, 2 WM. Hayley, 1 H. Hermaringer, 5 J. Hidy, 1 Allen Hill, 5 Wm. Holloway, 1 Thomas Hore, 5 S. Hudson, 3 Edward Hughes, 2 ("forinors not naturalised") Alonzo Jefford, 1 Joseph Labat, 7 Antoine Lachapelle, 7 Piere Lachapelle, 5 Samuel Lamb, 3 Oliver Landrick, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") H. Lane, 1 Charles Lapoint, 3 Francis Lapoint, 6 Hyacinth Lapoint, 3 Maria Lapoint, 4 Baptiste Larivier, 3 Julen Larivier, 8 Pierre Larivier, 4 Rabatise Lavurell, 8 A. Lemmons, 1 L. Lhurenx, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") John Limery, 6 L. Lisabell, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") T. H. Lockwood, 6 William Lockwood, 1 Jos. Lord, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Peter Loumbare, 1 J. Maccintire, 1 Joseph McDaniels, 1 C. McNillage, 1 Nathanial Manning, 1; B. Marshal, 2 A. Martin, 1 Joseph Martin, 6 Louis Martin, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Charles Menard, Sr., 6 John Miller, 9 John Miller, 9 Joseph P. Mills, 1 Charles Minare, 8 John Molston, 4 Isaac Monrow, 4 J. Moore, 4 Jos. Mouquin, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Jos. Moussette, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") C. Noble, 1 J. B. Novo, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") William Parsons, 1 John Penell, 1 J. Pitt, 1 Strang Powers, 8 Francoist Provost, 4 Era Putman, 1 Louise Querie, 1 Jeremier Quin, 3 Antwine Rabonad, 1 James Reed, 6 Louiser Revoir, 3 Joseph Rolett, 14 (inc. 3 "forinors not naturalised") Joseph Ruso [Rousseau] 2 Francis St. John, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") J. Serley, 1 Francis Sherivier, 2 Francis Shinvier, 9 Wm. Shuster, 1 H. H. Sibley, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Jos. Sinair, 1 ("forinor not naturalised") Joant Sinsiere [St. Cyr], 11 S. Skimmerhorne [Schermerhorn], 1 Jules Sleephack, 5 Fredrick Stramb, 9 (inc. 4 "forinors not naturalised") Thomas Street, 4 Ezical [Ezekiel] Tainter, 8 Joseph Thomas, 6 J. Thompson, 1 Abraham Trepagnier, 3 John Vale, 2 J. Vanakin, 1 William Wilson, 2 George (surname illegible), 5 Thomas (surname illegible), 1