Jeff Bowen has recently released two new volumes: Eastern Cherokee Census, Cherokee, North Carolina, 1915-1922, Taken by Agent James E. Henderson. Volume I of the census transcriptions covers the years 1915 and 1916 while Volume II covers 1917 and 1918.
The new books are a transcription of a census of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians taken by James E. Henderson, Indian Agent representing the U.S. government for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The entire census covers the eight years between 1915 and 1922 and is based on a microfilm copy of a typescript originally on file at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The first two volumes are available now with two more expected within the next few years. This is the first time this material has been made available as a publication.
The census itself concerns the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from Cherokee, North Carolina, living on the reservation known as the Qualla Boundary. Individuals enumerated in the census are descendants of the Cherokees who were not removed to Indian Territory during the period 1838-1839 in the migration known as the Trail of Tears. While there is sometimes additional data, information provided in the census almost invariably gives the individual’s name, family relationship, date of birth, and sex -- information that is critical in any genealogical research. In some cases, the Indian Agent also compiled Cherokee birth and death dates or the names of children living apart from their parents.
Here is a sample of the data, reformatted to fit this newsletter:
Roll Number: 1640
English Name: Smoker, Aggie
Relationship: Widow
Date of Birth: 1875
Sex: F
The Roll Number is simply a serial number; the first person listed (enumerated) is Roll Number 1, the second person is Roll Number 2 and so on. The 1915 census simply lists Roll Numbers. All of the following years show two Roll Numbers: that year's number as well as the previous year's number. That makes it easy to find those who are "missing" in the later census, be it by death or relocation from the reservation.
The two new volumes of Eastern Cherokee Census is a "must have" for any genealogy library that contains resources for North Carolina or Cherokee research.
The first two books of the Eastern Cherokee Census are approximately 160 pages each. These paperbacks are available directly from the Clearfield division of Genealogical Publishing Company for $21.50 each at http://www.genealogical.com/item_detail.asp?afid=1000&ID=9841 and at http://genealogical.com/item_detail.asp?afid=&ID=9842. You can also order them from most any book store if you specify ISBN numbers 0806352434 and 0806352442.
