February 2, 2021 1:36 PM

Pages 3476-3478
Whole Number 147

SPARKS HOUSEHOLDS IN MISSOURI 1830 & 1840


The territory which now constitutes the state of Missouri became part of the United States in 1803 with the consummation of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1805, it became part of the Territory of Louisiana, but in 1812 it was elevated to territorial status under its own name, with a population of about 20,000. By the time it gained statehood in 1821, Missouri claimed a population of 56,000 white settlers. Its earliest inclusion in a U.S. census was that for 1830, at which time there were only four household headed by persons named Spark or Sparks. That number had increased to 18, however, by the time the U. S. census of 1840 was taken, as shown below. It is of interest to note that in 1840, among the 18 Sparks households, there were only five in which there were slaves, and in four of these there was but a single slave, with a total of three in the fifth such household.

A record of persons named Sparks (Spark and Sparkes) found on the 1850 census of Missouri was published in the Quarterly of March 1985, Whole No. 129, pp. 2712-23.

  Males   Females
  0
5
 5
10
10
15
15
20
20
30
30
40
40
50
50
60
60
70
70
80
80
90
90
100
+
100
||| 0
5
 5
10
10
15
15
20
20
30
30
40
40
50
50
60
60
70
70
80
80
90
90
100
+
100
 
SPARKS HOUSEHOLDS APPEARING ON THE 1830 CENSUS OF MISSOURI
Crawford County
Abel Spark (171)   1 2 2       1           ||| 2 1 2 2 1     1          
 
Marion County
*James Sparks (45) 1 1     1                 ||| 1 1     1                
 Harrison Sparks (46)     1 2   1               ||| 1       1                
 
St. Louis County
City of St. Louis
Middle Ward
  John Spark (360)         1                 ||| 1       1                
 
* James Sparks of Marion County is shown with one male slave.
 
SPARKS HOUSEHOLDS APPEARING ON THE 1840 CENSUS OF MISSOURI
Boone County
Hezekiah Sparks 112           1               ||| 2 1 1   1                
 
Cape Girardeau Co.
Byrd Township
Wm. Sparks (251) 1           1 1           ||| 1 1 1   1 1              
 
Carroll County
 William Sparks (300) 1 2   1 1   1             ||| 1 1 1 1   1              
 
Cooper County
W. D. Sparks (131) 1 1 1       1             ||| 1 1       1              
* D. Sparks (144)   2     1 1               ||| 3 2       1              
 
Macon County
Liberty Township
James Sparks (24) 1       1                 |||         1                
Cochran Township
Daniel Sparks (50) 1 2       1               ||| 1       1                
 
Marion County
Warren Township
Orson Sparks (27) 1   1 1 1   1             |||   1     1   1            
Mason Township
James Sparks (92)   1 1 1       1           |||   1 1 1                  
 
Monroe County
Jackson Township
* Harrison Sparks 137   1         1             ||| 2 2       1              
* W. A. Sparks (138) 1 1     1 1               ||| 1 1     1                
  James Sparks (139) 1   1     1               ||| 1 1 1 1   1              
* Mitton Sparks (139) 3       1                 |||         1                
Washington T/S
* J. P. Sparks (144) 2 2       1               ||| 2 2 1     1              
  H. J. Sparks (144) 1 2       1               ||| 1 1     1                
 
Pike County
James Sparks (84) 1       1                 ||| 1       1                
 
St. Louis County
St. Ferdinand T/S
John Sparks (227) 1 2 1     1               |||   1     1                
 
Van Buren County
Mt. Pleasant T/S
Benjamin Sparks 138 1       1                 ||| 1     1                  

* D. Sparks of Cooper County is shown with one female slave.
* Harrison Sparks of Monroe County is shown with one female slave.
* W. A. Sparks of Monroe County is shown with one female slave.
* Mitton Sparks of Monroe County is shown with one female slave.
* J. P. Sparks of Monroe County is shown with one male and two female slaves.