1860 Federal Census of the
Dakota Territory
  
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The 1860 federal census is the eighth census of the United States. It was
authorized by Congress on May 23, 1850 (9 Stat. 428), and was begun on June 1, 1860. The enumeration was to be
completed within five months.
When Minnesota became a state on May 11, 1858, the vast region of the
former western counties of Pembina, Mankahta, Wahnahta, Dakotah, and Wabashaw of the old Minnesota Territory was
left without territorial government for nearly three years prior to the creation of the Dakota Territory on March
2, 1861.
This great "unorganized territory" between Minnesota and the Missouri River came to be known as "Unorganized
Dakota." The western region of present-day North Dakota and South Dakota, west of the Missouri River, was
still part of the Nebraska Territory prior to the creation of the Dakota Territory in 1861.
In the meantime the 1860 federal census was taken, and "Unorganized Dakota" was enumerated right along
with the rest of the growing nation, even though it was not yet an official territory of the United States.
The 1860 enumeration of "Unorganized Dakota" included settlers in Pembina and old Fort Abercrombie in
present-day North Dakota, and the communities of Medary, Sioux Falls, Vermillion, and the Yankton Agency, in present-day
South Dakota.
Several military forts (trading posts) were also enumerated along the Missouri River's west bank and northern reaches,
even though they were technically in the Nebraska Territory, not in "Unorganized Dakota." These forts
included Fort William, Fort Berthold, and Fort Clark, in present-day North Dakota, and Dirtville, Fort Pierre,
Old Fort George, Fort Lookout, and Old Cedar Fort, in present-day South Dakota. Fort Alexander and Fort Union in
present-day Montana were also enumerated with "Unorganized Dakota," even though these two trading posts
were part of the Nebraska Territory in 1860. Just to make matters more confusing, the U. S. Army's Fort Randall,
in present-day South Dakota, was enumerated with the Nebraska Territory.
Two sites in the 1860 census of "Unorganized Dakota" have not
been located: Orphan's Village (two inhabitants) presumably in the Red River Valley of North Dakota, and the Old
Trading House (twenty-three inhabitants) north of the Niobrara River in present-day South Dakota or Nebraska.
The enumeration of the entire 1860 Federal Census of "Unorganized Dakota" was completed between June
1 and November 1, 1860 by one single man, Oscar W. Streeter of Breckenridge, Minnesota, who traveled the vast territory
on horseback to complete the enumeration of this first Dakota territorial census. A total of 4,837 persons were
enumerated in "Unorganized Dakota" in 1860.
The 1860 federal census contains this information:
 address
name of every person
in the family
age
sex
color
profession, occupation,
or trade
value of real estate
value of personal
estate
state, territory,
or country of birth
whether married
within the year
whether attended
school within the year
whether over 20
years of age, and unable to read or write
whether deaf-mute,
blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict
The "Unorganized" Dakota Territory in 1860
|
Enumerated Region
|
Population of the
Dakota Territory
in 1860
|
Between Big Sioux and Big Stone Lake
(in present-day South Dakota) |
28 white males
16 white females
6 Indian males
5 Indian females
55
|
Between Red River and Big Sioux
(in present-day North Dakota and South Dakota) |
123 white males
75 white females
20 Indian males
15 Indian females
233
|
Big Sioux Lake
(in present-day South Dakota) |
3 white males
3 Indian males
3 Indian females
9
|
Dirtville
(in present-day South Dakota) |
5 Indian males
4 Indian females
9
|
Fort Alexander
(in present-day Montana, part of the Nebraska Territory in 1860) |
6 Indian males
8 Indian females
14
|
Fort Clark
(in present-day North Dakota, part of the Nebraska Territory in 1860) |
7 Indian males
4 Indian females
11
|
Fort Lookout
(in present-day South Dakota) |
2 white males
8 Indian males
8 Indian females
18
|
Fort Pierre
(in present-day South Dakota) |
3 white males
1 white female
7 Indian males
6 Indian females
17
|
Fort Union
(in present-day Montana, part of the Nebraska Territory in 1860) |
5 Indian males
5 Indian females
10
|
Fort William
(in present-day North Dakota, part of the Nebraska Territory in 1860) |
2 white males
11 Indian males
10 Indian females
23
|
Medary
(in present-day South Dakota) |
|
Old Cedar Fort
(in present-day South Dakota) |
2 white males
6 Indian males
7 Indian females
15
|
Old Fort George
(in present-day South Dakota) |
7 Indian males
2 Indian females
9
|
Old Trading House
(not located, presumably north of the
Niobrara River in present-day
South Dakota or Nebraska.) |
3 white males
4 white females
10 Indian males
6 Indian females
23
|
On the Big Sioux
(in present-day South Dakota) |
21 white males
13 white females
34
|
On the Red River
(in present-day North Dakota) |
40 white males
14 white females
10 Indian males
12 Indian females
76
|
Orphan's Village
(not located, presumably in the
Red River Valley of North Dakota) |
1 white male
1 Indian female
2
|
Pembina
(in present-day North Dakota) |
973 white males
633 white females
1,038 Indian males
910 Indian females
3,554
|
Sioux Falls city
(in present-day South Dakota) |
27 white males
9 white females
1 Indian male
1 Indian female
38
|
Vermillion
(in present-day South Dakota) |
126 white males
99 white females
3 Indian females
228
|
Yankton Agency
(in present-day South Dakota) |
238 white males
120 white females
54 Indian males
46 Indian females
458
|
| Total |
|
    
|
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