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
Eden231231BeckwedstElizaIndianfemale2daughter
Eden231231BeckwedstAngelicaIndianfemale105mother
Eden231231HickeyDanielIndianmale20son in law
Eden232232MedavisLewisIndianmale30farming
Eden232232MedavisLydiaIndianfemale26wife
Eden232232MedavisMarthaIndianfemale10daughter
Eden232232MedavisMary AnnIndianfemale6daughter
Eden232232MedavisNancyIndianfemale4daughter
Eden232232ShawJacobIndianmale38brother in law
Eden232232WilliamsAngelicaIndianfemale17boarder
Eden234234McClelanLewisIndianmale35farming
Eden234234McClelanChristineIndianfemale40wife
Eden234234McClelanJimIndianmale11son
Eden234234McClelanMosesIndianmale8son
Eden234234McClelanJulietteIndianfemale4daughter
Eden235235GenerauWilliamIndianmale35farming
Eden235235GenerauBetsyIndianfemale29wife
Eden235235GenerauEmmaIndianfemale12daughter
Eden235235GenerauElizaIndianfemale5daughter
Eden235235GenerauIsaacIndianmale6 mosson
Eden235235GenerauSolomonIndianmale17son
Eden237237MedoccoCharlieIndianmale28farmingfarming
Eden237237MedoccoMaryIndianfemale23wife
Eden238238BeryNancyIndianfemale18
Eden238238BerySamuelIndianmale30husband
Eden239239Tucka nob quaJohnIndianmale26farmingfarming
Eden239239Tucka nob quaSophiaIndianfemale18wife
Eden239239Tucka nob quaMaw beeIndianmale1son
Eden301301Ma ze may be quaIndianmale55farming
Eden301301Ba may re may quaIndianfemale22daughter
Eden301301JaneIndianfemale3daughter
Eden301301JohnIndianmale3 mosson
Eden301301KingMaryIndianfemale45boarder
Eden301301Bluck markJoeIndianmale50boarder
Eden307307BeanJohnIndianmale80farming
Eden307307BeanMaryIndianfemale85wife
Eden307307BeanPeterIndianmale22son
Eden307307BeanGeorgeIndianmale10nephew
Eden307307BeanJohnnieIndianmale9nephew
Eden308308Mc ColumJohnIndianmale30
Eden308308Mc ColumSan gutchIndianfemale23wife
Eden308308Mc ColumWilliamIndianmale12son
Eden308308Mc ColumMarthaIndianfemale10daughter
Eden308308Mc ColumCa ga gumIndianmale5 mosson
Eden309309GreenWilliamIndianmale55
Eden309309GreenOb no quaIndianfemale50wife
Eden309309GreenJohnIndianmale26sonworks on river
Eden309309ShowernJohnIndianmale14nephew
Eden310310BakerGeorgeIndianmale22Laborer
Eden310310BakerNancyIndianfemale18wife

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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