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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 7, 2002
If you've been itching to get your hands on the 1930 federal census report, your wait is almost over. In April, the feds release all the juicy genealogical data gathered during that year's population count. The information has remained under lock and key because privacy laws prevent the release of personal information for 72 years. Compiled every 10 years since 1790 primarily to apportion representation in Congress, census records can confirm that your ancestors lived at a precise place at a specific time.
You just need to know the state and preferably the county where they resided when the census was taken to make use of these records. If you can narrow down the exact location to a township or city, you'll save hours of research. (County and township boundaries changed often prior to 1900. If your ancestors aren't where you expect, check records for neighboring areas.)
Completely clueless? Consult a state census index. Or check out the Soundex system, a quick way to find people on census records using a code assigned to surnames. Both aids are available only for certain years.
No matter which state you're researching, accessing these records is as easy as visiting the main branch of your local public library, a Mormon Family History Center or the library at the University of South Florida's main campus in Tampa. Some records are online at www.rootsweb.com/usgenweb/census/. Can't find what you need? Public libraries and FHCs can borrow microfilm copies through interlibrary loan programs. The National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., also loans microfilm. (Log on to www.nara.gov/genealogy/ for details.) Fees are nominal, usually less than $5. Allow about three weeks for the microfilm to arrive.
Some records can't be found because they don't exist. Kansas became a state in 1861. It made its federal census debut in a territorial census conducted in 1860. There are no previous federal census records for Kansas.
Census data was limited before 1850. Except for the head of household, only the surname, gender and age range were recorded for each family member. For example, the John Smith family might be listed like this: one male, age 20-30; one female, age 20-30; two males under age 5; and one female age 5-10. Occupations and whether a person was born in a foreign country were sometimes included.
Starting with the 1850 census, each person's given name and age were listed. The same Smith family might appear on the 1850 census as: John Smith, age 30, farmer; Mary, age 28, housewife; Bobby, age 4; Jimmy, age 3; and Elizabeth, age 9. These records are invaluable for ascertaining the members of each nuclear family, although a child could be born after one census and die before the next.
As useful as these documents are, early census records were often compiled by workers for whom accuracy was not a priority. No one home? The census taker either omitted the family or got the information from a neighbor.
Visiting grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends might be erroneously included as household members simply because they happened to be there when the census taker arrived.
Spelling is atrocious. Cinderella became Sendarol under one person's trusty pen. Nicknames may leave you mystified. Polly was a popular nickname for Mary. Go figure.
In addition to the obvious, some census returns offer bonus information.
The 1890 census was destroyed by fire. However a special schedule listing Union veterans and widows of Union veterans remains intact at NARA.
The 1900, 1910 and 1920 census records indicate whether a person was foreign-born, the year of immigration and whether he or she became a citizen.
The 1910 census notes Civil War survivors using the designations UA, UN, CA, CN (Union Army, Union Navy, Confederate Army, Confederate Navy).
-- Donna Murray Allen welcomes your questions about genealogy and will respond to those of general interest in future columns. Sorry, she can't take phone calls, but you can write to her c/o Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail her at rootscolumn@aol.com. You can read her column online at www.sptimes.com. Type Donna Murray Allen in the search box.