U.S. Census Research

The Hugely Valuable Records Many Family Historians Forget About

Most genealogists use federal census records on a regular basis. Few resources are, after all, as packed full of information and as easy to access as a census. And, while we all know that the details found in a census can often be incorrect, this helpful record collection has become a family history staple for good reason. No other resource recorded details about our ancestor’s lives in such a frequent and predictable way and, often times, the federal census may seem to be the only method we have to explore our ancestors’ lives between birth, marriage and death. However, a recent comment by a Family History Daily reader reminded us that there is another related resource group that many people researching US ancestors are either unaware of, or regularly underuse. And it’s a very valuable one.

The Ultimate Quick Reference Guide to the U.S. Census for Genealogy

U.S. Census records offer a unique look into the past and a chance to discover valuable details about your family’s history. Our quick guide for genealogy is designed to help beginner and intermediate family history researchers alike by addressing basic questions about using the census for genealogy research and providing detailed summaries of the information found in each census year.

This Information Will Make You Question Every Census Record You’ve Ever Collected

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 be …

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Thousands of 1890 Census Records DO Still Exist: Here’s How to Find Them for Free

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 …

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Lewis Mosey: Civil War Survivor

My husband has a great-grandfather who fought in the Civil War and lived to tell about it (although barely).  His name was Lewis Alpheus Mosey (1843-1925). A few years ago I found Lewis’ Civil War Pension Index Card and 1890 Special Veteran’s Census Schedule on ancestry.com.  The census said that he had a “rifle wound …

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Justifiable Homicide

A few years ago I did an ancestry binder for an in-law branch of the family which shall remain nameless.  I discovered the story of a genuine black sheep—George Washington Coomes, who was shot to death on September 5, 1896. George was born in McLean County, Kentucky, on January 16, 1861.  He married Cordelia Martin …

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