Census Records

Introduction


Although Sherman County was created in 1876, the county was not organized until 1889. Composite census statistics are available for Sherman County for 1890 through 2000, and original census schedules are available for 1900 through 1930. The composite statistics quoted on this page were obtained from:

University of Virginia Geospatial and Statistical Data Center.
United States Historical Census Data Browser.
ONLINE. 1998. University of Virginia. Available: This site is no longer online. [Accessed 7/19/2003].

One of the first steps any genealogist should take is to obtain copies of the available census data for EVERY ancestor in EVERY census year during his or her lifetime. Each census asked questions that were only asked in that census year, and even when the same questions were asked, the answers were not always the same - and you never know who you'll stumble across in the house next door. Whenever possible, you should obtain a copy of the original handwritten schedule - don't trust anybody's transcription, not even your own! Every-name indexes are in progress for the 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses for Sherman County and will be posted to the Sherman County Archives site in increments as they are completed; in the meantime, you can request a lookup (Sherman County only, please). For a comprehensive guide to finding, using, and interpreting census schedules, check out the Census Online website.

1890 Census

The 1890 census was the first census taken in Sherman County. To the everlasting regret of genealogists, the original schedules for this census were almost completely destroyed in a fire; however, the summary statistics from that census are available. In 1890, the total population of Sherman County was 34, including 23 males and 11 females. All were born in the U.S. of native-born parents. There were 8 farms averaging 800 acres each, and a total of 18 dwellings and 18 separate households.

For more information on the 1890 census, see:
Blake, Kellee. "First in the Path of the Firemen: The Fate of the 1890 Population Census."
Prologue, Spring 1996, Vol. 28, No. 1.

1900 Census

The 1900 census is the earliest Sherman County census for which the original schedules are still available. This is the only surviving census that asked for month and year of birth, not just age, and it is the first census that asked foreign-born persons for their year of immigration.

In 1900, the total population of Sherman County was 104, including 62 males and 42 females. All were born in the U.S., all except 5 of native-born parents. There were 18 farms averaging 10,851 acres each, and a total of 21 dwellings and 21 separate households.

A complete transcription of the 1900 census of Sherman County is now available. Because the 1900 census microfilm is hard to read, all entries were cross-checked with the Soundex index microfilm.

1910 Census

The 1910 census is one that many researchers skip, believing that it won't tell them anything new. Don't do it! EVERY census is important. Like 1900, the 1910 census asked how many years a couple had been married - but it also indicates how many times the person has been married before. A frequently ignored column at the far right indicates whether an individual is a veteran of the Civil War, and whether Union or Confederate.

In 1910, the total population of Sherman County was 1,376, including 744 males and 632 females. 26 were of foreign birth, and 81 were born in the U.S. but had at least one parent of foreign birth. There were 165 farms averaging 1,548 acres each, and a total of 294 dwellings and 296 separate households. An every-name index is in progress for this census.

Surnames appearing in the 1910 census for Sherman County include:

1910 Precinct 1 (Enumeration District 209, sheets 1A-4B)
Baskins, Burlison, Burns, Buster, Capehart, Clark, Cooley, Davis, Elmore, Endsley, Fry, Galbraith, Gladish, Green, Harris, Heise, Hester, Hopkins, Jones, Keenan, Kirkwood, Lee, Noble, Pronger, Reynolds, Sloan, Spurlock, Stipe, Sweny, Thomas, Timberlake, Triplett, Turner, Walton, Whaley, Wilson, Wohlford, Zundel

1910 Precinct 2 (Enumeration District 209, sheets 5A-8A)
Amend, Bebermeyer, Bennett, Bickford, Billington, Blake, Boney, Cartright, Cavanagh, Chambers, Cofer, Dortch, Fedric, Foreman, Gilbert, Hastings, Howe, Hunt, Jahns, King, Lanners, Martin, Mcilvain, Morehouse, Norris, Park, Pincham, Price, Puterbaugh, Sauer, Simpson, Spurlock, Stump, Walker

1910 Precinct 3 (Enumeration District 209, sheets 8B-15B)
Adams, Barnett, Beasley, Beck, Blair, Blakely, Blunt, Bothel, Brackin, Campbell, Coffman, Coons, Cramer, Cullop, Dawson, Dimmitt, Eddy, Eden, Edwards, Elliott, Elliott, Embry, Farr, Ferriss, Foster, Frei, Fry, Furber, Galbraith, Games, Gex, Goe, Goldsmith, Grant, Graves, Greene, Hager, Hammel, Handlin, Hanson, Havely, Henning, Hess, Hibdon, Hicks, Hodges, Ingham, Jarrell, Jones, Kuper, Lancaster, Lavake, Lee, Lilly, Lindsey, Margis, Mason, Mason, Mason, Mccaughey, Mcelroy, Mercer, Moore, Mulvany, North, Parker, Parsons, Pertram, Phegley, Pitzer, Plaisier, Powelson, Presnal, Rathje, Rees, Roach, Roberts, Robertson, Rogers, Runyan, Russell, Sayre, Scribner, Searles, Shaeffer, Shaull, Shelden, Short, Smelcer, Smith, Taylor, Terry, Thornton, Vaughn, Walker, Welch, Wetherbee, Whorton, Williams, Wilson, Woods, Wright

1910 Precinct 4 and Stratford (Enumeration District 210)
Acree, Adams, Addison, Alexander, Allen, Altringer, Ashworth, Bagewell, Barton, Bentley, Blackwell, Blakesley, Blonton, Bowling, Brain, Bromm, Brown, Bryan, Burkhead, Burroughs, Caldwell, Campbell, Clark, Clury, Coan, Coleman, Collins, Colton, Colvin, Commack, Cone, Corn, Cortwright, Craddock, Craddock, Craig, Cronk, Croven, Crowden, Cummins, Davis, Denton, Deon, Dick, Dovel, Dutton, Endicott, Estlack, Fisher, Foster, Foxworth, Fryar, Gamble, Garger, Gentry, Gerdes, Gladdish, Gomewell, Green, Grope, Guerson, Hamilton, Harlow, Harrington, Harris, Harrisson, Hart, Hart, Hastetter, Hathaway, Haynes, Hendrickson, Hensley, Higginbottom, Hill, Houser, Ingham, Jackson, Jarrett, Jones, Kelp, Kensley, Kerr, Kidwell, King, Kirk, Kirkwood, Knox, Korber, Lamar, Larley, Lemons, Lenoir, Lenord, Lile, Lipscomb, Logan, Loomis, Low, Mahon, Mallory, Manson, Martin, Marton, Mattingly, Mays, McAdams, McCord, McCrory, McDowald, McKenney, McMurray, Miles, Mitchell, Moore, Morgan, Morrisson, Mount, Mullins, Nidever, Noland, Obrien, Payton, Peck, Pendleton, Pepper, Pessel, Polly, Pool, Powell, Price, Pruitt, Pucket, Purnell, Ratcliffe, Reed, Reeder, Ritchie, Roberts, Rogers, Ross, Rowe, Rowland, Rowlings, Royalty, Rudolph, Sandusky, Schumacher, Sharp, Shoffit, Sims, Smith, Snyder, Spice, Stahl, Stockman, Swaney, Taux, Taylor, Terry, Thomason, Tucker, Ullum, Vaughn, Vincent, Waddell, Wakefield, Walden, Wallace, Watson, Webb, Welshimer, White, Wiginton, Wilson, Wofford, Woody, Yates, Zimmerman

1920 Census

The 1920 census has some interesting quirks. It was taken in January, rather than in the spring or summer, which affects interpretation of age information as well as reflecting winter settlement patterns. It's an especially useful census for tracking immigrant ancestors; enumerators asked the province or city of birth for persons born in Austria-Hungary, German, Russia, or Turkey, and also asked the year of naturalization as well as year of immigration. It's also useful for determining where to look for 1917 draft registration records for men.

In 1920, the total population of Sherman County was 1,473, including 779 males and 694 females. 43 were of foreign birth, and 60 were born in the U.S. but had at least one parent of foreign birth. There were 151 farms averaging 2,540 acres each, and a total of 332 dwellings and 338 separate households. An every-name index is in progress for this census.

Surnames appearing in the 1920 census for Sherman County include:

1920 Precinct 1 (Enumeration District 224, sheets 1A-3B)
Baskin, Calvirt, Clark, Dalatena, Davis, Dixon, Edwards, Foreman, Foster, Fuller, Green, Harris, Heald, Higginbottom, Holloway, Hopkins, Hudson, Jackson, Keenan, LaBlue, Landfair, Mars, McAdams, McEuen, Miller, Pemberton, Pronger, Reed, Reynold, Skipworth, Sloan, Spurlock, Steel, Stipe, Triplett, Whaley, Wohlford, Woody, Zimmer

1920 Precinct 2 (Enumeration District 224, sheets 4A-5B)
Amend, Boney, Bonner, Bowen, Brickey, Browder, Brown, Bullington, Cartrite, Cartwright, Chambers, Cummings, Derrick, Dixon, Dooley, Dortch, Dovel, Fedric, Flores, Flyr, Foreman, Franklin, Frei, Gilbert, Hamilton, Heger, Hill, Horn, Jennings, Kerley, Lanners, Moore, Myers, Packnett, Park, Pemberton, Ponder, Record, Ryan, Scoggan, Simpson, Spurlock, Sweny, Truax, Williams, Wilson

1920 Precinct 3 and Texhoma (Enumeration District 224, sheets 6A-12A)
Baugh, Beck, Bell, Bennett, Berry, Boney, Bridwell, Browder, Brown, Buckley, Burrows, Caple, Chambers, Chapell, Chesser, Chiswell, Cobb, Coffman, Coons, Cotton, Cramer, Dimmitt, Dodson, Douglas, Eubank, Fincher, Fleming, Forbis, Foster, Fry, Gex, Gilmore, Glover, Gomes, Gordon, Gorman, Guffey, Gum, Guthrie, Hale, Haley, Hamilton, Handlin, Harland, Harmon, Harris, Hartman, Harwell, Hendrickson, Hickman, Hodges, Holland, Hoodenpyle, Hook, Huff, James, Jeffries, Judd, Kelley, Kelp, Kidd, Kieffer, Killen, Kimbrel, King, Knowlton, Lannker, Lasley, Levake, Limpert, Lincas, Lloyd, Long, Lowett, Lusk, Maltett, Martin, Mason, McAdams, McClendon, McDonald, Mitchell, Moore, Nation, Odom, Oldaker, Palmer, Parson, Paxton, Pitzer, Poer, Poklop, Powelson, Presnal, Reynolds, Riffe, Roach, Roberts, Robertson, Runyan, Shadinger, Sheppard, Shilling, Smith, Solomon, Somers, Standley, Teague, Walls, Walthall, Ward, Watson, Weissman, Williams, Wilson, Winney, Wood

1920 Precinct 4 and Stratford (Enumeration District 225)
Acre, Adams, Alexander, Allen, Anderson, Arnold, Banvelos, Barnes, Barnett, Bartlett, Beauchamp, Bell, Bennett, Blackburn, Blackwell, Bonar, Boney, Bowling, Bragg, Brous, Brown, Brummitt, Bryan, Buchanan, Calahan, Cartez, Chapman, Clements, Clifton, Cobb, Collins, Cook, Cummings, Curry, Davel, Decker, Diaz, Dixon, Elliott, Fargen, Fedric, Ferrell, Flores, Flyr, Foster, Fouts, Foxworth, Fry, Gamble, Gamewell, Gibbons, Gladish, Goff, Good, Gray, Green, Harlan, Harland, Harrington, Harris, Harrison, Harroll, Hart, Henderson, Hensley, Hermandez, Herrera, Hiagg, Hill, Holt, Hommit, Hoover, Hopkins, Horn, Huntsinger, Hyso, Ingham, Jackson, Jacobs, Jones, Kaines, Keeder, Kelp, Kerr, Kessie, Kidwell, Kincheloe, King, Kirkwood, Knight, Knudsen, LaFrend, Lasley, LeBlew, Lee, Lollis, Lopez, Loverett, Lynch, Lyons, Madrigal, Martin, Massie, McAdams, McCune, McKinney, Mullins, Newby, Nolan, Norvel, O'Quin, O'Brien, Parsons, Peck, Pedroza, Pemberton, Pendleton, Perkins, Pimentel, Powell, Price, Quintana, Ramiroz, Ratcliff, Reese, Reeves, Reynolds, Riccius, Roberts, Ross, Rudolph, Schenck, Scribner, Senoir, Simmons, Sims, Smith, Snyder, Spurlock, Stahl, Steel, Stewart, Stubblefield, Sutton, Tate, Taylor, Tharp, Tompson, Torres, Turner, Van Fossen, Vaskas, Walker, Wallace, Watson, Webb, White, Wiginton, Williams, Wilson, Wright, Yates

1930 Census

The 1930 census was released in April 2002, much to the delight of the genealogy community. Taken at the beginning of the Great Depression, this census caught many Americans in a period of upheaval. New questions included age at first marriage and military service in World War I. Many people alive today can be found in the 1930 census. If you have relatives born before 1930 who are still living, go ahead - make their day. Find them in the census, take them a photocopy of the census page with their name, and don't forget your tape recorder - this is a great way to get them talking about family stories!

In 1930, the total population of Sherman County was 2,314, including 1,242 males and 1,072 females. 22 were of foreign birth, and 108 were born in the U.S. but had at least one parent of foreign birth. There were 298 farms averaging 174,720 acres each, and a total of 513 dwellings and 578 separate households. A full transcription of this census will commence when 1900-1920 is completed.