The 1940 Census

By Debbe Hagner, AG

debbehagner@yahoo.com

It is available?

• April 2, 2012 at 9:01 am

• It is now INDEXED– Completed two month early as predicted

• Free till end of 2013

Where is it available

• www.familysearch.org

• www.archives.com

• www.ancestry.com

• www.the1940census.com

• MyHeritage.com

• Findmypast.com

• Rootspoint.com

Not Found in the Index – now what?

• Required to know the Enumeration District for the city or town

• Need to use National Archive (NARA) or– 1940 Enumeration District (ED) maps– Arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/Basic

• Need to use Stephen Morse’s website– www.stevemorse.org/census/quiz.php– Can use 1930 ED and must convert to 1940 ED

• City Directory

Tips

• Born AFTER 1 April 1930 but before 1 April 1940– Do those first– Watch the video

• www.1940census.com

• Rootsmagic – has a special report that list person who were born in any given census year called “Who was there”

Symbols and explanatory

• Color or Race (Col. 10)– White (w), Negro (Neg), Indian (In), Chinese

(Chi), Japanese (Jp), Filipino (Fil), Hindu (Hin) and Korean (Kor)

• Citizenship of the foreign born (col. 16)– Naturalized (NA), having first paper (PA),

alien (Al), and American citizen born abroad (Am Cit)

What is unique?

• http://www.1940census.net/1940_census_questions.php

• 40 lines of questions– Reverse side has 41 to 80 for the supplement

questions

• Individual recorded usually on line 14 and 29 – will have to answer the supplement questions.– 5 % sample questions

Map

• View 1940 Map of United States at– www.1930census.com/1940_us_map.php

History In the 1940’s

• http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade40.html• http://history1900s.about.com/od/timelines/tp/

1940timeline.htm• http://americasbesthistory.com/

abhtimeline1940.html• World history

– http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005249.html

• Interesting Facts– http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/

facts_for_features_special_editions/cb12-ffse01.html

Learn and prepare for 1940 census

• Stevemorse.org/census/1940census.html

Might want to create a table

Name Relationship Location comment

Gustav Hagner

GF Chicago, Cook, Illinois

Look at SM – get 1930 ED

Amelia

Helbig

Mom Merrilian, Jackson, Wisconsin

Dolores Baum

Step-mom Franklin, Milwaukee, Wisconin

Special Notation

The "X" In a Circle or In Parentheses:The circled X or an X in parentheses shows who gave the enumerator the information for the household. This can help you judge the accuracy of the answers.

"Ab" After a Name:"Ab" isn't an unusual middle name. It's an abbreviation for "absent." The person normally lived there, but happened to be somewhere else temporarily. They could have been on vacation or away at school.