Source: National Archives and Records Administration Photo Collection---
With the release of the 1940 US Census on April 2, 2012, genealogists were given a tool that doesn’t come along very often. Every ten years since 1790, the United States has taken a census that enumerates the population. Genealogy and family history were not the purposes of the census, but it contains very valuable genealogical information. The problem is that this information is confidential until 72 years after it was recorded and is not publicly released until that time has passed. Unless you are over 72 years old, you will not find yourself in the census.
Three pieces of information make any record valuable for genealogical research. These pieces are names, places, and dates. The census is valuable because it contains each of these information pieces. There are some limitations, however, on even these bits of data. For instance, until 1850, the census only contained the name of the head of household. Family members were enumerated only by numbers marked in the age range columns showing others in the household. An example would be Charles Flowers listed in the 1830 census in Greene County, Tennessee. Under the broad category, “Free White Males,” there are the number “1” in the columns, “under five years of age” and in “of thirty and under forty”. These would be Charles’ young son and himself. The “1” marked in the “Free White Females—Of twenty and under thirty” would probably be Charles’ wife. The “2” in “Free White Females—under five years of age” and the “1” in “Free White Females—of five and under ten” are his three daughters. The only name we get is Charles Flowers himself. We must analyze the numbers in the age columns and the names in other records to determine who the others are. After 1850, all subsequent censuses listed each family member by name.
Source: Ancestry.com
Another piece of data we must be careful with is the location. Because county lines change over time, what may be a small county in the corner of the state today, may have been a large county that covered a quarter of the state in the year of the census. You may need to consult maps from the period on a website or in a guide such as Map Guide to the U. S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920 by Thorndale and Dollarhide. For our example this time we will use Charles’ grandson, also named Charles. This time we find Charles Flowers in 1900 living in Francis, Greer Co., Oklahoma. Ten years later in 1910, Charles is living in Erick, Beckham Co., Oklahoma. How far had Charles moved in the ten years between 1900 and 1910? Actually, he had not moved at all. In 1900, Greer Co. was much larger. One of the small towns in Greer in 1900 was Francis near the border of Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle. Charles lived a few miles from Francis. By 1910, The county of Greer had been divided into four counties. Beckham county was created from the northern part of Greer and the southern part of Roger Mills county. The town of Francis was now a ghost town and Charles Flowers and his neighbors had incorporated the area where they settled into the town of Erick, Okla.
One other fact about the U. S. Censuses must be given to you. If you are trying to locate your ancestor in 1890, you will need extra researching skills and perhaps a little bit of luck. In Jan., 1921 a fire in the Commerce Building in Washington, D. C. almost completely destroyed the original schedules from the 1890 Census. Only about 6000 names from that census survived the fire and water damage. Efforts are being undertaken to compile records that can substitute for the 1890 Census. Some states compiled censuses in 1885, 1892, or 1895, that may prove useful. Other records like city directories, voter registration records, or land records may also provide information to substitute for the destroyed 1890 census.
Names, dates, and places are usually found if you find your ancestor in the census, but there may be other information you may find interesting in the census. Depending on the year of the census, you may also find occupations, birthdates (at least an estimated year), or the value of his property. If you are just beginning the search for your American ancestors, the US Census records are a great place to start.
I have a friend who does this type of research and it never fails to surprise me what he can find. It’s so interesting and you can easily get caught up in it.
Lisa recently posted..FREE! 12 Mother’s Day Breakfast Recipes
Yes Lisa, it certainly can be addicting. Thanks for your comment.
Great article. I never considered something like the fire in 1921 would impact this type of research so much. Really eye-opening when you think about how not that long ago we didn’t really have info online.
Caroline Whatley recently posted..How to engage a new client… just ask
Thanks, Caroline. Fires and floods can really be devastating to the records genealogists use. Fortunately, these days we can back up all of our data. Back up is just as important for our personal records as it is for the national archives. If you would like more information about protecting your records, see my post on the subject http://blog.littletonbooks.com/an-ounce-of-prevention/
my step mom would love this. She really gets into genealogy and this would be like a gold mine for her
Shawn recently posted..‘Moneyball’ Review
Don’t forget to send her the link. BTW, your Avenger review rocks! http://shawnlealos.net/the-avengers-review/
Wonderful. Anyone who has tried to do a family history search knows that navigating the murky waters isn’t always easy. The US census can be an amazing resource though.
Eric T. Benoit ( recently posted..Find Your Muse – Or Be Your Own
Thank you, Eric. With all that’s available today the waters are certainly a lot clearer than they were for people doing genealogy fifty years ago, but it is still not an easy task. Perseverance is key as we take small steps to make progress over the long distance.
Very helpful information. What a shame about the fire and the loss of data.
Theresa Leschmann recently posted..What’s new at the movies? May 4th edition
I appreciate you reading and commenting, Theresa. One of favorite genealogical sayings is, “When an old person dies, it is like a library burning down.” We could say conversely, having the census records burn was like each person named there dying a small death.
I am so glad that I came across your article today – This is super interesting stuff. I’ve just gotten into genealogy, and have been working on tracking down family info. I’m so intrigued by the things that you can learn and uncover…. Definitely interested to learn more about this!
Meagan P – Sunshine and Sippy Cups recently posted..4 Simple Ways to Jazz Up a Sugar Cookie
Thanks for encouraging words, Meagan. I am also glad you found the article and it was helpful. I hope you keep returning to read more. I will try to keep the blog posts engaging and useful.
This post really helped me to see how the U.S. Census report assists genealogists in the research they do. It is amazing that it comes out only every 10 years and yet makes sense for it to come out after most of the people on it have passed away.
Rebecca recently posted..Video Tutorial: How to Make a Video Using PowerPoint 2010
Thanks for you comments, Rebecca. There are lots of different types of records that genealogists use, but the US Census records are some of the most useful.