Census and population records have long been a vital component of genealogy research. Those of us researching the U.S. have come to count on the decennial federal census to provide a generous amount of information about our ancestors, even if it is not always as accurate as we’d like. And (aside from the 1890 census that was …
The Forgotten Federal Census of 1885 Can Be Found Online for Free Read More »
We all know that we need to be careful when reading, using and recording information we find in the census. Whether it’s the US federal census, a state or local census, or a population register for another country — these records are notoriously inaccurate. Ages, name spellings, locations of birth, occupations — everything needs to …
This Information Will Make You Question Every Census Record You’ve Ever Collected Read More »
Many family historians are fully aware of the fact that the 1890 census, which contained more than 60 million individuals, was destroyed in the early 20th century and is therefore not available for genealogical research. The lack of this valuable resource, one from such an important time in America’s history, has left a huge gap …
Thousands of 1890 Census Records DO Still Exist: Here’s How to Find Them for Free Read More »
The US census is by far one of the most commonly used resources by family historians. Its encompassing, regular nature means that it’s the first place many of us look for crucial details about our ancestors. But how much do you really know about this treasure? Do you have what it takes to get a passing …
Quick Quiz: How Much Do You Really Know About the US Census for Genealogy? Read More »
The 1940 census of the United States is a particularly exciting one for genealogy research for a number of reasons — the most obvious being that is was only indexed and released for public consumption a few years ago. The new records gave many of us a special chance to add vital new details to the …
The “Secret” Details in the 1940 Census You May Be Missing Read More »
At some point or other in their research, every family historian will likely discover the sad fate of the 1890 census. A critical time of population growth and change in America’s history, the 11th census of the United States should have contained the detailed records of more than 60 million individuals. But instead, we have but …
I just finished reading Megan Smolenyak’s Hey America, Your Roots Are Showing. In each chapter, Ms. Smolenyak talks about what she finds or asks of various census records. These all important records contain many clues about the lives and success of the individuals listed. I want to talk about some of those clues but it …
Using the Census to Uncover Details About Your Ancestors Read More »
Whether you embark on a Genealogy, Family History, or Local History project, you need to consider the types of information you have and what you seek or want to uncover. As a librarian, my focus is identifying the question, considering the types of records that hold or reveal bits of information, and then locating different resources …
Using the Census to Find Ancestors: Beginner Genealogy Read More »
OK, OK, we promise this article is all in good fun. After all, we genealogists are usually fairly easy-going folks, and goodness knows we’re patient — after all, we’ve waited ten whole years for the 1950 census! But, alas, sometimes even the best of us let things get under our skin (even if we know we shouldn’t).
Ever-growing access to online records means that many family history researchers aren’t taking advantage of physical repositories like they used to. But, as we discuss in this article about the important of offline records, a great deal of what we need to really understand our ancestors still cannot be found digitally.