1847 VAN BUREN COUNTY IOWA CENSUS

The Iowa Constitution of 1846 provided that within one year after its ratification and within every subsequent term of two years, an enumeration of all the white inhabitants of the State should be made. In accordance with this provision an act was passed by the First General Assembly, and approved January 20, 1847, requiring the assessors to take an enumeration of white inhabitants on or before the first day of August, 1847. In the census of 1847, the first of the State, the counties of Dallas, Iowa, Jasper, Keokuk and Winneshiek appeared. Thirty-two counties in all made report. Total population ascertained was 116,454. The following 1847 record for Van Buren County, the original of which is in Census Division at the Iowa State Department of History and Archives, was prepared and edited by Mrs. Vernon Harris with the assistance of Miss Linda Harris, who undertook the tedious assignment of alphabetizing this entire list of names. Head-of-family and number in each household are given.