Are Orphanages Included in the U.S. Census? My third great-grandmother was an orphan, whose mother passed away either during childbirth or shortly after, and whose father passed away January 24, 1880 when she was six years old. There is a family story that she was interned in an orphanage in Arkansas and that the orphanage burned down, destroying most of the records. I was wondering if the U.S. Federal Census took count and record of children in orphanages. I would be looking for the 1880 Census, as she was married in 1891 when she was seventeen. * * * By the way, why is there no "orphan" tag!?

Orphanages were enumerated in the 1880 census.

I tried "orphanage" as keyword at 1880 United States Federal Census and got 40 results, but none in Arkansas. Most results matched "orphanage" in the occupation field, but linked census images had many child boarders or students. Creative searching using related keywords may find more results.

In later censuses, institutions (hospitals, orphanages) often had their own ED (enumeration district), but you would have to be able to pinpoint a county or township.

Don't limit yourself to a single state: in one of my related families, 3 Ohio-born children were placed in a church-run Michigan orphanage by their widowed father.