Indians in Mason County Michigan 1880 Census

The following 355 people were identified as Indians (I) in column 4 (color) of the 1880 census for Mason County Michigan.

The instructions to enumerators for conducting the 1870 census were essentially the same as those for the 1860 census:

Indians not taxed are not to be enumerated. The families of Indians who have renounced tribal rule, and who under state or territory laws exercise the rights of citizens, are to be enumerated. 1

In the 1880 instructions the phrase “Indians not taxes” was expanded to:

By the phrase “Indians not taxed” is meant Indians living on reservations under the care of Government agents, or roaming individually, or in bands, over unsettled tracts of country.

Indians not in tribal relations, whether full-bloods or half-breeds, who are found mingled with the white population, residing in white families, engaged as servants or laborers, or living in huts or wigwams on the outskirts of towns or settlements are to be regarded as a part of the ordinary population of the country for the constitutional purpose of the apportionment of Representatives among the States, and are to be embraced in the enumeration. 2

So the following 355 people identified in the 1880 Mason County Michigan census are believed to either have renounced tribal rule, and under state law, exercised their rights as citizens to be enumerated; or because they mingled with the white population of these Michigan towns were enumerated under the expanded definitions.

I noticed when compiling these results that the population of those being identified as Indians in Mason County increased from 229 in 1860, to only 355 in 1880, but still did not match the 409 who were enumerated in 1860. This follows a recognized statewide pattern of increased Native American population for Michigan from 1870 to 1880.

The records below contains only those in a household who were identified by an I for their color. There may be others in the household who are not identified below and that will be on the actual census images.

TownH#F#SurnameGiveRaceSexAgeRelationOccupation
Custer119119FreemanAndrewIndianmale15son
Custer119119FreemanJohnsonIndianmale6son
Custer119119FreemanMifrisquaIndianfemale65mother in law
Custer120120ShawA.C.Indianmale57farming
Custer120120ShawMarthaIndianfemale65wife
Custer120120ShawGran no queIndianfemale17daughter
Custer131131Big BoneLewisIndianmale40
Branch163163ClarbasquamoquaIndianf35
Branch164164JireWilliamIndianm27
Branch164164JireHenryIndianm7son
Branch164164JireAliceIndianf3daughter
Branch165165CisheonquodooquaIndianm42
Branch165165NancyIndianf21wife
Branch166166MovittJimIndianm35
Branch166166MovittSarahIndianf45wife
Branch166166MovittMoneteos shaIndianm13son
Branch167167OrdasSarahIndianf30
Branch167167OrdasShermanIndianm4son
Branch167167OrdasJimIndianm10son
Branch167167OrdasJohnnieIndianm19son
Branch167167OrdasNancyIndianf40sister
Branch167167OrdasJoeIndianm1son
Branch167167OrdasMargrettIndianf60mother
Branch177177JoeCharlieIndianm22
Branch187187JoeMaryIndianf22cooks in boarding house
Branch187187JoeHarryIndianm4
Branch187187JoeJohnnieIndianm1
Branch205205HenmanGeorgeIndianm31Laborer
Branch205205ScottN.B.Indianf26wife
Branch205205ScottSpencerIndianm8 mosson
Branch251251JosiahFrankIndianm25boarderWorks in woods
Branch251251SimmsHermanIndianm26boarderWorks in woods
Branch251251LewisIsaacIndianm17boarderWorks in woods
Branch251251PetersSolomonIndianm17boarderWorks in woods
Branch251251Dim shadBeelyIndianm14boarderWorks in woods
Branch251251PeteAlexIndianm30boarderWorks in woods
Branch253253ChinquashJohnIndianm28
Branch253253ChinquashCot meIndianf30wife
Branch253253ChinquashMarthaIndianf20sister
Branch270270Truck a nob a noPeterIndianm47farming
Branch270270Truck a nob a noNancyIndianf37wife
Branch270270Truck a nob a noNancyIndianf10sister
Branch271271MawbyJoeIndianm42farming
Branch271271MawbyKeeyanIndianf46wife
Branch271271MawbyJimIndianm19son
Branch271271MawbyElizabethIndianf14daughter
Branch271271MawbyAngelicIndianf12daughter
Branch271271MawbyJosephIndianm10son
Branch271271MawbyMaryIndianf6daughter
Branch271271MawbyWaunabequaIndianm66boarder

Citations:
  1. Eighth Census, United States—1860. Instructions to U.S. Marshals, p. 14.[]
  2. Bureau of the Census, 200 Years of U.S. Census Taking: Population and Housing Questions, 1790–1990, 1989, p. 30.[]

Topics:
1880 Census,

Collection:
Michigan Census Records: A directory of resources providing online access to Michigan Census records. See also United States Census Records for census records on all of the United States.

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