Source Information

Brown, Mary Jane, comp.. Riley county, Kansas, U.S., 1885 State Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001.
Original data: Earl G. Darby, comp.. 1885 Kansas State Census, Riley County. Topeka, KS, USA: Kansas State Historical Society, 1885.

About Riley county, Kansas, U.S., 1885 State Census

RILEY COUNTY, KANSAS STATE CENSUS --- 1885 Riley County, Kansas is located on the western edge of northeastern Kansas, about 100 miles west of Kansas City. Riley County was organized in 1855 in Kansas Territory and had grown to some 12,192 people by 1885. The Kansas census is taken at 10 year intervals midway between the Federal census counts. The abbreviated information in this index was taken from microfilm copies of original Kansas census records housed in the Kansas State Historical Society & Library in Topeka. Complete census information is found in the microfilmed records on file with the Kansas State Historical Society & Library. In 1885, the townships were: Ashland, Bala, Center, Fancy Creek, Grant, Jackson, Madison, Manhattan, May Day, Ogden, Swede Creek, Wild Cat and Zeandale. Sherman and Seven Mile townships had not yet been formed. Only the town of MANHATTAN was recorded Under the town or township column, "MANHATTAN" refers to the city of Manhattan, "MANHATTAN TWP" refers to the township areas.

The census page column refers to the page within section of the 1885 census. If your ancestor is listed in this census, refer to the microfilmed record for additional information. Many enumerators chose to use only initials for individuals given names. By referencing the 1880 Federal census, many given names were found. EXAMPLE: 1885 census listed "C A". The 1880 census listed "Clarence A". In this index, the given name is recorded as C(larence) A. The letters in parenthesis were taken from the 1880 Federal census. Printed copies of the index may be purchased at the Riley County Genealogical Society Library, 2005 Claflin Road, Manhattan KS 66502. Extracts of Riley County, Kansas territorial censuses of 1855, 1857, and 1860 and Kansas Decennial Agricultural Censuses from 1865 through 1915 are also available in printed form.