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Federal Census of Ashe County, North Carolina — 1870

© Jeffrey C. Weaver 1996

Introduction

Welcome to the 1870 Federal Census for Ashe County, North Carolina. This first census taken after the Civil War. It shows some of the terrible toll taken on Ashe County and its citizens during 1861-5, though Ashe County was not a battle-ground in the traditional sense. Families headed by single mothers, reduced property values and free blacks are the most visible evidence of the turmoil of those years.

The census transcription presented here gives essential data on each person shown. The census was also divided by township, an innovation for Southern census records, as were townships themselves. [Division of counties into townships was imposed on Southern State Governments by Federal military authorities who, with free blacks and carpetbaggers, rewrote Southern constitutions.] Houses are numbered within townships. The order of the schedule is surname, Christian names, age, occupation for the head of the household, dollar value of real and personal property and place of birth for the individual. If the dollar values are blank, then the value was 0 (zero). Occupations are usually only presented for the head of the house though occupations were given for most persons over age 10. If no occupation is given for the apparent lady of the house, you may assume she was listed as a housekeeper, children were either listed as “at home” or “farm laborers” and this has been omitted. Other occupations are listed. If no place of birth is listed, then the original schedule lists that person’s place of birth as North Carolina. Standard state abbreviations have been used for other states.

Transcription of this record originally occurred in May 1989 from microfilm in the National Archives and Records Administration, Constitution Avenue, Washington, DC. The census was relatively easy to read, and mistakes can be ascribed to the transcriber (me). A few names were difficult to decipher, but a reasonable guess was given. Where no reasonable guess could be made a “?” will be found. There was a particular problem in determining the Greer or Green families, so check both references if those families are the subject of your research. Notification of mistakes would be appreciated.

Townships are as follows:

Chestnut Hill

Chestnut Hill Township

Note that the transcriber of this file appeared to identify with (f) or (m), next to the given name, only for those whose name isn’t clearly female or male.

An ascending ‘Sequence’ sort shows the table as it was actually recorded on the census.