"An Act to Establish the Territorial Government of Washington," passed in 1853 by the Thirty-Second Congress of the United States, required that a census be performed prior to elections for non-appointed members of the territorial legislature. "An Act to Authorize the Assessors of Each County to Take the Census in the Statutes of the Territory of Washington," enacted in 1854, required each county’s assessor to create a complete list of all white inhabitants, and a separate list of all taxable non-white inhabitants, on or before the first Monday in December each year.

These records contain the King County, Washington Territory census recorded in 1877. Information collected in this census includes the names of each member of the household and the following categories: Age at last birthday; Sex – Males, Females; Color – White, Black, Mulatto, Chinese, Taxable Halfbreed Indian, Kanakas; Occupation; Married; Unmarried; Place of birth; Father of foreign birth; Mother of foreign birth; If born within the year state month; If married within the year state month; Attended school within the year; Cannot read; Cannot write; Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic; Male citizens of U. S. of 21 years of age and upwards.

Caption "1877, King County Census, King County Territorial Auditor," Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, accessed June 10, 2019 at https://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Collections/TitleInfo/1746