CITY OF NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI - AUGUST,
1886 CENSUS OF INHABITANTS, BUILDINGS, CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS, ORPHAN ASYLUMS
AND HOSPITALS AND MANUFACTORIES
Main Street, Natchez
Transcribed by Sarah and Bob Shumway
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PLEASE READ
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hold a copyright to same, that ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. No part of this
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Table of Contents
PLEASE NOTE:
The original ordinance requiring this census to be taken required
that the enumerators report their results in alphabetical sequence. The
books provided insufficient pages to record all names of the same beginning
letter together in some cases. The enumerators added the extra names to
the end of some other letter.
For ease in locating a surname, MSGenWeb has attempted to sort all
names by the first letter of the surname, but the names within a given
letter boundry are not fully alphabetized. Therefore, use of the "Find"
tool on your browser is recommended in locating a surname.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. An Ordinance to provide for the taking of censuses
of the City of Natchez
2. Census records for the North Surburan district:
3. Census records for the South Surburan district:
4. Census records for the 1st Ward:
5. Census records for the 2nd Ward:
6. Census records for the 3rd Ward:
7. Census records for the 4th Ward:
8. Presentation of final comprehensive recapitulation
to board of Mayor and Aldermen
An Ordinance
To Provide for Taking Censuses of the City of
Natchez
Section 1. Be it ordained by the mayor and board of aldermen of the
City of Natchez, in council convened, that a census of the population and
industry of the City of Natchez and the suburban district lying between
the present corporate boundaries and the former limits as established by
the act of April 17th, 1871, shall be taken on or for the first Monday
of August, A.D., 1886, and on or for the first Monday of August, A. D.,
1895, and every tenth year thereafter.
Section 2. Be it further ordained, That immediately after the passage
of this ordinance, the board of mayor and aldermen shall elect one enumerator
for each ward of said city and two for said suburban district, whose terms
of office shall continue for one year from date of such election and whose
compensation shall be three cents for each inhabitant and twenty-five cents
for each religious, benevolent, educational and industrial institution
enumerated and returned, which shall be in full compensation for all services
rendered or expenses incurred in the discharge of the duties herein prescribed.
Each enumerator, before entering upon the discharge of his duties, shall
take and subscribe, before the mayor or some other officer authorized to
administer oaths, the following oath or affirmation:
I, _______ _______, an enumerator for taking the census of the City
of Natchez for the year ____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will
make a true and exact enumeration of all the inhabitants within the ward
or division assigned to me, and will also faithfully collect all other
statistics therein as provided for in the ordinance for taking said census,
and will make due and correct returns thereof as required by said ordinance.
So help me God.
(Signed) _____ _____.
Section 3. Be it further ordained, that it shall be the duty of each
enumerator, after being qualified in the manner aforesaid, to visit personally
each dwelling house in his ward or district, and each family therein, and
each individual living out of a family in any place of abode, and each
religious, benevolent educational or industrial institution, and, by inquiry
made of the head of each family, or the member thereof deemed most credible
and worthy of trust, or of such individual living out of a family, and
of the president, chief officer, superior, principal, general agent or
manager of any such institution, to obtain each and every item of information
and all the particulars contemplated by this act as of said first Monday
of August of the census year, and to make entry of such information and
particulars with pen and ink, upon and in accordance with such forms and
schedules as may be prescribed as hereinafter provided; and in case the
enumerator shall be unable to find the respective persons above mentioned
it shall be lawful for him to obtain the required information from the
best and most reliable sources.
Section 4. Be it further ordained, that the enumeration required
by this ordinance shall commence on the first Monday of August of this
and each census year, and be taken as of that date, and each enumerator
shall prosecute the canvass of his sub-division from that date forward
on each week day without intermission, except for sickness or other urgent
cause, and any unnecessary cessation of his work shall be sufficient ground
for his removal and the appointment of another person in his place.
It shall be the duty of each enumerator to complete the enumeration
of his ward or district and to fill up the forms and schedules furnished
hereunder and forward the same, with a recapitulation thereof, all duly
certified as true and correct, as his returns under this ordinance, to
the city clerk on or before the first day of September of the census year.
Section 5. Be it further ordained that the enumeration and returns
for each ward or district shall show:
First - The name, age sex, nativity and occupation of each
inhabitant, the names to be alphabetically arranged.
Second - The number of houses and whether brick, frame or
stone in structure, on what streets situated and for what purposes used,
e.g. whether dwellings, stores, warehouses &c, and whether occupant
is owner or renter.
Third - Churches and of what denomination, schools, and whether
public or private, and number of pupils, orphan asylums and number of inmates
thereof, benevolent and other public institution.
Fourth - Factories, mills and other manufacturing institutions,
with names of the corporations, companies or individuals owning or conducting
the same; names of business, manufacture or products; capital investment;
greatest and average number of hands employed, and value of product.
Section 6. Be it further ordained, That immediately on the passage
of this ordinance, and on or before the first day of July in each subsequent
census year, the mayor shall appoint a special committee of three,whose
duty it shall be to prescribe the forms, schedules and instructions which
may be necessary for effecting the purposes of this ordinance and to superintend
and direct the taking of said census.
Section 7. Be it further ordained, That it shall be the duty of the
city clerk to furnish the enumerators with all necessary stationary; to
deliver to them all forms, schedules, instructions and directions that
may be prescribed by said committee; to receive the returns of said enumerators
and to make a complete compilation thereof, and to file away and preserve
the same in his office.
Section 8. Be it further ordained, that this ordinance shall take
effect and be in force from and after its passage.
Ordained and published this 15th day of July, 1886,
ISAAC LOWENBURG,
Mayor.
Attest;
THOS. R. QUARTERMAN, City Clerk
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