If you’ve chased
your ancestors back more than a couple of generations, you no
doubt have been amazed at how mobile they were. This mobility
presents a problem for the modern genealogist–it is easy to lose
the trail of ancestors as they moved from country to country or
state to state. Fortunately, there are clues the genealogist can
turn to when the trail seems to have gone cold.
Imagine being
given a picture of one of your ancestor’s families. In the
picture all the family members are grouped together with a
description that includes names, ages, employment, addresses,
even birth dates. This imaginary picture is not as far-fetched
as it might seem–this is the type of extractable information
included in census records.
In Step 8 of our
series, we will examine federal census records and explain how
to get the most from this source of genealogical information. We
will define these records, explain how to use them in
genealogical research, and detail where they can be found.
A census,
according to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, is "a
periodic governmental enumeration of a population." Simply put,
a government counts its inhabitants on a regular basis and
records the totals. In the United States, both federal and state
governments have conducted these "periodic enumerations." (For
excellent coverage of all available census materials, refer to
The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, Rev. Ed.,
edited by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking,
SLC: Ancestry, 1997.)
The census has
proven to be a boon to genealogists. Although census records
were never intended to be genealogical records, few other
records give us better leads as we track our ancestors. As a
beginning genealogist, you will come to appreciate all that the
various censuses have to offer. We encourage beginners to use
federal census records as a starting point. The reasons for this
recommendation are these: the federal census records–especially
those since 1850–provide excellent material for the researcher,
and this material, unlike its state counterparts, is readily
available at most major public libraries. The federal census
data from 1790 to 1870 is alphabetically indexed by family name
and the indexes are available (individually by state) in printed
form at most public libraries and electronically on CD-ROM or
the Internet at Web sites such as
www.egeneology.net
The first U.S.
federal census was conducted in 1790, and a census has been
conducted every ten years since then. From 1790 to 1840, the
census takers asked few questions, thus limiting the value these
records have for us today. Starting in 1850, however, both the
number and scope of questions began to change. Enumerators were
instructed, for example, to list the names, ages, and gender for
all persons living in the house (prior censuses had listed only
the names of the heads of household and a simple tabulation of
broad age groups). Each succeeding census asked additional
questions, and by the 1920 census twenty-nine questions were
asked of each household.
Due to federal
privacy laws, no federal records within a seventy-two year
period are open to the public. Thus, the 1920 census is the most
recent federal census available to researchers. (The 1930 census
will be available after 2002.) One of the rules of sound
genealogical research is to start with yourself and work
backward in time, moving from the known to the unknown. If we
apply this rule to census research, then 1920 is where you
should start. In using this outstanding genealogical source,
consider the following tips before you leave for your research
trip:
•Write down as
many facts as you know about the family or families you are
researching. This should include names of family members, their
respective ages, city and state where they resided in 1920,
occupations, etc. Residence is especially critical in locating
census records.
•Spell the family
name in as many different ways as you can imagine. While the
Soundex system (more on Soundex later in this article) can help
with most phonetic spelling differences, some variations are so
unusual that a family might be located using a totally
unexpected code. Even a reasonably simple name such as Willard
has appeared in census records with the following spellings:
Williard, Wylerd, Villard, and probably several others we have
yet to encounter.
•Convert all the
surnames you are going to track using the 1920 census into their
corresponding Soundex codes.
•Find a good
research template to help you record any information you find.
At the library you could make a photocopy of any results, but
the cost for this can quickly add up.
•Call ahead to
confirm that the library in which you intend to conduct your
research has the 1920 census records and the Soundex. We have
found some libraries with the census microfilm but not the
Soundex microfilm. A trip to such a library can be frustrating.
The Soundex
Armed with the necessary names and supplies, you are ready to
begin using the 1920 census data. It is important to remember
that this is a multiple step process and each step must be done
in order. First, however, we must discuss the Soundex as this is
the most important piece of the puzzle.
Prior to the
enactment of Social Security in the 1930s, Congress needed to
know how many people might potentially qualify for benefits
under the new, national relief scheme. The census, particularly
from 1880, seemed to offer the most reliable estimate of how
many recipients there might be. However, no adequate index
existed for the 1880 census, and the sheer numbers of Americans
counted in 1880 made any indexing a daunting task.
Upon
recommendation from the National Archives, a different indexing
system was utilized, a Soundex system. The Works Progress
Administration hired individuals to go through the census data
beginning with the 1880 census and create a Soundex card–an
actual 3x5 card–for each main entry in the census. In 1880, only
families with children age ten and under were included in the
Soundex. (These children represented the people potentially
eligible for Social Security.) Later censuses were also
soundexed.
In the Soundex
scheme, all surnames would be reduced to a four-character code
and a uniform set of rules applied to the process. A simplified
list of rules follows:
1. Print out the
name you wish to code. Example: WILLARD
2. Keep the first
letter but remove all remaining vowels and the letters H, W, and
Y. Example: WILLARD would become WLLRD (the I and A are dropped)
3. Keep the first
letter but remove one consonant from any double (back to back)
consonants. Example: WLLRD would be reduced to WLRD
4. Keep the first
letter and use the Coding Guide to assign the appropriate number
to the next three remaining consonants.
Coding Guide
B, F, P, V....1
C, G, J, K, Q, S, X, Z....2
D, T....3
L....4
M, N....5
R....6
Remember, the
vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and the letters H, W, and Y are not
considered at all. WILLARD is reduced to WLRD so the Soundex
code is W463.
To use another
example, JONES would be reduced to JNS. This would convert to
J520. Note that if less than three characters follow the first
letter, zeroes are used as place fillers. The name LEE would be
reduced to just L and the Soundex code would thus be L000. As a
final example, HENDERSHOT would be reduced to HNDRST and the
Soundex code would be H536. Note that the code stops after the
fourth character, even if there are consonants remaining.
For additional
information on Soundex coding, refer to Using the Census Soundex,
General Information Leaflet 55, published by the National
Archives and Records Administration (Revised, 1997). Also, if
you are online, visit a site such as www.cyndislist.com and
follow the links to a Soundex converter–a program that will
automatically convert any name you type into the Soundex code
for that name.
You are now ready
to begin your search in the library. First, locate the filing
cabinet that contains the microfilm for the Soundex to the 1920
census. These rolls of microfilm are filed alphabetically by
state so it is critical that you know the state where your
ancestor lived in 1920. Second, locate the roll for the state
that has the code you are seeking. Third, take this roll to a
reader and scroll through the reel looking for the entry on your
ancestor. For the most part, the microfilm is in
alpha/chronological order by code, then in alphabetical order by
first name. Fourth, once you locate the card for your ancestor,
write down all the information you see on the card–this leads
you to the actual census entry. See the sample Family Card above
(taken from the publication, Using the Census Soundex).
You will need the information that appears in the upper right
hand corner:
Vol. — The volume
number
E.D. — The enumeration district
Sheet — The sheet number
Line — The line number with your ancestor listed
Fifth, locate the
filing cabinets that contain the actual rolls of census
microfilm and locate the volume number you copied from the
Soundex card.
Finally, take
that roll to the reader and scroll to the appropriate sheet
number to locate the entry for your ancestor. Congratulations!
You have opened a new door on information on your family. This
last step will lead you to the most useful part of the 1920
census. You will be looking at the answers to the twenty-nine
questions your ancestor provided when the enumerator showed up
at his or her doorstep in 1920, pencil in hand.
Included will be
information on place of abode, name, relationship to head of
household, personal information, citizenship, education,
nativity and native tongue, and occupation. Each of these
categories offers either concrete information for the researcher
or clues that will lead to concrete information. Quite
literally, the answers to those twenty-nine questions represent
the true essence of genealogical research–the opportunity to
discover previously unknown information about an ancestor or a
relative. The benefits of this information are twofold. It
answers some questions and provides clues that may actually
answer others with additional research.
It is a good idea
to keep in mind the following tips:
•Verify the
information you discover by using vital records and other
primary sources.
•Make a hard copy
of the information–either written or photocopied–so you can
refer to it at a later time.
•In your research
log, write down all the relevant information (where you found
the data, the page number, the microfilm roll number, etc.)
•When you locate
your ancestor, scan the entire page of microfilm. Quite often,
other family members lived nearby and you might gather other
good information.
•If you are
researching an unusual name or a small town/county, you may want
to locate all census entries for that family name in that area.
These other families may prove to be related to the one you are
researching.
•Follow up on all
the clues provided from the census data–immigration,
naturalization, etc. These sources will be covered in future
Step by Step articles.
Census research
is one of the most rewarding activities in genealogical
research. It can also be boring and frustrating. Be prepared for
a little of each end of the spectrum. But one thing is sure, of
all the topics we cover in our classes and workshops, no other
topic generates as much excitement as census research.
