Today's post comes from guest blogger Doug Remley, who is a student research room technician in Research Services (RD-DC) at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Doug offers a history lesson on how the Census Bureau celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Future posts will include some of the unique findings … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Census Bureau exhibit at the 1926 U.S. Sesquicentennial Exhibition, Part I
This week's blog post comes once again from guest blogger Diane Petro, Archives Technician in the Research Support Branch at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Diane is working on reference activities relating to the upcoming 1940 census release. Researchers often go to the Instructions to the Enumerator when trying to interpret a question … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: 1940 Census – Following the instructions (of the enumerators!)
This week's post comes from guest blogger Constance Potter, who is a reference archivist at the National Archives in Research Services, Archival Operations-Washington, DC. Connie is the lead expert on reference relating to the upcoming 1940 Census release on April 2, 2012. Today we focus on the places where you can find a person in an … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Where is “Fred Tiffany” in an Enumeration District in the 1940 Census?
Founded in 1936, the Society of American Archivists (SAA) celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. During the week of August 22, almost 1,800 archives professionals from all over the globe gathered in Chicago, Illinois for SAA’s annual meeting and anniversary celebration. Today's blog features my introductory remarks for SAA session #701 that I chaired, "New Perspectives for the 1940 Census" providing a quick history of innovative technologies used for processing and accessing census data.
At the NAGARA plenary address in Nashville a few weeks ago, I was asked to talk about NARA’s new Applied Research Division, which wandered into an explanation about why we haven’t been ERA Research for the past two years. Folks were encouraged to attend my 1940 Census session, featuring NARA research partners who are using cool smart tools to make sense out of scanned images—there was not an empty chair in the room, leading to fruitful discussions and promising collaborations…and that’s what you missed at NAGARA! Read the full story here...
A couple of weeks ago I showed you an example of a Mortality Schedule. Today I want to show you another type of Nonpopulation schedule – this time an Agricultural Schedule. If you have an ancestor who was a farmer in the mid-nineteenth century, you may be able to find information about their farm. You … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Nonpopulation Census Records – Agricultural Schedules
On April 2, 2012, the Federal Census Bureau will be releasing the 1940 Census for public access. For many genealogists and researchers, the release of this census will open new insights into pre-war America, as well as provide opportunities for genealogists and family historians to continue their research into this most recent decade. Like all … Continue reading Question: Which U.S. decennial census is your favorite and why?
Most genealogists are familiar with the federal population census records and begin their research with these records. But did you know that the Census Bureau also took a series of Nonpopulation Census records between 1850 and 1880? They included mortality, agricultural, industrial, social statistics and defective, dependent, and delinquent schedules. These censuses cover the 12 … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Nonpopulation Census Records – Mortality Schedules
With records available in so many different formats these days, researchers are often faced with a choice – which indexes to use, the original microfilm and printed indexes or the newer online indexes? Both types have drawbacks. The microfilm and printed versions often have misspelled names. Also, they sometimes skip people entirely. My great grandfather’s … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Issues with Indexing
Everybody starts researching their family history with the expectation of finding out about their ancestors. Researchers are usually looking for such information as the names of previously unknown ancestors or immigration and naturalization dates. Sometimes, however, they get more than they bargained for. Take, for example, this census record. In 1870, Maggie Taylor and Jennie … Continue reading Family History Friday: Expect the Unexpected
