• The word "census" is derived from the Latin word "censor," which was the title of the Roman official in charge of civil registration, taxation, public works, and public morality.

• The inhabitants of early Babylonia, Egypt, and China were regularly counted, or enumerated.

• The first census for the United States was taken in 1790.

• When taking the first census, workers provided their own paper, and information was submitted on paper ranging from four inches to three feet.

• The first census counted 3.9 million Americans, less than half the population of New York City in 2000.

• Enumerators write down the responses that are given to them; they are not authorized to ask for any kind of proof, such as birth, marriage, or property ownership records.

• In 1920, enumerators (census takers) were paid between one and four cents per person, depending on the urban or rural setting of the district to be counted.

• U.S. census results are used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. To avoid political manipulation, federal law requires the census be completed by means of an actual headcount, rather than a statistical estimate of the population.

The information in this section was taken from

Finding Answers in U.S. Census Records, Wikipedia

at <en.wikipedia.org>, and the Colorado Legislative Council.