1 / 28

Searching the 1940 Federal Census

Searching the 1940 Federal Census. Where were Grandma and Grandpa in 1940?. Presented by Patricia Little Taylor and Cynthia J. Clark. Virginia Library Association Conference Friday, October 26, 2012. What is a census.

pippa
Download Presentation

Searching the 1940 Federal Census

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Searching the 1940 Federal Census Where were Grandma and Grandpa in 1940?

  2. Presented byPatricia Little Taylorand Cynthia J. Clark Virginia Library Association Conference Friday, October 26, 2012

  3. What is a census • The census is taken every 10 years to determine the population of the states • All persons residing in the United States is to be counted • There is a 72 year freeze before the information can be released to the public • The purpose was social, economic and political not GENEALOGICAL.

  4. The 1940 Census • The enumeration was based on a specific date in 1940 it was April 1, 1940 • Persons born after this date were not included • The usual questions about the household • Family name, age, marital status, race and relation to head of the household • 13 questions concerning on employment

  5. Location Information • Location by state, county, city, ward & street • Enumeration district • Supervisor’s district • Enumeration district was smaller that 1930 • Date of the information • Nearest institution – Airport, Post Office, etc. • Did they live at this address in 1935?

  6. Personal information • Who gave the information – marked with an X • Education – what was the highest grade • Citizenship of Foreign Birth • Employment status • Public emergency work • Supplemental questions

  7. Supplemental Questions • People on lines 14 and 29 were required to answer these questions • Place of parents birth • Language first spoken in home • Veteran status • Child under 18 or widow of a veteran • For a child -- Is the parent alive or dead • What war or military service

  8. Supplemental Questions • Social security • Did they have a Social Security number • Were deduction made for Federal Old Age Insurance or for Railroad Retirement in 1939 • Were deductions made from all, ½ or less than ½ of wages

  9. Supplemental Questions • Usual occupation, industry and class of worker • Occupation • Type of industry • Class of worker – Private, government, employer self employed, unpaid family worker • For women who are or have been married • Married more that once • Age at first marriage • Number of children

  10. Sources for the 1940 Census • Ancestry.com • Link on the front page • Fully indexed for personal names • Search by name or place of residence • Initial search box generates a list of names • From list you can click for original image • Searching by location will produce a map • If you know what the Enumerator district your family lived in 1930, you can locate it in 1940

  11. Sources for the 1940 Census • Family search • Link for front page • Fully index by name • Can refine search • Searchable by location – state, county. Etc. • Provides images • Free search site

  12. Sources for the 1940 Census • National Archives • http://1940census.archives.gov/ • A name index does not yet exist for the 1940 census. • Great for research localities • Use State, City or County • Can use street names and cross streets

  13. Interesting facts • Residents of “hotels, tourist or trailer camps, missions, and cheap one-night lodging houses (flophouses)” were enumerated based on where they spent the night on 8 April 1940. Enumerators worked throughout the month and into May finishing the count. • The top five foreign countries listed as a birthplace were Italy, Germany, Russia, Poland, and England.

  14. Ancestry.com • Most of us have institutional subscriptions • We will use my personal subscription for this demo • Searching for Harvey Dickson • Searching for Francis Little • Searching for Mary Crittelli

  15. www.FamilySearch.orgThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints • Free Service Site for genealogical research • If you want to save your searches, you will need to set up an account • LEARN – There are Step by Step Videos to take you through the process of Getting Started! - Research Wiki-free collection of family history articles - Research Courses-Click any Country or United States - Discussion Forums-Find your answers here • FAMILY SEARCH CENTERS – You can check where the closest public access location for you to go and do research within your area

  16. www.FamilySearch.orgThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints • INDEXING – If you are interested -three easy steps. - Given a batch of records to download - Copy key information on your computer - Submit information back • BLOG – you can check the additions that are upcoming the message board with forums available.

  17. National Archives – How to • How It Works • Find census maps and descriptions to locate an enumeration district.To find a person in the census, you first need to determine the appropriate enumeration district number. This can be found by searching census district maps and descriptions. • Browse census images to locate a person in the 1940 census.Census images are organized by enumeration district number. Once you've located the correct one, you can begin to browse census images to look for your ancestor. • Save, share, and download images to save your work and share with family members.When you locate a census image, you can easily save, share, or download the image for future reference. This image can be a great keepsake, or addition to your family tree!

  18. NARA By location • Do you know the location where the person lived? • Steps: • Enter the location information you know • Browse results to find the enumeration district • Click a result to view census images • Print, save and share images with others

  19. NARA – By ED. District • Do you know the 1940 enumeration district number? • Select a state and enter an ED number • View images in that enumeration district • Print, save and share images with others • Convert 1930 ED to 1940 ED • Do you know your ancestors 1930 ED#? Enter the state and enumeration district below and we'll return the 1940 equivalent.

  20. NARA – Court St. Portsmouth

  21. Court St and High St

  22. Court St. and High St.

  23. Tips for Searching • Locations • If you found them in the 1930 census, there is a formula to identify the 1940 district. • Using Enumeration District Maps • Use local maps or city directories • Spelling of names • Handwriting can be poor and illegible • The indexer/transcriber might make a mistake • What the enumerator heard might not be the correct spelling

  24. Tips – Part 2 • Were they here yet or did they move? • Between 1930 and 1940 there was a lot of migration – WPA projects, Dust Bowl, etc. • Influx of German, Jewish and others due to fear of war • Who are the neighbors? • Sometimes locating a neighbor in an earlier or later census can help • Have you tried just the first names with a location?

  25. Tips – Part 3 • Remember that in some places the postal address isn’t the same as the location. • Towns and counties have genealogies • Princess Anne County, Warwick County, etc. • Sections of cities could have been annexed • The Enumerator district could go right down the middle of the street – one side in one town and the other rural

  26. Most of All • Get creative • Pay attention to the details • Have fun searching for Grandpa and Grandma in 1940

More Related