Census 2000

							SEARCHING
THE CENSUS
THROUGHOUT HISTORY, LISTS
OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KEPT
 • Census: Latin - meaning a count of people
   & their property for tax purposes

 • The decree that Caesar sent out was
   for Tax Purposes.
   – “that all the world should be taxed.”
     Luke 2:1
   Census-type records
  have been around for a
       long time…
• Chinese Taxation Record 2275 BC
• England Taxation Record 1086 AD
  William the Conqueror’s Doomsday Book
• Inca “Quipus String” 1500 AD
Quipu ("knot") - Quipus were knotted-string devices that were
used for record-keeping in the Inca empire. Quipus recorded
both statistical information (e.g., census data and tribute
records) as well as "cues" that were consulted by Inca officials
to recount genealogies, histories and other types of narratives.
Quipus were largely replaced by written documents soon after
the Spanish conquest of the Inca empire (beginning in 1532).
Kinds of Census Records Today
United States
• Federal Census, every 10 years since 1790
• State Census, in between Federal Census
• Colonial & Territorial Census, since 1700
• Veterans Census, 1840 & 1890
• Mortality Schedules. Exist for 1850, 60, 70,
  80 & some states in 1885
• LDS Church Census, 1914, 1920-60 every 5 yrs
• Other Church Census
Kinds of Census Records Today
Foreign
• Census Records are kept by most countries
   • See Research Outline for the country
     – To get Research Outlines online,
       see references at end of handout
     WHY SEARCH CENSUS
        RECORDS ?
• They contain valuable information
• Most people are listed
• Readily Available
• Easy to Search
Most People are in a Census
 Year    People

– 1790    4 M

– 1890   63 M

– 1990   248 M

– 2000   281 M
What do Census Records Show?
 • 1790-1840, only Head of household &
   number of children
 • 1850 and later, added names, age, sex, birth
   place and occupation for everyone.
 • 1880 and later, added relationship to head
   of household, marital status and birth
   place of father & mother for everyone.
 • 1890 was almost all destroyed by fire.
 • 1900 shows the most information
How do we Search the Census?
Finding Someone in the Census is usually
a Two-Step Process
  • First find them in an Index
  • Then find them in the Census
Kinds of Indexes
 • Book Indexes, alphabetically indexed
   by name of head of household
 • Soundex, an index of names that sound
   alike, using names of head of household.

 • Many CDs in the Library

 • Key Internet Sites - Ancestry
        BOOK INDEXES

   • 1790-1850 Exist for all states
   • 1860-1880 Exist for some states.
     See FHLC

They are indexed alphabetically by Head
of Household
      SOUNDEX INDEXES
– Names are coded so that names that
  sound alike are grouped together.
– For Example:
 • Russell, Rusel, Risel, Rasoll, Resallei
   all have the same code R240
 • Schurman, Sherman, Shireman, Shurman
   all have the Soundex code S655.
– Names are listed by this Soundex Code
      SOUNDEX CODES
Can be obtained from:
 • Books in the Library near Census films
 on the north wall. Filed by each state.

 • PAF 4 or 5
   – Click on Tools, Soundex Calculator,
     and then enter the name.
CENSUSES that are SOUNDEXED
 • 1880 For all states (Now obsolete – Why?)
 • 1900 For all states
 • 1910 For 29 states only – all on CD
 • 1920 For all states
 • 1930 For 10 states plus 2 partial
   •All on Ancestry.com
    INDEXES on the INTERNET
Key Internet Sites from FamilySearch:
 • Go to Familysearch.org, then click on
   Search, Web Sites, Key Genealogical Sites,
   Cyndi’s List. Then:
   – For U.S. Census click on United States Index,
     U.S. – Census. See list of sites.
  – For Foreign Census click on Census Related
    Sites World Wide, International…
     Soundex Example
Find Family of Andrew Anderson
in the 1920 Utah Census
1. Determine Soundex Code From
   Book or PAF
   – Code for Anderson = A536
2. Find the Soundex Film for Utah
   that contains code A536
Finding Andrew Anderson Cont.
 3. Find Names with Code A536 on the
    Soundex Film
 4. Then Look for First Name Andrew

 5. Write Down:
             • County
             • E.D. #
             • Sheet #
             • Line #
    1   2   4


3
The following Information was obtained
from the Soundex Film:
          •   County = Sevier
          •   E.D. Number = 113
          •   Sheet # = 4
          •   Line # = 36
This Leads to the family in the Census Film
1920 Census – Andrew Anderson Family
PROBLEM – Identify these People
             What is Known
• Name = Joseph Fischer
• Born 23 May 1882
• Probably in St. Louis, Missouri
• Had at least 7 brothers and sisters
• His father’s name could be Frank
     Choosing a Census
• Since Joseph Fischer was born in
  1882, we would expect to find him in
  the 1900 censes as an 18 year old boy
  with several brothers and sisters

     Find the Soundex Code
• Fischer Soundex Code = F260
Find Joseph Fischer on Soundex Film
 • Examine all cards with F260 codes, looking
   for a Fischer family having several children
   with one named Joseph about 18 years old.
 • Required looking through whole roll of film
 • Only one Fischer family in the whole roll
   of F260 names matched our criteria of
   having several children with one named
   Joseph about 18 years old
Soundex Cards for Fischer Family
                        City=
                         St Louis
                        E.D. = 9
                        Sheet = 12
                        Line = 27
Census Record with Fischer Family
  Summary of 1900 Census Record
• Head = Frank Fisher, b. Mar 1850 in
  Germany, Parents born Germany, married
  25 yrs, immigrated to U.S. 1868,
  Naturalized, furniture mfgr.
• Wife = Josephine, b. Sep 1855 in Germany,
  Parents born Germany, mother of 10, 8 living.
+Frank Jr., b. Aug 1877 age 22
+Alvina, b. Sep 1879 age 20
+Joseph, b.May 1881 age 18
+ 4 other children b. 1883-1897
Finding Missing Child, 1880 Census
               EXAMPLE
     L.D.S. Church Census Records
• FHLC under             • Not taken 1945 - war
  Author/Title Section   • Incomplete - not all
• Started 1914 then        wards and stakes are
  1920-1960 every five     available
  years                  • Valuable in finding
• FHLC Computer            branch, ward, stake,
  Number 134899            town, state. Often find
• 1914-1920 Film           complete families.
  Number 0271394         • Taken to keep track of
                           membership growth
EXAMPLE – Foreign Census
ECUADOR       DENMARK
The Spirit of Elijah is
       Strong
 We are getting more and
    more records from
 countries that were once
  closed to us such as---
Russian Census Type Records
Find
            THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER FROM
Your        CENSUS AND CENSUS TYPE
            RECORDS SUCH AS LAND AND
Ancestor    TAX RECORDS.
            IT IS ON MICROFICHE - LOOK
In The      FOR YOUR ANCESTORS BY THEIR
            SURNAME. IT IS A VERY
            VALUABLE TOOL IF YOU DO NOT
 A.         KNOW WHERE THEY WERE AT
            THE TIME YOU ARE HUNTING
  I.        FOR THEM.

       S.
Find
Your
Ancestor
on the
                      Click on:
I
N                     • Search,
    T                 • Search by Locality
     E                 – Choose a State
         R
                       Example: Missouri
          N
              E
                  T
   Census Images are free
   at the FHL and at FS,
   $70/year otherwise.

A Great Deal While you are here
          1930 CENSUS
• 1930 Census was just released for
  our use in April 2002! (72 yr hold)
  – Census Rolls         2,668
  – Soundex Rolls        2,650
  – E.D. Color Maps         30
• Only 10 Southern States are fully
  Soundexed, 2 others partly
Problems
with the
Census

Typical
  Census
Enumerator
                Census Errors
   History of United States Census
• Errors occur in all Records
• Many of the census index       “THE PRINCIPLES
  books have whole sections              OF
  explaining problems for that    UNDERSTANDING
  census.                              CENSUS
                                   BLOOPERS AND
• An enlightening chapter
                                       CENSUS
  found in the 1880 Chicago,
                                     INDEXING”
  Cook County Illinois Index
  Book was ---
      Census Errors – Cont.
• Misspelling or          • Family did not know
  Spelling Disabilities     the information.
• Variation of Names      • They were paid by the
                            name enumerated.
  and Name Spellings
                            – Not home - take
• Nicknames                   information from a
                              neighbor, servant, or
• Negligence                  employee.
• Cultural Phonics        • Poor Storage
One surname may be
   spelled many ways!
Neuharth    Neuhart    Neihart
Newharth    Nythart    Newhardt
Newhart     Neythart   Neyhardt
Neuthard    Neyhart    Newhard
Neidhardt   Newhardt   Nythart
Newhaard    Neithart   Nehart
Neuthert    Neihardt   Nyhart
ERRORS IN THE JANUARY 1856
UTAH TERRITORIAL CENSUS
• Utah territory is preparing for statehood.
• Population counts. (The more the better)
• Records were inflated by adding
  additional children to families.
• According to authorities, the census
  books were “cooked”.
Verify census data with data from
          other records
    THE FINAL BURDEN OF
   PROOF IN DETERMINING
     CORRECTNESS OR
    INCORRECTNESS LIES
   WITH THE RESEARCHER
Abraham Lincoln
1860 Census Record
             In Summary
• Search Census First
   • Easiest records to Search
   • High probability of finding your people
   • Readily available on film, CD & Internet
   • Contain much valuable information

• Verify results with other records
• See References in handout for more info.
   Copy and Evaluate Your
   Information

• Continue to re-analyze material
  previously obtained in light of new
  material.
   – Originally “meaningless”clues may
     suddenly become important.
   – Use other Records with the Census,
     follow the clues!
• As the sands of time continue
  to slip by, make each moment
  of your mission here at the
  family history center count as
  you search in the library in the

  CENSUS RECORDS
The End
 Copy and Evaluate Your
Information Use Other Records
 DEATH RECORDS ON THE INTERNET
 Copy and Evaluate Your
Information Use Other Records
  Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah
• Watch for this new exciting
  census technology that will
  make census searches
  easier, faster, and
  more fun!
The enumerator may have been hesitant to knock on
the Joplin’s door. Neighbors were fighting measles.




Scott
Joplin                                 1880
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