That Unreliable Census Bureau

106 Years Ago
On September 2, 1920, the Colorado Transcript publishers were annoyed with the U.S. Census Bureau. Ever the Golden boosters, the Transcript could not believe that our population had grown by only 7 in the past ten years.

...the population figure given for this city in the announcement made Tuesday is so obviously incorrect

The census department reports that the city has only 2,487 people, a gain of only 7 in the last ten years. When the census was taken ten years ago, there were scores of vacant houses in the city. Today there isn't a house to be found that is not occupied. During the past year or two many old shacks that stood vacant and dilapidated for years, have been patched up and made habitable. Those acquainted with conditions here are firmly convinced that there are at least three thousand people living within the corporate limits of the city.

I wondered whether they always complained about census numbers, so I checked other census years.

1900
Those who live here know that we have more than 2,152 people.
(11/12/1900)

1910
In 1920, the census concluded that Golden had a population of 2,481. While this was in increase of nearly twenty percent compared to 1900,

...there are few people in Golden willing to accept that figure as showing the true population.... Of course it is absolutely impossible to count every one, a few families necessarily having been skipped when the count was made. Many houses have been built outside the old corporate limits, and these of course were not taken into consideration. The several hundred students of the School of Mines of course form part of the population, and none of these were counted. It is, therefore, easy to see that Golden can boast of at least 3,100 inhabitants.
(9/8/1910)

1920
The census department has reported the population of thousands of towns, but so far there is no record of any place being satisfied with the figures. Golden's census has not yet been reported on as yet, but whatever the figure is we are not going to kick—unless it is less than three thousand.
(8/5/1920)

1930
This article reminded readers that Mines students were not included (but should be).

Census Gives Golden 2422 - Preliminary County Shows Loss of 62

It is estimated that at least 400 more would be added to the city's population, for nine months in the year, from this source, thus giving Golden in excess of 3,000 population.
(5/15/1930)

1940
In 1940, the Transcript included a form for people who had not been counted. They encouraged people to complete the form with this stirring rhetoric:

Notice! Can 11 more citizens be found to include in the 1940 census of Golden? If so the count will be an even 3200.... Please fill out the coupon and mail to C.H.C. Braden at Boulder, Colo, if for any reason you have not been counted in the 1940 census.
(5/16/1940)