Census.—The first census taken in Kansas was in accordance with the provisions of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, which stipulated that "Previous to the first election, the governor shall cause a census or enumeration of the inhabitants and qualified voters of the several counties and districts of the territory, to be taken by such persons, and in such mode as the governor shall designate and appoint."

The enumeration taken under this provision was completed on the last day of Feb., 1855, and showed the total resident population of the territory to be 8,501, of whom 2,905 were qualified voters; 151 were free negroes; 192 were slaves, and 408 were persons of foreign birth. It was under this census that Gov. Reeder divided the territory into districts for the election of members of the first territorial legislature. On Jan. 21, 1858, Gov. Denver approved an act of the legislature providing for a census to be taken in certain districts, viz: Oxford and Shawnee townships in Johnson county; Walnut township, Atchison county; and Tate and Potosi townships in Linn county. The act also appointed commisioners to take the census. Each commissioner was to receive $ 5 for his work, and was required "to visit every dwelling, cabin, tent or building in which he can find inhabitants, and take the name of each inhabitant, as provided in the first section, specifying the date of his settlement." The act was passed by the free-state legislature to aid in the investigation of frauds committed at the election of Jan. 4.

Section 26, Article 2, of the Wyandotte constitution provided that "The legislature shall provide for taking an enumeration of the inhabitants of the state, at least once in ten years. The first enumeration shall be taken in A. D. 1865."

Several enumerations were made in the year 1860. On Feb. 7 a committee of the legislature reported the population as being 97,570. The census made to and reported by Gov. Robinson showed a population of 71,770. In June the marshal caused a census to be taken, which showed a population of 143,643, and the official United States census—the first ever taken in Kansas—gave the number of inhabitants as 107,206. The first state census, taken under the provisions of the Wyandotte constitution mentioned above, was made in May, 1865, and showed the population to be 140,179, of whom 127,270 were whites, 12,527 were negroes, and 382 were Indians.

During the first twenty years of statehood the growth of population was rapid. In 1870 it was 364,399, an increase of nearly 250 per cent. during the preceding decade, and in 1880 it was 996,096, an increase of nearly 175 per cent, over 1870. Since then the increase has not been so marked, yet Kansas has kept pace with her sister states. In 1890 the population was 1,427,096. This had increased to 1,470,495 in 1900, and in 1910, the last United States census year, the population was 1,690,949.