The “as  of” date for this census was 1 April 1930. That means all information collected by the census taker was supposed to be valid “as of” that date, regardless of when the enumerator arrived at a family’s doorstep. If you look at the sample page, you’ll see the actual enumeration took place on 19 April 1930, and the census taker was Mrs. Howard Wharton. These dates can not only affect your calculations for ages, but may account for supposed discrepancies of births and deaths.

The 1930 population schedule added several previously unasked questions:

• Value of home, if owned, or monthly rental, if rented. Isn’t that interesting information to add to your family history? If your ancestor owned his residence, there should be property records you can access that may provide even more new information about your family. You can calculate what those 1930′s dollars are worth today at this website: http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

• If the household had a radio set. This may seem a little silly to us in the computer age, but owning a radio set in 1930 indicated a certain level of prosperity that may be significant to your understanding of your ancestor’s life. And isn’t it cool to imagine the family, all gathered around that radio set in the evenings, listening to one of President Roosevelt’s fireside chats?

• Age at first marriage. This can help you calculate a wedding date and perhaps lead to a marriage record. Also, if you know your ancestor’s marriage year to the wife shown on the schedule, but that date conflicts with his “age at first marriage” you may want to look for a previous marriage.

• If a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces and what expedition. Military records are always very important– muster rolls  and pension files can answer numerous genealogical questions; and understanding your ancestor’s military history will provide you with even more insight into his life’s experiences.

Changes were made in how race was defined. The term “Mulatto” was no longer used. Instead, a person with both White and Black heritage, or Black and Native American heritage was recorded as Black. The only exception was for those individuals accepted as “Native American” by their local communities. A person with both White and Native American ancestry was recorded as “Indian,” unless the individual was accepted as White within his community.

This criteria was used for all situations in which a person had “White” and some other racial lineage– they were mostly identified by the non-White race. Persons who had minority interracial lineages were reported as the race of their father.

“Mexican” appeared as a category of race for the first and only time. Anyone born in Mexico who did not fall into any other category was defined as “Mexican.”

Here’s the full list of questions found on the 1930 federal census population schedule, with their corresponding column number from the enumeration form:

Place of Abode:

1. Street, avenue, road, etc.
2. House number (in cities or towns).
3. Number of dwelling house in order of visitation.
4. Number of family in order of visitation.
5. Name of each person whose place of abode on April 1, 1930, was in this family. Enter surname first, then the given name and middle initial, if any. Include every person living on April 1, 1930. Omit children born since April 1, 1930.
6. Relationship of this person to the head of the family.

Home Data:

7. Home owned or rented.
8. Value of home, if owned, or monthly rental, if rented.
9. Radio set.
10. Does this family live on a farm?

Personal description:

11. Sex.
12. Color or race.
13. Age at last birthday.
14. Marital condition.
15. Age at first marriage.

Education:

16. Attended school or college any time since September 1, 1929.
17. Whether able to read and write.

Place of Birth:
Place of birth of each person enumerated and of his or her parents. If born in the United States, give the State or Territory. If of foreign birth, give country in which birthplace is now situated. Distinguish Canada-French from Canada-English, and Irish Free State from Northern Ireland.

18. Person.
19. Father.
20. Mother.

Mother Tongue (or native language) of Foreign Born:

21. Language spoken at home before coming to the United States.

Citizenship, etc.:

22. Year of immigration to the United States.
23. Naturalization.
24. Whether able to speak English.

Occupation and Industry:

25. Occupation: Trade, profession, or particular kind of work, as spinner, salesman, riveter, teacher, etc..
26. Industry: Industry or business, as cotton mill, dry goods store, shipyard, public school, etc..
27. Class of worker.

Employment:
Whether actually at work yesterday (or the last regular working day):

28. Yes or No.
29. If not, line number of Unemployment Schedule.

Veterans:
Whether a veteran of U.S. military or naval forces:

30. Yes or No.
31. What war or expedition.
32. Number of farm schedule.

Now brace yourself; here are the detailed instructions the census taker followed as he or she collected the data. You can download these in pdf format at the U.S. Census Bureau website.

1930 Census: Enumerator Instructions

PLACE OF ABODE

114. Column 1. Street, avenue, road, etc.-This column applies to cities and all other localities where the streets or roads are known by names or numbers or letters. Write the name of the street, avenue, court, place, alley, or road lengthwise, in the manner shown on the illustrative example.

115. The places at which you begin and end work on any street are to be marked by heavy lines in ink (-) across the first and second columns. (See illustrative example, line 8.)

116. Column 2. House number or farm, etc.-Write the house number if there is one, opposite the name of the first person enumerated in the house. If a house is in the rear of another one fronting on a street and has no number of its own, give it the same number as the front house and add the word “rear.”

117. Column 3. Number of dwelling house in order of visitation.-In this column the first dwelling house you should be numbered as “1,” the second as “2,” and son on until the enumeration of your district is completed. The number should always be entered opposite the name of the first person enumerated in each dwelling house, and should not be repeated for other persons or other families living in the same house.

118. Dwelling house defined.-A dwelling house, for census purposes, is a place in which, at the time of the census, one or more persons regularly sleep. It need not be a house in the usual sense of the word, but may be a room, in a factory, store, or office building, a loft over a garage, a boat, a tent, a freight car, or the like. A building like a tenement or apartment house counts as only one dwelling house, no matter how many persons or families live in it. A building like a tenement or apartment house counts as only one dwelling house, no matter how many persons or families live in it. A building with a solid partition was through it and a front door for each of the two parts, however, counts as two dwelling houses, as does each house in a block or row of “row” houses. But a 2-apartment house with one apartment over the other and a separate front door for each apartment counts as only one dwelling house.

119. Column 4. Number of family in order of visitation.-In this column number the families in your district in the order in which they are enumerated, entering the number opposite the name of the head of each family, as shown on the illustrative example. Thus, the first family you visit should be numbered as “1,” the second as “2,” and so on, until the enumeration of your district is completed.

120. Family defined.-The word “family,” for census purposes, has a somewhat different application from what it has in popular usage. It means a group of persons living together in the same dwelling place. The persons constituting this group may or may not be related by ties of kinship, but if they live together forming one household they should be considered as one family. Thus a servant who sleeps in the house or on the premises should be included with the members of the family for which he or she works. Again, a boarder or lodger should be included with the members of the family with which he lodges; but a persons who boards in one place and lodges or rooms at another should be returned as a member of the family at the place where he lodges or rooms.

121. It should be noted, however, that two or more families may occupy the same dwelling house without living together. If they occupy separate portions of the dwelling house and their housekeeping is entirely separate, they should be returned as separate families.

122. Families in apartment houses.-In an apartment or tenement house, there will be as many families as there are separate occupied apartments or tenements, even though use may be made of a common cafe or restaurant.

123. Boarding-house families.-All the occupants and employees of a boarding house or lodging house, if that is their usual place of abode, make up, for census purposes, a single family.

124. Families in hotels.-All of the persons returned from a hotel should likewise be counted as a single “family,” except that where a family of two or more members (as a husband and wife, or a mother and daughter) occupies permanent quarters in a hotel (or an apartment hotel), it should be returned separately, leaving the “hotel family” made up principally of individuals having no other family relations. The distinction between an apartment house and an apartment hotel, and in turn between an apartment hotel and a hotel devoted mainly to transients, will often be difficult to establish.

125. Institutional families.-The officials and inmates of an institution who live in the institution building or buildings form one family. But any officers or employees who sleep in detached houses or separate dwellings containing no inmates should be returned as separate families.

126. Persons living alone.-The census family may likewise consist of a single persons. Thus, an employee in a store who regularly sleeps there is to be returned, as a family and the store as his dwelling place. (See par. 82.)

NAME AND RELATION

127. Column 5. Name of each person enumerated.-Enter the name of every person whose usual place of abode on April 1, 1930, was with the family or in the dwelling place for which the enumeration is being made.

128. Order of entering names.-Enter the members of each family in the following order: (1) The head of the family; (2) his wife; (3) the children (whether sons or daughters) in the order of their ages, beginning with the oldest; and (4) all other persons living with the family, whether relatives, boarders, lodgers, or servants.

129. How names are to be written.-Enter first the last name or surname, then the given name in full, and the initial of the middle name, if any, except that where a person usually writes his first initial and his middle names, as “J. Henry Brown,” you should write “Brown, J. Henry,” rather than “Brown, John H.”

130. Where the surname is the same as that of the person on the preceding line do not repeat the name, but draw a horizontal line (-) under the name above, as shown in the illustrative example.

131. Column 6. Relationship to head of family.-Designate the head of the family, whether husband or father, widow, or unmarried person of either sex, by the word “head“; for other members of a family write wife, father, mother, son, daughter, grandson, daughter-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, boarder, lodger, servant, etc., according to the particular relationship which the person bears to the head of the family.

132. Home-maker.-Column 6 is to be used also to indicate which member of the family is the “home-maker,” that is, which one is responsible for the care of the home and family. After the word “wife,” “mother,” or other term showing the relationship of such person to the head of the family, add the letter “H,” thus: “Wife-H.” Only one person in each family should receive this designation.

133. Occupants of an institution or school, living under a common roof, should be designated as officer, inmate, pupil, patient, prisoner, etc.; and in the case of the chief officer his title should be used, as warden, principal, superintendent, etc., instead of the word “head.” Pupils who live at the school only during the school term are not usually to be enumerated at the school. (See par. 68.)

134. If two or more persons share a common abode as partners, write head for one and partner for the other or others.

135. In the case of a hotel or boarding or lodging house family (see pars. 123 and 124), the head of the family is usually the manager or the person who keeps the hotel or boarding or lodging house.

HOME DATA

136. Column 7. Home owned or rented.-This question is to be answered only opposite the name of the head of each family, and only relates to the home or dwelling in which they are living on the date of the enumeration. If the home is owned, write “O”; if the home is rented, write “R.” Make no entries in this column for the other members of the family.

137. If a dwelling is occupied by more than one family it is the home of each of them, and the question should be answered with reference to each family in the dwelling. The whole dwelling may be owned by one family and a part rented by the other family, or both may rent.

138. Owned homes.-A home is to be classed as owned if it is owned wholly or in part by the head of the family living in the home or by the wife of the head, or by a son, or a daughter, or other relative living in the same house with the head of the family. It is not necessary that full payment for the property should have been made or that the family should be the sole owner.

139. Rented homes.-Every home not owned, either wholly or in part, by the family living in it should be classed as rented, whether rent is actually paid or not.

140. Where the owner of a house occupies a room or floor, but rents out the major portion of the house, including the first floor, the person hiring the house is to be entered as “head,” the home as “rented,” and the owner as a “lodger“; or if the owner’s living arrangements are entirely separate, he (or she) should be reported as a separate family with “owned” home.

141. Column 8. Value of home, if owned, or monthly rental, if rented.-If the house or apartment is owned, as indicated by the entry “O” in column 7, give in column 8, on the line for the head of the family, the current market value of the home as nearly as it can be ascertained. Unless the house has been recently purchased it will be necessary to estimate its value. The estimate should represent the amount for which the home, including such land as belongs to it, would sell under normal conditions-not at forced sale. The assessor’s value, on which taxation is based, is not generally a safe guide, being usually below the market value. Make it clear to your informant that the values returned on the census schedule are not to be used in any way in connection with taxation and are not open to public inspection.

142. If the home is rented, as indicated by the entry “R” in column 7, give in column 8 the amount paid each month as rent, or one-twelfth of the annual rental, in case payment is not made monthly.

143. If no actual rental is paid, as where a workman receives the use of a house as a part of his wages, give in column 8 the estimated monthly rental value of the house. This estimate may be based on the amount of rent paid for similar houses in the neighborhood.

144. For a farm family (indicated by the entry “Yes” in column 10) make no entry in column 8. The value of the farm home is given on the farm schedule.

145. Column 9. Radio set.-If the family, or any member of the family, has a radio set, write “R” opposite the name of the head of the family. If the family has no radio set, leave this column blank.

146. Column 10. Does this family live on a farm?-This question is to be answered, “Yes” or “No,” for every family, except that in a thickly settled city district a statement may be made on the first schedule to the effect that there are no farms in the district, and the column may then be left blank.

147. If the family lives on a farm, that is, a place for which a farm schedule is made out and which is also locally regarded as a farm, the answer should be “Yes,” even though no member of the family works on the farm. It is a question here of residence, not of occupation.

148. Occasionally there will be a place for which a farm schedule is required, but which is not commonly regarded as a farm. A greenhouse establishment located in a city or village and having little land attached would be an example. For such a place the entry in column 10 should be “No.” Likewise for a one-time farm on which no farming is now being done, the place being occupied as a residence only, the entry in column 10 should be “No,” even though the place is still called a farm. Where the farmer and his family do not live on the farm, the entry should, of course, be “No.”

PERSONAL DESCRIPTION

149. Column 11. Sex.-Write “M” for male and “F” for female, as indicated in the notes at the bottom of the schedule.

150. Column 12. Color or race.-Write “W” for white, “B” for black; “Mus” for mulatto; “In” for Indian; “Ch” for Chinese; “Jp” for Japanese; “Fil” for Filipino; “Hin” for Hindu; “Kor” for Korean. For a person of any other race, write the race in full.

151. Negroes.-A person of mixed white and Negro blood should be returned as a Negro, no matter how small the percentage of Negro blood. Both black and mulatto persons are to be returned as Negroes, without distinction. A person of mixed Indian and Negro blood should be returned a Negro, unless the Indian blood predominates and the status as an Indian is generally accepted in the community.

152. Indians.-A person of mixed white and Indian blood should be returned as Indian, except where the percentage of Indian blood is very small, or where he is regarded as a white person by those in the community where he lives. (Se par. 151 for mixed Indian and Negro.)

153. For a person reported as Indian in column 12, report is to be made in column 19 as to whether “full blood” or “mixed blood,” and in column 20 the name of the tribe is to be reported. For Indians, columns 19 and 20 are thus to be used to indicate the degree of Indian blood and the tribe, instead of the birthplace of father and mother.

154. Mexicans.-Practically all Mexican laborers are of a racial mixture difficult to classify, though usually well recognized in the localities where they are found. In order to obtain separate figures for this racial group, it has been decided that all person born in Mexico, or having parents born in Mexico, who are not definitely white, Negro, Indian, Chinese, or Japanese, should be returned as Mexican (“Mex”).

155. Other mixed races.-Any mixture of white and nonwhite should be reported according to the nonwhite parent. Mixtures of colored races should be reported according to the race of the father, except Negro-Indian (see par. 151).

156. Column 13. Age at last birthday.-This question calls for the age in completed years at last birthday. Remember, however, that the age question, like all other questions on the schedule, relates to April 1, 1930. Thus a person whose exact age on April 1, the census day, is 17 years, 11 months, and 25 days should be returned simply as 17, because that is his age at his last birthday prior to April 1, even though at the time of your visit he may have completed 18 years.

157. Age in round numbers.-In many cases persons will report the age in round numbers, like 30 or 45, or “about 30″ or “about 45,” when that is not the exact age. Therefore, when an age ending in “0″ or “5″ is reported, you should inquire whether it is the exact age. If, however, it is impossible to get the exact age, enter the approximate age rather than return the age as unknown.

158. Ages of children.-Take particular pains to get the exact ages of children. In the case of a child less than 5 years old, the age should be given in completed months, expressed as twelfths of a year. Thus the age of a child 3 months old should be entered as 3/12, a child 7 months old as 7/12, a child 1 year and 3 months old as 1 3/12, a child exactly 3 years old as 3 0/12, a child 3 years and 1 month old as 3 1/12, etc. It a child is not yet a month old, enter the age as 0/12. but note again that this question should be answered with reference to April 1. For instance, a child who is just a year old on the 5th of April 1930, should nevertheless be returned as 11/12, because that is its age in completed months on April 1.

159. Enumerators must make a special effort to obtain returns for all infants and young children. Children under 1 year of age, in particular, have frequently been omitted from the enumeration in past censuses.

160. Column 14. Marital condition.-Write “S” for a single or unmarried person of whatever age, “M” for a married person, “Wd” for widowed (man or woman), and “D” for divorced.

161. Column 15. Age at first marriage.-This question applies only to married persons; that is, those for whom the entry in column 14 is “M.” Where the marriage is evidently a first marriage, it may be good policy to ask for “age at marriage,” rather than “age at first marriage,” or to ask the question in this form and then make certain that the parties have not been married before.

EDUCATION

162. Column 16. Attended school or college any time since September 1, 1929.-Write “Yes” for a person who attended school, college, or any educational institution at any time since September 1, 1929, and “No” for any person who has not attended school since that date. Include attendance at night school.

163. Column 17. Whether able to read and write.-Write “Yes” for a person 10 years of age or over who can read and write in any language, whether English or some other, and “No” for such persons who can not both read and write in some language. do not return any person as able to read and write simply because he can write his own name. For persons under 10 years of age, leave the column blank.

164. For a blind person, write “Yes” if he could read and write in any language before becoming blind or, if, being born blind, he has been taught to read and write in any language.

PLACE OF BIRTH

165. Column 18. Place of birth of person.-If the person was born in the United States, give the State or Territory in which born. The words “United States” are not sufficiently definite. A person born in what is now North Dakota, South Dakota, or Oklahoma should be so reported, although at the time of his birth the particular region may have had a different name. For a person born in Washington, D.C., write District of Columbia. Do not abbreviate the names of States or Territories.

166. If the person was born in a foreign country, enter the name of the country only, as Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Norway, Poland, China, etc., as the case may be, except as noted in the following paragraphs.

167. Since it is essential that each foreign-born person be credited to the country in which his birthplace is now located, special attention must be given to the six countries which lost a part of their territory in the readjustments following the World War. These six countries are as follows:

Austria, which lost territory to Czechoslovakia, Italy, Yugoslavia, Poland, and Rumania.
Hungary, which lost territory to Austria, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Poland, Rumania, and Yugoslavia.
Bulgaria, which lost territory to Greece and Yugoslavia.
Germany, which lost territory to Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Danzig, Denmark, France, Lithuania, and Poland.
Russia, which lost territory to Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Turkey.
Turkey, which lost territory to Greece and Italy and from which the following areas became independent:
Iraq (Mesopotamia); Palestine (including Transjordan); Syria (including Lebanon); and various States
and Kingdoms in Arabia (Asir, Hejaz, and Yemen).

168. If the person reports one of these six countries as his place of birth or that of his parents, ask specifically whether the birthplace is located within the present area of the country; and if not, find out to what country it has been transferred. If a person was born in the Province of Bohemia, for example, which was formerly in Austria but is now a part of Czechoslovakia, the proper return for country of birth is Czechoslovakia. If you can not ascertain with certainty the present location of the birthplace, where this group of countries is involved, enter in addition to the name of the country, the name of the Province or State in which the person was born, as Alsace-Lorraine, Bohemia, Croatia, Galicia, Moravia, Slovakia, etc., or the city, as Warsaw, Prague, Strasbourg, etc.

169. Do not return a person as born in Great Britain but indicate the particular country, as England, Scotland, Wales, etc. Distinction must be made between Northern Ireland and Irish Free State. It is not sufficient to report that a person was born in Ireland.

170. French Canadians should be distinguished from other Canadians. For a French-speaking person born in Canada, enter “Canada-French“; for all other persons born in Canada, enter “Canada-English” (even though they may not actually speak English).

171. If a person was born in Cuba or Puerto Rico, so state, and do not write West Indies.

172. If a person was born abroad, but of American parents, write in column 18 both the birthplace and “Am. cit.”-that is, American citizen. For a person born at sea, write “At sea.”

173. Spell out the names of countries, provinces, etc., and do not abbreviate in any case.

174. Columns 19 and 20. Place of birth of parents.-Enter in columns 19 and 20, respectively, the State or country in which were born the father and the mother of the person whose own birthplace was entered in column 18. In designating the birthplace of the parents, follow the same instructions as for the person himself. (See pars. 165-173.) In case, however, a person does not know the State or Territory of birth of his father (or mother), but knows that he (or she) was born in the United States, write “United States” rather than “unknown.”

174a. For the Indian population, which is practically all of native parentage, these columns are to be used for a different purpose. In column 19 is to be entered, in place of the country of birth of the father, the degree of Indian blood, as, “full blood” or “mixed blood.” In column 20 is to be entered, in place of the country of birth of the mother, the tribe to which the Indian belongs.

MOTHER TONGUE

175. Column 21. Mother tongue of foreign born.-The question, “What is (his or her) mother tongue or native language” is to be asked with regard to every person who was born in any foreign country. By mother tongue is meant the language usually spoken in the home before the person came to the United States. Where persons have come to the United States by way of some other country, what is wanted is the native language of the person, or the language which he spoke in his native country. Do not abbreviate the language, and do not ask for the mother tongue of persons born in the United States.

176. Do not neglect to report the mother tongue simply because it is the same as the language of the country in which the person was born. Thus if a person reports that he was born in France and that his mother tongue is French, it is quite essential to enter the mother tongue as well as the country of birth. On the other hand, do not assume that the mother tongue is the same as the country of birth.

For instance, do not report persons born in Austria as of Austrian mother tongue, or persons born in Hungary as of Hungarian mother tongue, especially since “Austrian” and “Hungarian” are not languages. The principal language of present-day Austria is German, and of Hungary, Magyar. Therefore make specific inquiry as to the language spoken. Do not accept “Scandinavian” as a mother tongue but specify whether Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish; similarly, do not report “Slavic” but specify whether Croatian,Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, etc.

177. Principal foreign languages.-Following is a list of the principal languages which are likely to be reported as the mother tongue or native language of foreign-born persons:

Albanian
Arabic
Armenian
Basque
Breton
Bulgarian
Czech
Chinese
Croatian
Dalmation
Danish
Dutch
Egyptian
English
Estonian
Finnish
Flemish
French
Frisian
Friulian
Gaelic
Georgian
German
Great Russian
Greek
Gypsy
Hebrew
Hindu
Icelandic
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Kurdish
Lappish
Lettish
Lithuanian
Little Russian
Macedonian
Magyar
Montenegrin
Norwegian
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Romansh
Rumanian [sic]
Russian
Ruthenian
Scotch
Serbian
Slovak
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
Syrian
Turkish
Ukrainian
Walloon
Welsh
Wendish
White Russian
Yiddish

 CITIZENSHIP, ETC.

178. Column 22. Year of immigration to the United States.-This question applies to all foreign-born persons, male and female, of whatever age. It should be answered, therefore, for every persons whose birthplace was in a foreign country. Enter the year in which the person came to the United States. If he has come into the United States more than once, give the year of his first arrival.

179. Column 23. Naturalization.-This question applies to all foreign-born persons, male and female, or whatever age. Prior to September 22, 1922, a foreign-born woman became a citizen when her husband was naturalized. Since that date, she must take out papers in her own name, and if she does not do this she remains an alien even though her husband becomes naturalized. The question should be answered, therefore, for every person whose birthplace was in a foreign country, as follows:

180. For a foreign-born male 21 years of age and over write “Na” (for “naturalized”) if he has either (1) taken out second or final naturalization papers, or (2) become naturalized while under the age of 21 by the naturalization of either parent.

181. For a foreign-born female 21 years of age and over write “Na” if she has either (1) taken out final papers, or (2) become naturalized through the naturalization of either parent while she was under the age of 21, or (3) if she became naturalized prior to 1922 by the naturalization of her husband. (See par. 179.)

182. For a foreign-born person under 21 years of age write “Na” if either parent has been naturalized. This applies to infants and young children as well as to older persons under 21.

183. For all foreign-born persons who have not been naturalized but have taken out first papers write “Pa” (for “papers”). Note that a person must be at least 18 years of age in order to take out first papers. Minor children should not be returned “Pa” merely because their parents have taken out first papers.

184. For all foreign-born persons neither naturalized nor having first papers, write “Al” (for “alien”).

185. Column 24. Whether able to speak English.-Write “Yes” for a person 10 years of age and over who can speak English, and “No” for such a person who can not speak English. For persons under 10 years of age leave the column blank.

OCCUPATION AND INDUSTRY

186. Column 25. Occupation.-An entry should be made in this column for every person enumerated. The entry should be either (1) the gainful occupation pursued-that is, the word or words which most accurately indicate the particular kind of gainful work done, as physician, carpenter, dressmaker, salesman, newsboy; or (2) none (that is, no gainful occupation). The entry none should be made in the case of persons who follow no gainful occupation. A “gainful occupation” in census usage is an occupation by which the person who pursues it earns money or a money equivalent, or in which he assists in the production of marketable goods. The term “gainful worker,” as interpreted for census purposes, does not include women doing housework in their own homes, without wages, and having no other employment (see par. 194), nor children working at home, merely on general household work, on chores, or at odd times on other work.

187. Occasionally there will be doubt as to whether an occupation should be returned for a person who works only a small part of the time at the occupation. In such cases the rule may generally be followed that, unless the person spends at least the equivalent of one day per week at the occupation, he or she should not be returned as a gainful worker-that is, the entry in column 25 should be none.

188. Persons retired or incapacitated.-Care should be taken in making the return for persons who on account of old age, permanent invalidism, or other reasons are no longer following any occupation. Such persons may desire to return the occupations formerly followed, which would be incorrect. If living on their own income, or if they are supported by other persons or institutions, or if they work only occasionally or only a short time each day, the return should be none.

189. Occupation of persons unemployed.-On the other hand, persons out of employment when visited by the enumerator may state that they have no occupation, when the fact is that they usually have an occupation but happen to be idle or unemployed at the time of the visit. In such cases the return should be the occupation followed when the person is employed or the occupation in which last regularly employed, and the fact that the person was not at work should be recorded in column 28. (See par. 225).

190. Persons having two occupations.-If a person has two occupations, return only the more important one; that is, the one from which he gets the more money. If you can not learn that, return the one at which he spends the more time. For example: Return a man as a farmer if he gets more of his income from farming, although he may also fallow the occupation of a clergyman or preacher; but return him as a clergyman if he gets more of his income from that occupation.

191. Column 26. Industry.-Make an entry in this column in all cases where an occupation is reported in column 25. But when the entry in column 25 is “none,” leave column 26 blank. The entry in column 26, when made, should be the name of the industry, or the business, or the place in which this person works, as cotton mill, coal mine, dry-goods store, insurance office, bank, etc.

192. Never use the word “Company” in column 26. An “oil company,” for example, may operate oil wells, or a pipe line, or an oil refinery, or a cottonseed oil mill, or it may be engaged in selling oil. Never enter in column 26 such indefinite terms as “factory,” “mill,” “shop,” or “store,” without stating the kind of factory, etc., as soap factory, cotton mill, blacksmith shop, grocery store. Likewise, never enter a firm name in column 26, as “Jones & Co.,” but state the industry or business in which the person works, as coal mine, real estate, etc. Avoid entering the word “Contractor” in column 26. enter, instead, the name of the industry in which the person works, as building construction, street construction, etc.

193. The purpose of columns 25 and 26 is to bring out the specific occupation or work performed and the industry, business, or place in which such work is performed. In rare cases, especially with professions, you may use in column 26 the expression general practice or independent, or, for some laborers, odd jobs. The supervisor has been instructed not to certify your vouchers for payment if he does not find an entry in both of these columns for every person gainfully employed.

194. Women doing housework.-In the case of a woman doing housework in her own home and having no other employment, the entry in column 25 should be none. But a woman doing housework for wages should be returned in column 25 as housekeeper, servant, cook, or chambermaid, as the case may be; and the entry in column 26 should state the kind of place where she works, as private family, hotel, or boarding house.

195. Where a woman not only looks after her own home but also has employment outside or does work at home for which she receives payment, the outside work or gainful employment should ordinarily be reported as her occupation, unless this takes only a very small fraction of the woman’s time. For instance, a woman who regularly takes in washing should be reported as laundress or washerwoman, followed in column 26 by at home.

196. Farm workers.-Return a person in charge of a farm as a farmer, whether he owns it or operates it as a tenant, renter, or cropper; but a person who manages a farm for some one else for wages or a salary should be reported as a farm manager. A man who directs farm labor under the supervision of the own or of a manager should be reported as a farm foreman or a farm overseer; and a person who works on a farm for some one else, but not as a manager or foreman should be reported as a farm laborer.

197. Women doing farm work.-A woman who works only occasionally, or only a short time each day at outdoor farm or garden work, or in the dairy, or in caring for livestock or poultry should not be returned as a farm laborer; but for a woman who works regularly and most of the time at such work, the return in column 25 should be farm laborer. Of course, a woman who herself operates or runs a farm or plantation should be reported as a farmer and not as a farm laborer.

198. Unusual occupations for women.-There are many occupations, such as carpenter and blacksmith, which women usually do not follow. Therefore, if you are told that a woman follows an occupation which is very peculiar or unusual for a woman, verify the statement.

199. Children on farms.-In the case of children who work regularly for their own parents on a farm, in an orchard, on a truck farm, etc., the entry in column 25 should be farm laborer, orchard laborer, or garden laborer, as the case may be.

200. Children working for parents.-Children who work for their parents at home merely on general household work, at chores, or at odd times on other work, should be reported as having no occupation. Those, however, who somewhat regularly assist their parents in the performance of work other than household work or chores should be reported as having the occupation represented by this work.

201. Unusual occupations for children.-It is very unusual for a child to be a farmer or other proprietor of any kind; to be an official, a manager, or a foreman; to follow a professional pursuit; or to pursue any of the skilled trades, such as blacksmith, carpenter, machinist, etc. Therefore, whenever you are told that a child is following an occupation usually followed only by adults, ask whether the child is not merely a helper or an apprentice in the occupation, and make the entry accordingly.

202. Keeping boarders.-Keeping boarders or lodgers should be returned as an occupation if the person engaged in it relies upon it as his (or her) principal means of support or principal source of income. In that case the return should be boarding-house keeper or lodging-house keeper. If, however, a family keeps a few boarders or roomers merely as a means of supplementing the earnings or income obtained from other occupations or from other sources, no one in the family should be returned as a boarding or lodging house keeper.

203. Officers, employees, and inmates of institutions or homes.-For an officer or regular employee of an institution or home, such as an asylum, penitentiary, jail, reform school, or convict camp, return the occupation followed in the institution. For an inmate of such institution, if regularly employed, return the occupation pursued in the institution, whether the employment be at productive labor or at other duties, such as cooking, scrubbing, laundry work, etc.; but if an inmate is not regularly employed – that is, has no specific duties or work to perform – write “none” in column 25. Do not return the occupation pursued prior to commitment to the institution.

204. Do not report any inmates of institutions on the Unemployment Schedule. Where the entry “No” has been made in column 28 for such an inmate, write in column 29 “Inst” to indicate the reason for not making the usual entries on the Unemployment Schedule.

205. Builders and contractors-Only persons engaged principally in securing and supervising the carrying out of building or other construction contracts should be returned as builders or contractors. Craftsmen who usually work with their tools should be returned as carpenters, plasterers, etc., and not as contractors.

206. Doctors or physicians.-In the case of a doctor or physician, enter in column 26 the class to which he belongs, as medical, osteopathic, chiropractic, etc.

207. Engineers.-Distinguish carefully the different kinds of engineers by stating the full descriptive titles, as civil engineer, electrical engineer, locomotive engineer, mechanical engineer, mining engineer, stationary engineer, etc.

208. Nurses.-In the case of a nurse, always specify whether she is a trained nurse, a practical nurse, or a child’s nurse.

209. Cooks and general houseworkers.-Distinguish carefully between cooks and general houseworkers. Return a person who does general housework as a servant and not as a cook.

210. Workers attending school.-In the case of a person who is at work and also attends a school or college, enter the occupation followed in columns 25 and 26, and indicate the fact of school or college attendance in column 16.

211. Avoid general or indefinite terms.-Give the occupation and industry precisely. For example, return a worker in a coal mine as a foreman-coal mine; laborer-coal mine; driller-coal mine, etc. as the case may be.

212. The term “laborer” should be avoided if any more precise statement of the occupation can be secured. Employees in factories and mills, for example, usually have some definite designation, as weaver, roller, puddler, etc. Where the term “laborer” is used, be careful to state accurately the industry or business in column 26.

213. Avoid the use of the word “mechanic” whenever a more specific occupation can be given, such as carpenter, painter, electrician, etc.

214. Distinguish carefully the different kinds of “agents’ by stating in column 26 the line of business followed, as real estate, insurance, etc.

215. Distinguish carefully between retail and wholesale merchants, as retail merchant-dry-goods; wholesale merchant-dry-goods.

216. Avoid the use of the work “clerk” wherever a more definite occupation can be named. Thus, an employee in a store who is wholly or principally engaged in selling goods should be called a salesman and not a clerk. A typist, accountant, bookkeeper, or cashier, etc., should be reported as such, and not as a clerk. Do not return a stenographer as a “secretary.”

217. Distinguish a traveling salesman from a salesman in a store; the former should be reported as a commercial traveler.

218. You need not give a person’s occupation just as he expresses it. Always find out exactly the kind of work he does and the industry, business, or place in which he works, and so state it. For instance, if a person says that he is “in business,” find out what branch of business, and what kind of work he does or what position he holds.

219. Illustrations of occupation returns.-The following illustrations, in addition to those given in the illustrative example, will indicate the method of returning some of the common occupations and industries. They will also suggest to you distinctions which you should make in other cases:

20. Column 27. Class of worker.-For an employer – that is, one who employs helpers other than domestic servants in transacting his own business – write in column 27 “E”; for a wage or salary worker write “W”; for a person working on his own account write “O”; for an unpaid family worker – that is, a member of the family employed without pay on work which contributes to the family income – write “NP”. For all persons returned as having no gainful occupation, leave column 27 blank.

221. Employer (“E”).-An employer is one who employs helpers, other than domestic servants, in transacting his own business. The term “employer” does not include the superintendent, agent, manager, or other person employed to manage an establishment or business; and it does not include the foreman of a room, the boss of a gang, or the coal miner who hires his helper. All such should be returned as wage or salary workers, for, while any one of these may employ persons, none of them does so in transacting his own business. In short, no person who himself works for wages or a salary is to be returned as an employer.

222. Wage or salary worker (“W”).-Any person who works for wages or salary, at piece rates, or on commission, and is subject to the control and direction of an employer, is to be considered a wage or salary worker. This classification will include the president of the bank or the manager of the factory as well as the clerks and the laborers who may be also employed by the bank or the factory.

223. Working on own account (“O”).-A person who has a gainful occupation and is neither an employer, nor a wage or salary worker, nor an unpaid family worker, is considered to be working on his own account; such persons are the independent workers. They neither pay nor receive salaries or regular wages. Examples of this class are: Farmers and the owners of small establishments who do not employ helpers; professional men who work for fees and employ no helpers; and generally speaking, hucksters, peddlers, newsboys, bootblacks, etc.

224. Unpaid family worker (“NP”).-A wife, son, daughter, or other relative of the head of the family who works regularly and without wages or salary on the family’s farm, in a shop or store from which the family obtains its support, or on other work that contributes to the family’s income (not including housework or incidental chores) is to be returned as an unpaid family worker. Examples are: A son working regularly and without wages on his father’s farm; a wife working regularly without salary in her husband’s store or office; a girl assisting her mother regularly without wages on sewing done in the home for a clothing factory.

EMPLOYMENT

25. Column 28. Whether actually at work yesterday (“Yes” or “No”).-This question is to be asked with regard to all persons for whom an occupation has been entered in column 25. It will ordinarily refer to the day preceding the enumerator’s call, and can be asked in the simple form “Was he at work yesterday?” In case “yesterday” was a holiday or the worker’s “day off” or “rest day,” the question should apply to his last regular working-day.

226. In certain occupations the employees have “rest days” in rotation. Some street car men, for example, begin their week’s work on Tuesday and finish on Sunday, having a “rest day” on Monday. If you are enumerating such a man on Tuesday, you should find out whether or not he was at work Sunday, which would be his last regular working-day. Railway men may make runs on alternate days, working Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for example, and “resting” on the intervening days. In every such case the question “Whether actually at work,” must apply to the last regular working-day of the person enumerated.

227. Some men, such as longshoremen, coal miners, and laborers, have very irregular hours of work. In a case of this kind find out whether the man actually worked on the last working-day on which he might have been occupied. This will usually be literally “yesterday,” unless “yesterday” was Sunday or a holiday.

228. Persons at work.-Write “Yes” if the person enumerated worked any part of the day to which the question applies. In the case of wage earners the question will offer no difficulty. In the case of men who run a business of their own it may not always be easy to determine whether the man is actually at work. In general, such men should be returned as “at work” if the business operates continuously under their orders, even though they may have been temporarily absent on the last regular working-day. The same return should be made for the professional or business man who is the active manager of an office, store, or factory, although he may be absent or not occupied with matters for which he receives pay on the day in question. For example, a man operating a cobbler’s shop or an automobile repair and service station should be returned as at work on a given day if he spends any part of that day at the shop, even though he may not make any sales or do any work for which he receives payment. Similarly doctors, lawyers, dentists, and other professional men, and proprietors and managers of retail stores, who put in time at their place of business would be returned as “at work.”

229. Farmers and farm laborers, including the members of the farmer’s family who usually work on the farm, are to be considered at work if they are doing anything whatever in connection with the farm or with any farming activities or supplemental occupations.

230. Teachers in schools and college professors and instructors, if they hold positions, will be regarded as “at work,” even though the enumeration date falls within the Easter or spring vacation. Highly skilled workmen, salesmen, foremen, superintendents, and managers whose pay is on a monthly or annual basis are to be returned as “at work” if they receive full pay and their working time is definitely engaged, even though they have days of partial or complete idleness now and then.

231. Persons who normally work only part time and who do not wish a full time job are to be returned as “at work,” unless such part-time employment itself fails. For example, the waitress who works three hours daily during the lunch period is to be returned as at work if she was employed for this period “yesterday”; and the seamstress or laundress who regularly works one or more days a week, either at her own home or elsewhere, is to be returned as at work if she worked on her last regular working-day preceding the enumerator’s visit.

232. Persons not at work.-Write “no” in case the person enumerated worked no part of the last regular working day. Men and women temporarily absent because of sickness, accidents, voluntary lay-offs, and all personal reasons are to be regarded as not at work, even though they continue to hold their positions.

233. Men locked out or on strike are “not at work,” although in receipt of trade-union strike benefits or occupied in the conduct of the strike. Men who customarily work “by the job” are not at work if they have no job in process, even though actively seeking new contracts. Retail dealers are not at work if their last business has been permanently closed, although they may be planning a new enterprise. You will find, every now and then, a man who has been operating a small grocery or other retail store which has failed and who is, at the time of the enumeration, doing nothing at all which yields an income, but spending his time seeking new opportunities. Return such a man as not at work.

234. A woman reported as regularly pursuing some gainful occupation, in her own home or outside, in addition to doing her own housework, is to be returned as “not at work” if, for any reason, this gainful occupation fails, although she may continue to perform her household duties. Thus a woman who usually works as a laundress two days a week, in addition to her housework, is to be returned as “not at work” when the work as a laundress fails, even though she is quite fully occupied at home. Similarly the saleswoman in a store working daily in the rush hours, or on days of special sales, or on week-ends, is to be returned as not at work when this employment fails, although she may be busy at home duties.

235. Men who busy themselves with repair jobs, gardening, and home duties in the intervals of their regular occupation are to be returned as “not at work.” Coal miners and longshoremen are to be returned as “not at work” if they are idle on the day to which the question applies, even though they get in as much time weekly as is usual at the mines or wharves where they are accustomed to labor. In general the list of those “not at work” should include all who did not labor at their gainful occupation on their last regular working day preceding the enumerator’s visit.

236. Column 29. Line number on unemployment schedule.-Every gainful worker for whom the answer “No” is entered in column 28 is to be reported on the unemployment schedule. Enter in column 29 the number of the line on that schedule where this report appears.

VETERANS

237. Column 30. Veterans.-Write “Yes” for a man who is an ex-service veteran of the United States forces (Army, Navy, or Marine Corps) mobilized for any war or expedition, and “No” for a man who is not an ex-service veteran. No entry is to be made in this column for males under 21 years of age nor for females of any age whatever.

38. Column 31. What war or expedition.-Where the answer in column 30 is “Yes,” give the name of the war or expedition in which the man served. The principal military activities, in which service will be reported, together with a convenient abbreviation for each which you may use in this column, are listed below:

239. Those men are to be counted as “veterans” who were in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States during the period of any United States war, even though they may not have gotten beyond the training camp. A World War veteran would have been in the service between 1917 and 1921; a Spanish-American War veteran, between 1898 and 1902; a Civil War veteran, between 1861 and 1866.

240. Persons are not veterans of an expedition, however, unless they actually took part in the expedition. For example, veterans of the Mexican expedition must have been in Mexico or Mexican waters at the time of the expedition; veterans of the Boxer rebellion, in China or Chinese waters at the time of the rebellion, etc.

241. Persons in the military or naval service of the United States during peace times only are not to be listed as veterans.

As tedious as it may seem, understanding the rationale and criteria the government used for each census questions can be important in analyzing the results. Try applying these tools to your 1930 census research project!

Census Enumerator, ca. 1930. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau

To make the most of your census research, you’ll want to develop a strategy based on a solid understanding of each census year. Here are some details you may not have considered, but that can impact the effectiveness of your census search.

Questions and Instructions. Every census schedule asks different questions; it’s important to know what those questions are and to understand the instructions the census takers received to guide them in their work. Copies of the written instructions and the questions asked are available at the U.S. Census Bureau website: http://www.census.gov/history/.

Handwriting. Get acquainted with the census taker named at the top of the page. Study their handwriting over a number of entries to learn their idiosyncrasies and to mitigate errors in deciphering their handwriting.

Page Numbers. Census schedule pages were originally numbered by the census taker, with extra copies made in some years. Later, when the census was bound, the pages were usually renumbered with a hand stamp. That’s why you may see two or even more page numbers on any given sheet.

You will want to track down and compare any duplicate copies of the census–they may be housed at county courthouses, state archives or at the National Archives. That’s when knowing those alternate page numbers will come in handy– the stamped number may not exist on  the duplicates.

Dates. Each census schedule contains two key dates. Knowledge of these dates will help you more accurately calculate ages and personal information:

• Official census date. Each census had a specific “as of” date that the schedule was based on. No matter when the census taker arrived at house, all the information collected is “as of” that date.

• Actual date of enumeration. Written by the census taker at the top of the page, this is the date the census taker actually began collecting the information recorded on that page. It might have taken him longer than a day to finish the page, but it’s close to when the enumeration occurred.

Example: The 1920 census “as of” date was 1 January 1920. If the census taker arrived at John and Mary Jones’s residence on 5 January 1920, and John had died 2 January, he was still enumerated because he was alive “as of” 1 January. Likewise, their child born on 3 January is not enumerated, because he was not alive on 1 January, even though Mary is holding him in her arms as she answers the enumerator’s questions. Are you confused yet? Think how the census taker must have felt!

Community Context. Identify and extract information for all area individuals of the same surname. That means studying each page of entire neighborhoods; examining enumeration districts, wards and townships. Note who your ancestor’s neighbors were and where they originated–they may be related or have migrated with your family.

Who are the community’s professionals? Doctors, lawyers, ministers–as your ancestor interacted with his community, records were created that may still exist.

Locate your ancestor’s residence on a local map –were they close to a city ward, township, county or state dividing line? Did those boundaries change over time? Your research will need to cross those lines to be complete.

Finally, learn to identify and work through the three main types of errors found in census records:

• Omissions–of individuals, households, and sometimes entire communities. Just because you don’t find your ancestor where you think they belong, that doesn’t mean they weren’t there. If possible, look at the same neighborhood in a different census year, then compare: is it just your family, or are others missing also? Bad weather, misplaced paperwork, no one at home; there can be a lot of reasons for omissions.

• Duplications–sometimes you’re blessed with double enumerations. If your ancestor was not living at his home address, he may have been unintentionally counted twice. Record and compare both.

• Factual errors–age, ethnicity, race, birthplace, etc. There’s no way to know who answered the questions, if they were answered truthfully or if they were recorded properly.

By understanding the questions, instructions, and limitations the census takers worked with, you will better understand the results you find in your census search.

President Millard Fillmore

For a while now, I’ve been reading my way through biographies of the U.S. presidents, with side trips through major historical events, such as the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the War of 1812. This month I’ve just finished reading Millard Fillmore, by Robert J. Scarry.

President Fillmore is one of those historical figures whose life is hard to grasp. He succeed Zachary Taylor in 1850 when Taylor died after only sixteen months in office. Fillmore’s political party, the Whigs, did not renominate him, so his tenure as president was brief: 1850 – 1853.

As the thirteenth president, Fillmore presided over several major events, including the Compromise of 1850 which featured the reviled Fugitive Slave Act. His ability to compromise and navigate toxic sectional tensions certainly delayed the onset of the Civil War.

Robert Scarry was a high school history teacher who accessed Fillmore’s personal papers for this book. His portrayal may be overly-sympathetic, but does provide an incredible amount of detail describing Fillmore’s life and surroundings. Scarry deserved better editing than he received at the hands of his publisher–his research is meticulous, but his writing is unpolished.

Despite the choppy writing style, I enjoyed the book, probably because I enjoy learning  the personal stories that shape public lives.

Here’s a list of several Fillmore biographies– I don’t think I’d rely on just this one book to truly understand Millard Fillmore’s presidency:

Scarry, Robert J. Millard Fillmore. Jefferson, North Carolina & London: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2001.

Finkelman, Paul. Millard Fillmore: The American Presidents Series, 13th President, 1850 – 1853. New York: Times Books, 2011.

Rayback, Robert J. Millard Fillmore: Biography of a President. Whitefish, Montana: Literary Licensing, LLC, 2011.

Golden Family

No single group of records in the United States provides more information about an individual or family in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries than the federal census. Although information varies from year to year, you can find a remarkable amount of information to help answer your genealogical questions:

• Family members—who were my ancestor’s parents, brothers, sisters, and sometimes extended family?
• Where did they live? The census can help you trace migration patterns.
• When were they born?
• Where were they born?
• When did they marry?
• How many children were in the family?
• When did they immigrate to this country?
• Did they serve in the military?

This, and much more, can be gleaned from census research. Of course, no single record should be taken at face value; you will need to check and double check your findings against as many other records as possible to verify your results.

Locate your ancestor on every available census schedule, beginning with the most recent and moving back through time. Never rely on transcribed census records– always try to find images of the original documents. There are enough errors in the census without adding another layer of potential problems.

Don’t overlook state census records — these are great for filling “gaps,” especially between 1880 and 1900; and non-population schedules, including agricultural, manufacturing and mortality. We’ll discuss state census and non-population schedules more in the future.

It’s helpful to create a chart that includes basic source citations and illustrates each census year for your ancestor and his family. Be sure to record every single bit of information on each schedule. Excel spreadsheets are a useful tool for this type of study. Your genealogy software  may also provide a tool for comparative analysis.

Plan to make a hard copy of the actual census page, and write your citation directly on that copy, so you and others can retrace your steps. If you are working online, be sure to download a digital image of the page for your files. I like to take that digital image and paste it into a blank word document right away; then I add a text box with the source citation.

If you use microfilm, be sure to make a transcription in addition to creating a document image, and do it while you have the image on the screen in front of you. Why? Two reasons:

• As you examine the page, you may see other names or families that catch your interest. You will want to scroll back and forth a few pages to fully understand the neighborhood.
• Microfilm can be challenging to photocopy– you may go home and realize you can’t properly read your copy. It’s sometimes easier to read  the image right on the microfilm reader.

Remember, every census year is different; so take time to read each enumeration schedule carefully– you will want to squeeze out every bit of information about your ancestor!

From the era of the Underground Railroad to the coal camps of the early 1900s, through the decades of the civil rights struggle, the history of African-Americans in Iowa is closely intertwined with the overall story of Iowa’s people.

The concepts of freedom, equality and economic opportunity are universal, and the commitment to achieving those goals marks the history of Iowa’s black population.

To quote author Tom Morain’s introduction to Outside In: A Book for All Iowans,” The story of African-Americans in Iowa is the story of all Iowans.”

Here are several ways to learn more about Iowa’s African-American heritage:

Museums: The African-American Museum of Iowa [AAMI], located at 55 12th Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids, is a great resource for historians and researchers. The museum is a 17,000 square foot facility housing permanent and traveling exhibits. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The museum is closed on Sundays.

“Endless Possibilities”  is a permanent exhibit that chronicles the African-American history from pre-slavery times to the the present. Photos, artifacts stories and multimedia present the journey of Iowa’s African-Americans.

If you can’t visit in person, the next best thing is  the AAMI website: http://www.blackiowa.org , an excellent resource for African-American studies. You’ll find virtual tours of exhibits, a digitized photo collection, oral histories and more. Contact: 319-862-2101 for more information.

Genealogy: The Iowa Genealogical Society hosts an African-American Interest Group for family historians interested in tracing their roots. The group meets at the IGS Library, 628 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. Contact IGS: 515-276-0287; igs@iowagenealogy.org for more information.

Books:

Outside In: A Story for All Iowans, edited by Bill Silag, Susan Koch-Bridgford & Hal Chase. Published by the State Historical Society of Iowa in 2001. List price is $50.00.

This beautiful oversized volume is a series of historical essays highlighting the black experience in Iowa. It’s full of wonderful photographs and stories that bring the past to life.

Buxton: A Black Utopia in the Heartland. Written by noted historian Dorothy Schwieder, with Joseph Hraba and Elmer Schwieder; published by University of Iowa Press in 2003. $24.00.

I was privileged to study Iowa History at Iowa State University with Dorothy Schwieder as instructor. She is a truly gifted researcher and historian. Her book is a study of Buxton, a southern Iowa coal mining town of the early 20th century, where blacks and whites lived and worked together in harmony. It’s a remarkable story.

Exploring Buried Buxton: Archaeology of an Abandoned Iowa Coal Mining Town, by David M. Gradwohl and Nancy M. Osborn. Published by Iowa State University Press, 1990.

I grew up in the neighborhood of old Buxton, and have long been fascinated at how a town of several thousand souls could so completely vanish from the landscape. This book describes the archaeological process of searching for physical evidence of lost Buxton and what can be learned about its population and culture as a result.

Historical Newspapers:

The Iowa State Bystander, Des Moines, published between 1894 and continuing in various formats to the present day, this is the best-known newspaper to serve the black community. Available on microfilm at the State Historical Society of Iowa; or limited digital images on the subscription website GenealogyBank.com .

It’s winter in Iowa– what better time to study a new aspect of our Iowa heritage?

• Census—a periodic official enumeration of the population
• Census day—at the top of the census form, this is the day set by law for the decennial census to begin. It’s the “as of” date for the various statistics recorded.
• Census schedule—the complete questionnaire
• Census year—twelve months immediately preceding the census day
• Decennial census—taken every ten years
• Enumeration—process by which persons are counted
• Enumerator—the person charged with collecting the information (census taker)
• Enumeration District (ED)—a specific area covered by a single enumerator in one census period. Enumeration districts take on extra importance for 20th century census research. You will want to take special note of the EDs shown on the census pages for your ancestor. These divisions are important when conducting in-depth community studies. We’ll discuss the usefulness of enumeration districts in a future post.
• Federal copy—certified copy of the original schedules, 1850 – 1870, filed with the Census Office
• Original schedule—the actual form used by the enumerator to record information. For the years 1850 – 1870, these were later deposited with the counties; some may be found in state archives today.
• Population schedule—completed questionnaire for the enumeration of the population
• Soundex—a partially phonetic indexing system in which names are arranged alphabetically by the first letter of the surname, then by a numerical code representing the remaining letters of the surname
• State copy—certified copy of the original schedules for 1850 – 1870, deposited with Secretary of State of various states
• Supervisor’s District—the area assigned to a supervisor, appointed by the president. The supervisor apportioned his district  into enumeration subdivisions.
• Township—the administrative subdivision of a county
• Ward—the administrative subdivision of a city

These are just a few basic terms that will help with your search.

Ancestry.com . This is probably the best-know family history website, with the most complete collection of census images you’ll find online. A 12-month subscription for U.S. records is $159, and it can be well worth it for a die-hard researcher, or your local public library or Family History Center may have a subscription you can use. You can use a search engine to locate names, or you can conduct a page-by-page search of specific counties or enumeration districts.

FamilySearch.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints provides free access online to many federal census records. At this writing, you can view images from most census years. Their indexing tends to be better than Ancestry, so you may have better results with their search engine. The downside is the image display—they tend to load more slowly than Ancestry images. You may also be asked to create an account to view some images; this is easy and free, and you needn’t worry that you’ll be asked to accept Mormonism.

HeritageQuest. This can be accessed from many public libraries. The search engine and indexing is good, although some images are not quite a clear as Ancestry.

USGenWeb Project. This is a free site, maintained by volunteers from the public who contribute their time and information, state by state and county by county. The US GenWeb Archives Census Images are categorized by state, and they will be hit-and-miss, depending on whether or not a volunteer has posted to your particular county and state. Some are just indexed; some have actual page images.

If you Google “Online census records,” you’ll come up with a number of hits. Some are free, many are subscription services. You will decide what’s best for you—do you have more time than money, or more money than time? Whatever you decide, good luck with your search!

Statistics from a census can be invaluable for gaining a historical snapshot of life in the U.S. In addition to names, addresses and ages, census records also include jobs held, household data like property values and income, education and more.

The State Historical Society of Iowa Library, 600 East Locust, Des Moines, will host Archives Specialist Jessica Edgar of the National Archives at Kansas City on Monday, 19 March 2012, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Edgar will offer an introduction to the census, including information about how to access the records. She will also offer two additional programs: “Who We Are: A Genealogists’ Introduction to the National Archives” and “Iowa, More to it than Cyclones and Hawkeyes: Exploring Federal Records Related to the State’s People, Places and Events.” Some of the Historical Society’s own records related to census information will be on display in the library reading room and staff will be available for questions.

Jessica Edgar graduated from William Jewell College with degrees in Secondary Education and History. She started with the National Archives at Kansas City in January 2007. As an archives specialist, she answers reference requests, assists in marketing and public programming, and works with data management within the Archives record tracking systems.

Cost is $15 and includes lunch from Café Baratta’s. Registration is required. A form will be available in February at both SHSI Library locations in Des Moines and Iowa City or by contacting Carol Kirsch, (319) 335-3936, carol-kirsch@uiowa.edu. Attendance is limited to 50 people.

But guess what? This year, 2012, marks seventy-two years since the 1940 census was conducted, and those schedules are set to be made public this April, according to the following press release from the National Archives:

The National Archives has announced its selection of Inflection, parent company to family history web site Archives.com, to design and host a free web site for the 2 April 2012 launch of the 1940 U.S. Census. This is the first time that the National Archives has released a U.S. Census online.

On April 2nd, users will be able to search, browse, and download the 1940 Census schedules from their own computers or from the public computers at National Archives locations nationwide through the new 1940 Census web site, free of charge.

Please note, a name index will not exist when the information is first released in April. The National Archives has indexed the schedules by state, county, city, township or minor civil division, and enumeration district. Researchers can prepare for the launch by searching the 1940 Census maps and enumeration district descriptions in the National Archives’ Online Public Access catalog: www.archives.gov/research/search/ then browse the 1940 Census population schedules for that enumeration district.

For the release of the 1940 Census online, the National Archives has digitized the entire census, creating more than 3.8 million digital images of census schedules, maps, and enumeration district descriptions.

Visit 1940 Census:
www.archives.gov/research/census/1940/ for more information or e-mail: 1940Census@nara.gov.

Questions on the 1940 Census include standard ones such as: name, age, gender, race, education, and place of birth. It also asks new questions, reflecting concerns of the Great Depression. The instructions ask the enumerator to enter an X after the name of the person furnishing the information about the family; to note whether the person worked for the CCC, WPA, or NYA the week of March 24-30, 1940; and to list where they lived on 1April 1935.

The 1940 Census also has a supplemental schedule for preselected lines on each page. This schedule asks the place of birth of the person’s father and mother, and the person’s usual occupation, not just what they were doing the week of March 24-30, 1940. All women included in the supplemental form were asked if they had ever been married, how many times, and at what age did the first marriage take place.

Are you excited? I am! I can’t wait to find my family in the 1940 census!

Saturday, February 11, 2012: Grant Wood’s Birthday Soup Smorgasbord. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Ledon KD Center, 300 KD Avenue, Eldon. American Gothic House Center, 641-652-3365.

Join the American Gothic House Center to celebrate the 121st anniversary of Grant Wood’s birth (officially on February 13). Enjoy delicious home-cooked soup straight from the kitchens of American Gothic House Center volunteers! Complete the meal and the celebration with a slice of birthday cake or a brownie and a mug of hot coffee. Freewill donations are welcome.

Saturday, February 18: Church /Funeral Home /Cemetery Records Genealogical Research Class. 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m., Iowa Genealogical Society, 628 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines. 515-276-0287, igs@iowagenealogy.org.

Linda Greethurst, instructor. Church records are a necessity for researching pre-vital records or “the burned court house” situation. We’ll take a look at different types of church records and their importance in genealogy.  We will also spend time studying the wealth of information that you can find in Funeral Home Books and what you can expect to find in the actual cemetery and monument company records. Preregistration required. Cost: $5 IGS members/ $10 non-members.

Tuesday, February 21: Looking for Grave Sites Genealogical Research Class.11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Iowa Genealogical Society, 628 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines. Jan Myers, instructor. Learn how to maximize your online exploration of cemetery websites, including FindAGrave. Usgenweb, and Billiongraves.com. Feel free to bring your lunch and munch as we learn! Preregistration required. Cost: $5 IGS members/$10 non-members.

Sunday, February 26: Easter in Germany: Traditions. 2. p.m. German American Heritage Center, 712 W 2^nd St, Davenport. 563-322-8844, director@gahc.org.

Kathlyn Hofmann presents on Easter commons practiced in German homes and at community venues and events. Highlights include a series of slides: “Osterbrunnen,” elaborately decorated wells and fountains found in the Franconia area of northern Bavaria. Kathlyn lived in Germany for 27 years. Free with museum admission.

Tuesday, February 28: Iowa in the Civil War. 7 p.m. Ames City Auditorium, 520 Sixth Street, Ames, Iowa. Sponsored by the Ames Historical Society, 515 232-2148.

Presented by O.J. Fargo, Green Valley Education Agency (retired), Creston. During the sesquicentennial observance of the Civil War, we bring you O.J. Fargo’s presentation that details Iowa’s involvement from Ft. Sumter to the surrender at Appomattox. Although Fargo focuses on the everyday experiences  of a soldier in the field, he also describes the situation on the home front and politics of the era. He’ll bring the roster of Iowa soldiers who served, and interested researchers can look up those from Story County. Fargo has authored two books on Iowa history and a book on the everyday life of a Civil War soldier among many other publications. He is also president of an Iowa regiment of Civil War re-enactors and will appear in uniform.$2 freewill donation requested at the door.