1803 Federal Census Washington County, Northwest Territory (Introduction)
                                                                                               
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Abstracted by Monty Johnson from public records.  
Proofreader Needed.
Submitted by Monty Johnson.
Edited and formatted by Maggie Stewart, June 2011.  
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NOTE:  For more information on Washington County, Northwest Territory, 
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                    Introduction to 1803 State of Ohio Census
                              Washington County

The images for the "Population Census, 1803: Washington County, Ohio" are found 
on the same NARA microfilm publication, M1804, as the 1800 US Census images.  
Following is a quotation from the NARA Introduction to that microfilm:

    The 1800 population census schedules received by the National Archives 
from the Bureau of the Census include none for the Territory of the United 
States Northwest of the River Ohio, nor do they include schedules for any 
census of 1803.  It is possible that the 1803 schedules reproduced on this 
roll of microfilm were prepared in accordance with the Ohio constitution of 
1802, article 1, section 2, which provided for an enumeration of white 
male inhabitants over the age of 21 to be taken every four years for the 
purpose of legislative apportionments.

    In 1962 all of the schedules reproduced on this roll of microfilm were in 
the Campus Maritus Museum, Marietta, Ohio.  That year they were loaned to the 
National Archives for microfilming through the courtesy of the Museum, the 
Ohio Historical Society, and the Commissioners of Washington County, Ohio.  
At that time the negative microfilm was turned over to the Marietta 
College Library, while the positive was placed in the Microfilm Reading Room 
of the National Archives, Washington, DC.

    This positive copy was assigned the number GR4, by which it was referred 
to in the Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives (National 
Archives and Records Administration, revised 1985).  In 1994, GR4 was 
assigned a new number, M1804, in order to issue it as an official National 
Archives Microfilm Publication.  Due to many years of public usage in the 
Microfilm Reading Room, scratches on the original GR4 may be observed on 
this roll.

    The census schedules on this roll were unbound, with the 1800 schedules in 
one bundle and those of 1803 in another.  The arrangement of the schedules 
is alphabetical by name of township.

    The 1803 census schedules for Washington County, Ohio included twelve townships: 
Adams, Ames, Belpre, Grandview, Hockhocking, Marietta, Middletown, Newport, 
Newton, Salem, Tuskarawa, and Waterford.  Following the practice of the 1800 US 
Census, there was a separate "Lister" for each township.  As a result, the 
quality of the information recorded varies widely, depending on the Lister's 
penmanship, spelling ability, and even the sharpness of the writing instrument 
used.

    Summary submission documents record the following number of names from each 
township:

Adams         78
Ames          47
Belpre        81
Grandview     89
Hockhocking   44
Marietta      233
Middletown    145
Newport       42
Newton        161
Salem         67
Tuskarawa     97
Waterford     212
       ====
    Total     1246

    I have tried to be meticulous in recording the names exactly as they were 
written, even when I knew that the names were misspelled, based on the 1800 
and/or 1810 US Census records.  However, despite my best efforts, there were a 
considerable number of names which I simply could not read.  Where this 
occurred, I either left the whole name blank or inserted asterisks for the 
illegible letters.