LAWRENCE COUNTY, TN 1860 FEDERAL CENSUS http://ftp.us-census.org/pub/usgenweb/census/xtn/lawrence/1860/ TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: Prepared by Donald Robbins Transcription aid by Betty Hawley Checked by D. K. Robbins March 25, 2008 Census Sheet's Format ------------------------------- Census Sheet Header Information ------------------------------- Each Census Sheet consists of 40 lines. The Header information contains a place for the Date of entry, Post Office, The County Name (Montgomery) and the name of the recorder of the information. ------------------------------- Census Sheet Detail information ------------------------------- Column 1 - Dwelling - houses numbered in the order of visitation Column 2 - Families, numbered in the order of visitation Column 3 - The name of every person whose usual place of abode on the first day of June, 1860 was in this family Column 4 - Age Column 5 - Sex Column 6 - Color, White, Black or Mulatto or Indian Column 7 - Profession, Occupation or Trade of each person, male and female, over 15 years of age Column 8 - Value of Real Estate Column 9 - Value of Personal Estate Column 10 - Place of Birth, Naming the State, Territory, or Country Column 11 - Married within the year Column 12 - Attended School within the year Column 13 - Person over 20 who could not read or write Column 14 - Whether deaf & dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper or convict In the interest of getting the information transcribed to an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, some adjustments were made in the format of the transcription. A new line was created, which contains the Page Number and Line Number of the Image file that the information was transcribed from. The Surname is in Caps, along with the date of the census page, the census district, the Post Office, and the information from Column 1 and Column 2. The information from Columns 11, 12, 13 was encoded following the Column 10 information, Place of Birth. The encoding is: M, for married within the year, S, for attending school within the year, and I, for illiterate for a check in Column 13 for persons over 20 who could not read or write. The information from Column 14 is added, as is, to the person's line. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The information from the microfilm for the 1860 Census for Lawrence County consists of 216 pages. There were 1382 Family Units in Lawrence County There were 1748 dwellings in Lawrence County This is the first census we have done where there is a description of the vacant property. The owner of the vacant dwelling, and where it is situated are listed. This consisted of about 350 dwellings, and these descriptions are duly noted on the transcription. There is also a vocation we haven't seen before. That is one called an "Operative". We presume it is for a factory worker. There are children age 11, who have this as a vocation. COUNTS Number of White Males 4005 Number of White Females 4025 Number of Black Males 6 Number of Black Females 4 Number of Mulatto Males 0 Number of Mulatto Females 2 Number of Students 1853 Number of Illiterates 1079 Number of Married 54 in the last year ENUMERATOR The enumerator was S. A. Carrell. He started the enumeration at his house, so he is family #1, dwelling #1 at P001-01 NOTES from the Transcribers There was a centarian listed: Sarah Montgomery at 102 years. She is listed at P035-22 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - ABBREVIATIONS: If an occupation was dual, and one of the occupations was a Farmer, an asterisk was added. Clergy CP stands for Cumberland Presbyterian - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - PLACES OF BIRTH Tennessee 6600 North Carolina 503 Alabama 457 South Carolina 217 Virginia 124 Kentucky 83 Mississippi 73 Georgia 27 Pennsylvania 17 Indiana 9 New York 9 Ohio 9 Arkansas 8 Illinois 7 England 7 Massachusetts 5 Germany 4 Ireland 3 Scot 3 Maryland 2 Missouri 1 Vermont 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - OCCUPATIONS Alphabetically Accoucher 1 Artist 1 Bapt Min 2 Black Smith 31 Black Smith* 7 Book Keeper 1 Brick Mason 1 clerk ckt ct 1 clerk 5 Cabinent Maker 5 Carder 1 Carpenter 28 Cashier 1 Chair Maker 5 Collecting Ofcr 4 Collection Ofcr 1 Collections Ofr 1 Collier 1 Cooper 2 CP Min 1 Druggist 4 Factory Hand 18 Farm Labor 158 Farm Master 1 Farm Picker 1 Farmer prisoner 2 Farmer 1207 Forgeman 1 Gardening 1 Grocer clerk 2 Grocer 10 Gun Smith 1 Harness Mkr 1 Hatter 2 Hotel Keeper 5 House Work 20 Labor 162 Lawyer 9 Machinist 4 Manufacturer 7 Mechanic 11 Merchant 29 Merchant* 2 Meth Min 1 Midwife 1 Mill Wright 7 Miller 15 Miller* 2 Operative 65 Painter 1 Physician 16 Plasterer 1 Pottery Hand 1 Printer 2 Rock Mason 1 sewing 1 spinster 3 student 10 Saddler 2 Saddler* 1 Sawyer 1 Seamstress 8 Sheriff 1 Shoe Maker 1 Shoe Maker 22 Shoe Maker* 2 Stage Agent 1 Stage Driver 6 Stone Mason 2 Supt of Factory 2 Supt Poor House 1 Tailor 1 Tailoring 3 Tanner 1 Tanner* 1 Teacher 20 Telegraph Operator 1 Trader 4 Trader* 1 Waggon Maker 21 Waggon Maker* 1 Waggoneer 1 Waggoner 5 Weaver 3 Wheel Wright 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - OCCUPATIONS by frequency Farmer 1207 Labor 162 Farm Labor 158 Operative 65 Black Smith 31 Black Smith* 7 Merchant 29 Merchant* 2 Carpenter 28 Shoe Maker 22 Shoe Maker* 2 Waggon Maker 21 Waggon Maker* 1 House Work 20 Teacher 20 Factory Hand 18 Miller 15 Miller* 2 Physician 16 Mechanic 11 Grocer 10 student 10 Lawyer 9 Seamstress 8 Manufacturer 7 Mill Wright 7 Collecting Ofcr 6 Stage Driver 6 Chair Maker 5 clerk 5 Cabinent Maker 5 Hotel Keeper 5 Waggoner 5 Druggist 4 Machinist 4 Trader 4 Saddler 2 Saddler* 1 spinster 3 Tailoring 3 Weaver 3 Bapt Min 2 Cooper 2 Farmer prisoner 2 Grocer clerk 2 Hatter 2 Printer 2 Stone Mason 2 Supt of Factory 2 Wheel Wright 2 Accoucher 1 Artist 1 Book Keeper 1 Brick Mason 1 clerk ckt ct 1 Carder 1 Cashier 1 Collier 1 CP Min 1 Farm Master 1 Farm Picker 1 Forgeman 1 Gardening 1 Gun Smith 1 Harness Mkr 1 Meth Min 1 Midwife 1 Painter 1 Plasterer 1 Pottery Hand 1 Rock Mason 1 sewing 1 Sawyer 1 Sheriff 1 Shoe Maker 1 Stage Agent 1 Supt Poor House 1 Tailor 1 Tanner 1 Tanner* 1 Telegraph Operator 1 Trader* 1 Waggoneer 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - INFIRMITIES blind 1 deaf & dumb 1 idiot 3 idiotic 2 insane 7 pauper 5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - LAWRENCE COUNTY HISTORY Lawrence County was created October 21, 1817, by an act of the Tennessee General Assembly from mostly Indian Territory as a result of the Treaty of 1816 with the Chickasaw Indians. A section of Hickman County and a small portion of Giles County were included in its boundaries also. Local government was established in 1818. The county seat, Lawrenceburg, was chosen in 1819 because of its proximity to the center of the county and the fact that Jackson's Military Road ran on the eastern edge of the town. In April, 1821, the road was changed to go through the center of the town. This road was a major thoroughfare from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, and has played a significant role in the development of the county. The county and county seat were both named in honor of Captain James Lawrence, U.S. Naval hero of the War of 1812. One of the first commissioners and justices of the peace from Lawrence County was David Crockett. He ran a water-powered grist mill, powder mill and distillery in the area of the county that is now David Crockett State Park. Although he was only here for four or five years, David Crockett had a tremendous impact on the county and is a main attraction for tourists. In addition to the county seat of Lawrenceburg, other primary communities are presently Summertown, Henryville, Ethridge, Leoma, Loretto, St. Joe, West Point, and Iron City. Most of these were once major towns and their existence came about either because of Jackson's Military Road or due to iron ore mining. Several people have influenced Lawrence County's history. Colonel George Henry Nixon was Colonel during the Civil War, a politician, and the person most responsible for the railroad coming to Lawrence County. James Jackson Pennington was our most famous inventor having invented and patented a working model of an "Aerial Bird" -- similar to a zeppelin -- in 1877. Thomas Paine was a lawyer, politician, and teacher, but most important, he was appointed the first Commissioner of Education in Tennessee in the 1880's by the Governor. During this time he helped develop the public education system. In 1899 Paine was appointed Commissioner of Agriculture. James Vaughn transformed Lawrenceburg into the undisputed capital of Gospel Music in America. People came from all over the south to attend his school of music. Vaughan Publishing Company printed gospel music books and had branch offices in South Carolina, Mississippi, and Texas. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - THE STORY TELLERS We are the chosen. My feelings are, in each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know, and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called as it were, by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: Tell our story. So, we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors you have a wonderful family you would be proud of us? How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say. It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do? It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying I can't let this happen. The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation. It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take their place in the long line of family storytellers. That, is why I do my family genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones. Author unknown - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - The 1860 Census or Lots of Questions Answered The 1860 Census lists a dwelling number and family number and each sheet lists the county as well as town and post office name. Questions answered on the 1860 census include, name, age and sex of each individual; color, occupation, value of real and personal property; birthplace, whether married within the year (m.y.), whether attended school, can read or write and the date of the enumeration. Also included are boxes to indicate if an individual was a pauper or convict. Here is an article published in 1859 about the upcoming 1860 census: Friday September 23, 1859 Weekly Star THE NEXT CENSUS The year 1860 is the time appointed for taking the eighth census of the United States. From having been originally a simple enumeration's of persons, this Federal census has grown to be a decennial register of the number of inhabitants and their occupation, religious denominations & c, and also a statement of the commerce, manufacturers, arts and industry, and the wealth of the nation. The collection of these statistics has hitherto been attended with immense labor and difficulty. The inquiries of the census takers have not only been baffled by the stupidity and perverseness and ignorance of many to whom they were addressed; but it has been impossible to obtain accurate information upon important subjects because the parties; who alone are presumed capable of imparting it, have never taken the trouble to inform themselves. It often occurs that, in the absence of the head of a family no other member of it is able to give the information required; for instance as to the ages of the different members or it, or the amount of land in cultivation, the number of negroes and their ages, the quantity and value of horses, mules and oxen, etc., or of farming implements or farm products. In town and country similar difficulties are continually met with by the marshals appointed to collect these statistics, and the census is consequently returned incomplete. It is probably that while care will be observed to prevent any frauds or excess in the publication of the next census, it will be ordered by Congress to be taken so as to include all the most important items of information in regard to the progress of our population and our country. In view of this contingency the Nashville News very sensibly suggest that each farmer, this fall , as he gathers his crops, shall keep something like an accurate account of the quality and value of the same; and if he will take the trouble to make out a statement of the names and ages of his family; the number and ages of his servants, the number and value of his horses and mules; the number of bales of cotton, barrels of corn, bushels of wheat, oats, rye, barley, potatoes, etc., and leave it in some place where any member of thefamily, who may be at home when the deputy marshal shall call, can readily get hold of it, it will save time to all concerned, and very greatly assist to make the census return perfect, complete and satisfactory. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -