Federal Census Research: 1930

Posted on February 20, 2012 by

1930 U.S. censusUntil the release of the 1940 federal census this coming April, the 1930 schedule is the latest census available to researchers. Make the most of your research by understanding the questions and context of this population schedule. Click here to view a sample 1930 census page.

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. Continue reading →

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Federal Census Records: Understand the Details

Posted on February 17, 2012 by
census taker

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/. Continue reading →

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What Are You Reading This Winter?

Posted on February 13, 2012 by
millard fillmore

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. Continue reading →

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Federal Census Records: What Will You Find?

Posted on February 9, 2012 by
Golden Family

Golden Family

No single group of records in the United States provides more information about an individual or family in the 19th and early 20th 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. Continue reading →

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Black History Month in Iowa

Posted on February 6, 2012 by

BuxtonFebruary is Black History month, and a good time to reflect on Iowa’s African-American heritage. Although Iowa’s black population has never exceeded three percent, African-Americans have a long and significant history in our state.

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.” Continue reading →

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Federal Census Records: Nuts and Bolts

Posted on February 1, 2012 by

To understand what you find in the census, you need to understand some basic terminology. Continue reading →

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Federal Census Records: High Tech!

Posted on January 31, 2012 by

computer mouseThe easiest and most convenient way to access federal census records these days is online, and there are a variety of options available.

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. Continue reading →

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State Historical Society of Iowa Announces Census Program

Posted on January 28, 2012 by

Genealogists and historical researchers are eagerly anticipating the release of the 1940 U.S. Census on 2 April 2012.

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. Continue reading →

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Federal Census Records: 1940

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

1940 census posterWe want to move backwards through time as we research our family, remember? The federal government does not release census information for seventy-two years. So until now, researchers could only access the census through 1930.

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: Continue reading →

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Iowa Calendar: February 2012

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

February 2012Treat your Valentine and yourself to one or more of these fine Iowa programs this month.

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. Continue reading →

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