Federal census offers clues to finding your ancestors

We often find helpful details about our ancestors when we are lucky enough to locate them on a census. It’s especially helpful when we are able to track them through multiple consecutive censuses: “Oh look, they moved to Georgia!”

When I find my subject on every census from birth to death, I consider it a major research victory. It’s like opening a window to look out at the life they lived in another time.

But not all census records have survived and the most recent census available is 1940, at least until April 2022 when the 1950 census will be released to the public. A census is released to the public only after 72 years have passed from the day the census was taken.  The United States censuses are held by the National Archives.

1950 Census Release Date

According to the National Archives, the pandemic will not delay the release because staff had begun work years ago to prepare the 1950 census for release. Almost all the microfilm had been scanned prior to the pandemic. Once the census is released, you’ll be able to view the images for free on the National Archives website, the same way you can view the 1940 census now. Check out their informative article to learn how to get ready to find your ancestors in April.

If you’ve gotten used to being able to conduct name searches on FamilySearch.org or Ancestry.com, you’ll probably need to wait a bit longer before the 1950 census is indexed, which will enable you to conduct name searches. Until then, you’ll need to click through the images to search for your subject.

Census Research Tips

Viewing the actual images is a good practice anyway, as the indexing isn’t always correct. Speaking of good practices, how about a few census research tips?

1. Read up on the background information available for each census. Things like the enumeration districts, the instructions provided to the census taker, the data collected, record losses. You can find this information on the United States Census Bureau website.
2. Download blank census forms.
3. Always look at the image, zoom in, and make a note of all the details. Not everything is included in the indexed data, and the index might be incorrect.
4. Remember that the person answering the census taker’s questions might have provided incorrect information. Perhaps it is a stepparent who may not remember the correct birthyear of the children listed.
5. The 1940 census is the only census that identifies the resident who answered the questions. The person is marked with and “x” inside a circle.
6. Names may be spelled differently through the years.
7. Most of the 1890 census was destroyed in a fire.
8. Other schedules provide valuable clues as well: mortality schedules, agricultural schedules, and manufacturing schedules.

Check out more details on these and other tips here. 

I’ve been anxiously awaiting the 1950 census release to dispel a family myth. What will you be looking for?