This is the beginning effort to index the entire 1856 census for Mills County, Iowa. The index is taken from the 1856 Iowa State Census found on FHC Microfilm #1021309 which can be ordered through your local Family History Center. Further information may be obtained about the families in the completed townships by sending an e-mail message to Cay Merryman at: caym@infowest.com.

The 1856 census is the only census for Iowa which questioned how many years each person had been a resident in the state of Iowa. Because of this one question, the 1856 Iowa census stands out as one of the most helpful early census records for the genealogist searching for ancestors in Iowa.

This census is hard to read in many respects. Older records are often hard to decipher. Some of the capital letters are almost indistinguishable, one from another. Many middle initials have been omitted because of difficulty in reading. Misspelling and ink smudges often cause errors in transcribing. Every attempt has been made to check the names, but researchers are advised to look at all possible spellings when using this index. I'm sure there are errors on the part of the enumerator as well as the transcriber.

The researcher is always encouraged to view the actual census for other information not included in this index and family data. By viewing the microfilmed census as a whole you will see family units and neighbors of your ancestors. C.M.