Federal Census Records--Momlace

The topic is the Federal census records, what are the originals.....It stands to reason that the spelling of names on Census records should be deciphered with caution. But the census records make the job even more difficult. The census takers were generally barely, literate themselves. Or, worse yet, poorly copied census schedules were often prone to spelling errors, omissions or incorrect information. Have a look at census copies--- the main culprit is the missing or misspelled names of our

ancestors found in the census schedules.

1790-1820 The 1790 through 1820 federal census were taken with one original set of schedules prepared. Although there are numerous occasions in which the early name lists were prepared in alphabetical order, whatever work copy a census taker may have used to compile his name list was not saved.

1830-1840 copies for the 1830 and 1840 census, the U.S. Marshal’s were asked to make a complete handwritten copy of their work, sending one set to Washington, the other to be retained at the office of the Clerk of District Court of the various states. The governor of each territory was the keeper of the original census for a territory, and a copy was to be made by them to be sent to Washington.

1850-1870 The 1850-1870 census schedules had 3 sets (three!).The first set for all of the names from a county was taken to the local courthouse for public display soon after the census was taken. The second copy was sent to the Secretary of State for the state or territory. A third copy was sent to Washington

.

1880 copies The 1880 census had two sets of schedules. The original set sent to the county courthouse for public display and this copy then was sent to Washington. 1890 census. A fire in Jan. 1921 at the Commerce Building in Washington DC was responsible for the destruction of over 99 percent of the 1890 census--the only copy. A portion of the special schedules taken in 1890 for Union veterans and widows survives. From the fragments of the burned census, only 6,160 names, from the US population of 62 million names could be extracted and microfilmed. The 1890 census name list for Washington County, GA was copied into their county records and that list was

microfilmed. The only other known surviving name list was for Ascension Parish, Louisiana, where the work copy of the 1890 census for some 20,000 people survives. The Ascension names were extracted and indexed.1900 and later -The 1900 and later census each had a single set of schedules prepared. During WWII, the Census Bureau microfilmed the 1900 through 1940 census, after which the original schedules were destroyed. Only the population schedules were microfilmed, and any special schedules were completely lost.

For example, the 1940 census had a housing schedule that asked the question; at which place did this person live five years ago, on April 1, 1935? to which was given a full street address, city and state. That tidy bit of genealogical evidence is now lost forever. <\p>

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Webmaster Note:
Joel Weintraub writes on 11/28/2006 with a comment on this passage from the training class:

Since I can't find a valid email address for your webmaster, I'll have to post my email here.

Hi,

On your webpage at:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gcf2000/Education/genie/federalcensusmom.html

You state:

" For example, the 1940 census had a housing schedule that asked the question; at which place did this person live five years ago, on April 1, 1935? to which was given a full street address, city and state. That tidy bit of genealogical evidence is now lost forever."

First, the housing schedule did NOT ask that question...it was asked on the regular population census.

Second, they did NOT ask for a full street address, just the name of the city if over 2,500 in population.

Third, that evidence is NOT lost forever, as it will be released in 2012 on the population schedules.

See:
1.
http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/photos/Histforms/1940/Housing/His40HouFQ.html That will show you what was on the housing schedule. No question was asked there about residence 5 years previously. These schedules were probably not filmed and only summary data exists.

2.
http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/photos/Histforms/1940/cenform/His40cenFQ.html especially http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/photos/Histforms/1940/cenform/ZQ1720LR.jpg
that shows that the question of 5 years before was asked in the population schedule..and what was asked.

and if you don't believe the above, then see instructions 481 for the enumerators for the population schedule at:
https://www.ipums.org/usa/voliii/inst1940.html
and see what they asked about residence.

I hope you modify your information quickly, as these errors have a habit of becoming facts. It also doesn't do much to the reputation of your site to show incorrect information.

Thanks

Joel Weintraub
Dana Point, CA

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Webmaster Note:
Please note the Webmaster email address (webmaster@genealogychatfriends.org) is found at the bottom of most pages in the library
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From 1830 to 1860, the set of schedules that went to Washington may not have been the original set, but a copy of the original. Years later, the census schedules that were microfilmed were the ones held by the National Archives With few exceptions, there were no attempts by the National Archives to retrieve any copies of the census schedules. Therefore, the microfilmed census schedules genealogists use to find their ancestors are, for the most part, copies of the originals, rather than the originals themselves. What happened to them? Since the original census schedules were retained in a county, the fact that so few of them still survive isn't surprising. After the federal government received their set of census schedules, and for a brief specified time, a county's originals were on public display. But after that, the counties were free to do with them what they wanted, including burning them (the Rats!)County records inventories published over the years, including those conducted in the late 1930's by the WPA for hundreds of counties, show that there are only a handful of original census schedules located today in county courthouses. While doing some research in Nebraska, at a dusty old

Courthouse, the old probate case files dating from about 1868 were all located in metal containers. In side each container were packets of folded papers, which had been wrapped and sealed with strips of parchment. (No rubber bands in 1868?) Unwrapping the packets revealed that the strips of paper were from that county's original 1850 census schedules. The large census sheets had been torn into pieces and were recycled as banding strips! It is clear what that county thought of their 1850 census schedules - for them they were scrap paper. Only two states have complete sets of certain state copies of The State Historical Society of Wisconsin has the original state copies of their federal census schedules for 1850 and 1860. They have both been microfilmed and indexed. For Wisconsin it is possible to compare the state copy with the federal copy and see if they are the same. Users of the state copies will note that the page numbering does not always match up with pages in the federal set. Thus, the index to the Historical Society's copy at Madison relates to the state copy only. The Minnesota Historical Society has their original state copies of the federal census schedules for the 1850 Minnesota Territory and for 1860 and 1870 census schedules They have been microfilmed and indexed and glory be, there is a card index as to the names and where to find them. As a portion of the federal copy from Minnesota was destroyed, the National Archives uses a portion of these states treasures for the Minnesota counties of that time period. This is the only known time the National Archives has ever used state copies to replace federal copies. Harry Hollingsworth reported some differences between the state and federal census copies in his article Little Known Facts About the US Census in The American Genealogists (commonly known as TAG in genie circles) I have personally found many discrepancies between the Federal and State copies.... Whole names have

either been changed or omitted. Ages have been copied wrong. Whereas, in the originals, the surnames of each family are generally written over and over again, in the copies the word ditto or it’s abbreviation, do appears instead. When written over and over, a surname has much less chance of being written correctly. In on Federal entry, I find Rebecca Gey but Grey is the original. In another Federal entry, Amanda Vandyke appears, but she is Amanda A. Vanslyke in the original. Esther Hollingsworth of the original - the correct name - appears as Esther Hollenback in the Federal copy! Unquote Knowing that your ancestor was listed in a microfilmed census record and that record may have NOT been the original - would this explain why the names of our ancestors are missing, misspelled, or given a first letter initial rather than the full name? It is never, ever a good idea to believe that because a person doesn't appear on any census, means he wasn't there. Time and time again, I hear those questions and words - John Smith just doesn't live there, I've looked at all the census. That’s the time to take a good look at what other information you have that says he did, indeed live there - and hit the records up different avenues. Census records are, of course, our best and brightest hope of locating someone - but when that fails - that doesn't mean YOU have failed. It only means, that it doesn't appear where it should have been. Don’t give up. Okay, guys. I think that's about half this

class, but I am tired tonight and apologize for leaving you in the lurch.