Check out the 1940 federal census and Providence house directories

Posted 9/19/15

CLIMBING THE FAMILY TREE — A GENEALOGY COLUMN

Censuses are probably one of the most important (and most easily accessible) ways of tracking our ancestors through time and place. With the 1940 census now available, there are almost 100 …

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Check out the 1940 federal census and Providence house directories

Posted

CLIMBING THE FAMILY TREE — A GENEALOGY COLUMN

Censuses are probably one of the most important (and most easily accessible) ways of tracking our ancestors through time and place. With the 1940 census now available, there are almost 100 years of U.S. citizens detailed (the 1850 census was the first to list everyone by name; before that it was just the head of household who was named — mostly men).

The 1940 census includes new information, too. Census day was April 1. If you see an Ab after a name, that meant they belonged to the household but were absent that day.

And, it finally helped me solve some of the mystery about my great-grandfather. From the birthdates and places of his four children by his second wife, I could track him around the country.

So, what’s special about the 1940 census? There was statistical sampling of 5 percent of the population. Two individuals on each page were asked extra questions. If you were enumerated on lines 14 and 29 on each page, you got asked extra questions. The answers are down at the bottom of the page.

The extra questions were birthplaces of father and mother, language spoken at home in earliest childhood, veteran status, if they have a Social Security number and deductions being made from their pay, and, for women, were they married more than once, what was their age at first marriage, and the number of children born (not including stillbirths).

This is also the first census that indicates who gave the enumerator the information; so, now you don’t have to wonder if it was a neighbor, a 10-year-old who guessed at everything or the woman of the house, who knew what she was talking about. Look for the circled Xs next to the names of those who spoke with the enumerator.

Because the government was interested in internal migration around the country, they asked if the family was living at the same address in 1940 as it had been in 1935. This is great if you’re tracking a family that went missing from 1930 to 1940. If they lived in a different place in 1935, the enumerator was supposed to enter the city or town, county and state and indicate if they lived on a farm.

Other columns include age at last birthday, citizenship, and highest grade completed in school.

If you notice that unemployment is high as you browse the names, you’ll be right. After the Depression, many people are still out of work. The enumerator also was supposed to list if a person was working and, if not, were they assigned to public emergency work, such as the WPA, CCC, etc. (Depression-era work programs).

A line indicates if the home is rented or owned and what the value of the home is if owned. The value should be the amount the house would sell for under ordinary circumstances.

The entire census is searchable by name at familysearch.org, which is free, and at ancestry.com (a paid site that is free at some libraries).

Both sites’ databases include the 48 states, Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Panama Canal Zone, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Ancestry lists some fun facts about the 1940 census on their website. The top five countries listed as a birthplace were Italy, Germany, Russia, Poland and England. New York was the most commonly listed birth state. An average household was 3.7 people. Two women tied for the oldest person in the census — both were 119!

Providence House Directories

A friend in Little Compton recently told me about the Providence House Directories now online at www.providenceri.com/archives/providence-house-directory-0. They cover the years from 1895 to 1935 and have lots of useful information from clubs and organizations (with officers and membership lists) to churches, cemeteries, businesses, parks and lots of other city locations.

Research trip to Boston

Another trip to Boston is planned by the R.I. Genealogical Society on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Departure is from the park ’n’ ride in East Providence. You can choose to visit the New England Historic Genealogical Society Library, the Boston Public Library or the Massachusetts State Archives. It’s $25. There is a $15 charge at NEHGS if you’re not a member. Visit www.rigensoc.org for details and how to reserve a seat.

Lynda Rego has a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lynda.rego where she shares tips on genealogy and other topics. Stop by, click on Like and share any interests you have for upcoming columns.

family tree, genealogy

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.