Using the Manuscript Manufacturing Census

In addition to collecting data on agricultural production, slave ownership, and characteristics of the population, census-takers also recorded information on industrial production in the United States. This data appears in the manuscript schedule of the census of the products of industry--more commonly called the manufacturing census. Each page of the manuscript manufacturing census contains fourteen fields of data for twenty separate industrial establishments, defined not only as enterprises which manufacture a product, but as businesses engaged in mining, fishing, or commercial trading. The data census-takers collected provided detailed information regarding all phases of industrial production--from the raw materials these businesses consumed, to the amount of labor they utilized, to the finished goods they produced. You will find searching the manufacturing census helpful for discovering information about specific industrial producers as well as for examining trends in industrial production in both Augusta and Franklin counties. Those users interested in comparing and contrasting the industrial might of these counties should consult the aggregate data presented in the Statistical Tables Compiled from Census Records.

History of the Manufacturing Census

The first census of industrial production in the United States was undertaken in 1810 and was inextricably linked to the nation's growing entanglement in the Napoleonic Wars. In an effort to reduce the country's dependence on the importation of manufactured goods and thereby ensure the country's economic prosperity during international trade (and shooting) wars, national political leaders called for increased industrial production at home. With more manufactured goods produced in the United States, the country would no longer need to export agricultural products to European nations in order to purchase needed industrial items and, thus could avoid conflicts over trade like the brewing crisis with England. The purpose of the manufacturing census was to provide data on the state of industrial production in the United States and to answer such basic questions as what items were produced domestically and how many people labored in manufacturing establishments. Ultimately, the census was designed to "show the practical foundation, actual progress, condition, and establishment of the American arts and manufactures, and their connection with the wealth and strength of the United States." The census would also provide data which would allow for comparisons between the value of domestic manufactures, external manufactures, and foreign trade. This first manufacturing census was relatively brief, only inquiring into the kind, quantity, and value of goods produced. But despite its brevity, the census was widely considered to be inaccurate and fraught with errors. For instance, data from numerous cities and counties went uncollected, and no clear criteria existed for deciding whether an item produced in the home should be recorded in the manufacturing census or in the Home Manufacturing field of the agricultural census.

The manufacturing census was undertaken again in 1820 and again was fraught with errors. As a result, the manufacturing census was dropped from the 1830 and 1840 collections, though enumerators did collect a small amount of information on manufacturing establishments in 1840 as part of the "Schedule of Mines, Agriculture, Commerce, Manufactures, etc." In 1850 census officials revived the manufacturing census as a separate schedule and increased to fourteen the number of fields in which enumerators would record data. The 1850 manufacturing census, however, proved to be just as flawed as the earlier attempts at data collection. In fact, this was such a problematic document that it was not published until 1859. Census officials did believe, though, that they had devised an effective and informative schedule for collecting information on manufacturing establishments. As a result, both the 1860 and 1870 censuses utilized the same fourteen-field form as the 1850 census.

How to Search the Manuscript Manufacturing Census

To begin searching the manuscript manufacturing census, go to the Manufacturing Census Search Page. This page offers the fields which you can query the manufacturing census. Click in the box of the field you want to search and then enter the words or numbers you want to find. You can search on as few or as many variables at one time as desired. You can also use the Tab or Return key to move from one field to the next. When ready to begin the search, click the Initiate Search button. The search engine will return a results page listing all the entries which meet the criteria selected on the search form. For instance, searching for individuals or businesses with the name of Stouffer will return the record for all matching entries. Results are returned in pages of 50 records at a time; to access other pages, use the "Next" and "Previous" buttons at the bottom of the page of results. Full records of the entire page can be reached using the link to Full Records found at the bottom of the page. A full record for an individual entry in the census can be found by clicking on the link of the individual's name. Note that at the bottom of the results page is a link to statistical information for the records returned. To begin a new search, use the back button to return to the search page and click on the Clear button to reset the entry form.

For tips on searching, go to Tips for Searching Valley Databases.

Explanation of Fields

Census Page Number and Location: The census page number refers to the page of the manuscript census on which a particular record can be found (each page can list up to twenty records). In the location box on the census schedule enumerators noted the district (for Augusta) or the township (for Franklin) in which the manufacturing establishment was situated.

Name of Company or Last Name of Individual: Enumerators recorded the name of the company, corporation, or individual(s) who owned the business. This is the most important field in the manufacturing census because all of the other data fields for each record contain information about the establishment identified in this field. Enumerators typically entered the name of an individual in this field, though occasionally the manuscript form lists the names of firms, companies, or corporations. When searching this field, enter the entire name of the business or company desired. For instance, searching on H. S. Gallaher & Son will return a results page on this business. However, when searching for an individual, enter only their last name in this field. For example, to find information on the business owned by Samuel Bare of Augusta County, entering his surname will return a results page with information on his mill. If the first name of the individual is known, enter it in the First Name field. To begin a search for individuals or companies in the manuscript manufacturing census, click on the box for this field, enter the name you want to find, and then click the Initiate Search button. The search engine will return a results page with information about the manufacturing establishment searched on. Names of businesses or individuals followed by an asterisk (*) indicate that the name is not legible on the census form. For a more detailed explanation of this symbol, see "Important Notations" below.

First Name: Use this field to enter the first name of individual business owners. To search on company names, enter the full company name in the Name of Company or Last Name of Individual field.

Name of Business, Manufacture, or Product: This field more accurately refers to the type of business, such as blacksmith or mill, or the type of product manufactured, such as wagons. In an effort to clarify an issue which had caused problems in earlier manufacturing censuses, enumerators were instructed not to include on this list household manufactures in which annual production failed to surpass $500. Instead, these items of household manufacturing were to be included in the agricultural census. Enumerators, however, were to collect information on commercial establishments which engaged in the trading or selling, rather than the producing, of manufactured goods. To search in this field, enter the name of a business, manufacture, or product, and click on the Initiate Search button. A list of common businesses, manufactures, and products will help users refine their searches.

Capital Invested, in Real and Personal Estate, in the Business: This field refers to the amount of money invested in a manufacturing establishment. To calculate 2002 dollars, multiply 1860 dollars by 19.89 ; for further information on this conversion, see http://www.minneapolisfed.org/community_education/teacher/calc/hist1800.cfm. This figure includes both the value of the land on which the business is situated and the value of personal wealth invested in the business. Personal estate is defined as all non-land property, such as implements, tools, machinery, and even slaves. To search on this field, enter the desired value in the Capital Invested field, click on the symbol to indicate "greater than," "less than," or "equal to," and then click the Initiate Search button at the bottom of the page.

Quantities, Kinds, and Values of Raw Materials: An important aspect of the survey of manufacturing establishments was inquiries into the raw materials consumed in the manufacturing process. Although many establishments utilized several different raw materials, the manuscript schedule did not provide enough space for recording this data. As a result, enumerators were forced to squeeze this information into a small space on the manuscript schedule. Quantities of raw materials refers to the amount of raw materials used or consumed during production, expressed in the proper measurement for each item. For instance, wheat was measured in bushels and coal was measured in tons. Kinds of raw materials refers to the type of raw materials used, including fuel. Because of space restrictions, enumerators frequently grouped several minor types of raw materials into the category "miscellaneous" or "other articles." A list of common raw materials is provided to guide users in their search of this field. In the Value of Raw Materials field, census-takers recorded the value for the quantity of each item specified in the previous two columns. For raw materials designated "other articles" or "miscellaneous," enumerators recorded the aggregate value of these items.

Kind of Motive Power, Machinery, Structure, or Resource: This field actually offers data for three but different types of questions, all of which focus on the sources of power in the establishment. First, it contains information on the source of motive of power--what makes the machines work, and the factory run? Common sources of power include steam, water, horses, buhrstones (millstones) and hands (meaning people). Second, this field indicates the quantities and kinds of machines used, such as looms, presses, and mills. Third, this field offers information on the kinds of structures or resources of power, such as furnaces, and the number of fires, quarries, and mines. To search on this field, enter the item you want to find in the appropriate box on the search form and click the Initiate Search button.

Average Number of Male and Female Hands: Census-takers collected data on labor in industrial establishments as part of the manufacturing census. Most of these businesses employed either all men or all women; few were the establishments employing members of both sexes. Likewise, the vast majority of businesses offered work only for men; few women found work in manufacturing businesses. To search on this field, enter the number of employees you want to find (by gender), select either "greater than," "less than," or "equal to," and click on the Initiate Search button.

Average Male or Female Monthly Wage: These fields supplement the fields on number of employees by offering data on average monthly wages for all the labor of all the workers. With data from these two fields, users can calculate the average earnings for individual laborers. To calculate 2002 dollars, multiply 1860 dollars by 19.89 ; for further information on this conversion, see http://www.minneapolisfed.org/community_education/teacher/calc/hist1800.cfm.

Quantities, Kinds, and Values of Annual Products: The last three fields on the manuscript schedule relate to the final goods produced by manufacturing establishments. Given the importance of this field and the potential for confusion as to precisely which goods were produced by an establishment, the census-takers' instructions warned that "it will require great care to fill this column properly." The chief difficulty in recording this data was determining which items were produced on the premises. Additionally, enumerators were instructed to record the value of the product at the point of manufacture and not its final market value. In other words, transportation and other related expenses were not to be reflected in the value the enumerators recorded. As in the corresponding raw materials field, quantities of annual products were expressed in the proper measurement for the items produced--bushels, tons, barrels, etc. For establishments which produced multiple items, enumerators recorded only the names of the four most important products, grouping the rest together as "other articles." Finally, the value of annual products produced was found by multiplying the value of each item by the quantity manufactured. A list of common products will help users refine their searches.

Important Notations: An asterisk (*) at the end of a last name, first name, or business name indicates an illegible name on the manuscript census form. If "i?" appears in a field on the results page, this indicates an illegible entry on the manuscript census form.

Helpful Hints

Here are some helpful hints for searching the manuscript population census:

Searching the manufacturing census will be particularly useful to users when done in conjunction with searches of the agricultural census, population census, and slaveowner census. Such searches will reveal demographic, family, farm, and slaveowning data for particular manufacturers. For example, after learning from the manufacturing census that Peter Brough owned a flour mill in Franklin County's Guilford Township, one can search the agricultural census to learn about his farm holdings.
For quantitative searches, the aggregate data available in the Statistical Tables Compiled from Census Records can help users select data to search and to refine their searches.
Be sure to click the Clear button before beginning a new search.
For state and regional comparisons of manufacturing characteristics, consult the Comparative Maps.