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1896 School Enumeration Records, Lake County, Indiana

On March 6, 1865, the Indiana General Assembly approved the School Law Act, providing for a general system of Common Schools (public schools), and it specifically made the compilation of records the duty of the School Trustee or Township Trustee.

These records were used in pro-rating revenues from the “Congressional Township School Fund” and were kept until 1931, when they were superseded by “average daily attendance” statistics. The enumerations were made between April 10 and 30 each year and submitted to the County Superintendent no later than May 1.

What will you find in them? Depending on the year, information tended to be more detailed as time went on, but they all identified the family name, the parent or guardian, and the sex of the students. The names and birth dates of the children would be included beginning in 1896, making these records a valuable substitute for the 1890 census, which was almost totally destroyed by fire many years ago.

All unmarried children between the ages of 6 to 21 residing in specific areas were recorded, except for temporary residents. Beginning in 1896, children’s names were included and it mattered not whether the school attended was public or private, parochial or religious, or a college or even at home. Occupations were added in 1916, and in 1924, the year of schooling completed if the child was 16 or older, but this was not usually recorded until the child was not attending any school.

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