SEARCHING

THE CENSUS

• The decree that Caesar sent out was for Tax Purposes.

THROUGHOUT HISTORY, LISTS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KEPT

• Census: Latin - meaning a count of people & their property 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

• Census Records are kept by most countries

• See Research Outline for the country

Kinds of Census Records Today Foreign

– To get Research Outlines online, see references at end of handout

WHY SEARCH CENSUS RECORDS ?

• They contain valuable information

• Most people are listed

• Easy to Search

• Readily Available

– 1790 4 M

– 1890 63 M

– 1990 248 M

– 2000 281 M

Most People are in a Census

Year People

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.

• Russell, Rusel, Risel, Rasoll, Resallei all have the same code R240

– For Example:

• 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 ExampleFind 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.

5. Write Down:

3. Find Names with Code A536 on the Soundex Film

4. Then Look for First Name Andrew

• County• E.D. #• Sheet #• Line #

1 2

3

4

• County = Sevier

• E.D. Number = 113

• Sheet # = 4

• Line # = 36

The following Information was obtained from the Soundex Film:

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

• Fischer Soundex Code = F260

Find the Soundex Code

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 FamilyCity=

St Louis

E.D. = 9

Sheet = 12

Line = 27

Census Record with Fischer Family

Summary of 1900 Census Record

• 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

• Head = Frank Fisher, b. Mar 1850 in Germany, Parents born Germany, married 25 yrs, immigrated to U.S. 1868, Naturalized, furniture mfgr.

Finding Missing Child, 1880 Census

EXAMPLE L.D.S. Church Census Records

• FHLC under Author/Title Section

• Started 1914 then 1920-1960 every five years

• FHLC Computer Number 134899

• 1914-1920 Film Number 0271394

• Not taken 1945 - war• Incomplete - not all

wards and stakes are available

• Valuable in finding branch, ward, stake, town, state. Often find complete families.

• 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

Your

Ancestor

In The

A.

I.

S.

THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER FROM CENSUS AND CENSUS TYPE RECORDS SUCH AS LAND AND TAX RECORDS.IT IS ON MICROFICHE - LOOK FOR YOUR ANCESTORS BY THEIR SURNAME. IT IS A VERY VALUABLE TOOL IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHERE THEY WERE AT THE TIME YOU ARE HUNTING FOR THEM.

Find Your Ancestor on theI N T E R N

E T

Click on:

• Search,

• Search by Locality

– Choose a State

Example: Missouri

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

Typical

Census

Enumerator

Problems with the Census

• Errors occur in all Records• Many of the census index

books have whole sections explaining problems for that census.

• An enlightening chapter found in the 1880 Chicago, Cook County Illinois Index Book was ---

“THE PRINCIPLES OF

UNDERSTANDING CENSUS

BLOOPERS AND CENSUS

INDEXING”

Census Errors History of United States Census

• Misspelling or Spelling Disabilities

• Variation of Names and Name Spellings

• Nicknames

• Negligence

• Cultural Phonics

• Family did not know the information.

• They were paid by the name enumerated.– Not home - take

information from a neighbor, servant, or employee.

• Poor Storage

Census Errors – Cont.

One surname may bespelled 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”.

THE FINAL BURDEN OF PROOF IN DETERMINING

CORRECTNESS OR INCORRECTNESS LIES

WITH THE RESEARCHER

Verify census data with data from other records

Abraham Lincoln 1860 Census Record

In Summary

• Contain much valuable information

• High probability of finding your people

• Easiest records to Search

• Readily available on film, CD & Internet

• Search Census First

• 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

Harper’s Weekly19 November 1870

DEATH RECORDS ON THE INTERNET

Copy and Evaluate Your Information Use Other Records

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.

1880Scott

Joplin

MORMON

IMMIGRATION

INDEX

TRAVELING

WEST

BY

HANDCART