1940 US Federal Census

Beryana · #1 04-02-2012, 06:23 AM

Just wondering if there are other genealogy geeks here (other than Honeychile) who is excited for the release of the 1940 Federal census - and helping with the indexing? I'm looking forward to finding more information about my grandparents and great-grandparents - as well as seeing who lived in my house which was built in 1939.

Senusret I · #2 04-02-2012, 08:12 AM

I am sort of excited about it, but I don't have any gaps from that era which need filling.

I would love to know how Peter Darden ended up in the poor house by 1870 though

etadrisophila · #3 04-02-2012, 08:21 AM

As a neophyte amateur genealogist, it is very exciting and rewarding to see the names of family members painstakingly (and sometimes inaccurately) scribed by the census takers.

While I have no (known) gaps to fill in, I still look forward to browsing those newly released tomes!

Beryana · #4 04-02-2012, 08:40 AM

1940 isn't one that will fill in any holes for me, just provide some more information about family members. All my brick walls are back in the late 1700s/early 1800s - which is a time frame the federal census can't really help with. lol

Also have one in the late 1500s which would open up a nice long line going back to the Plantagenets and Magna Charta barons - but that I'll research while I'm in England. lol

carnation · #5 04-02-2012, 10:16 AM

I'll see what it contains but my brick walls are my Native American and African American ancestors. I know who they are but beyond that, despite years of many of us looking--nothing. Last month, I was on the Georgia coast where my great great grandmother most likely came in on a slave ship but I was told that for many reasons, I was unlikely to be able to find out the truth.

AZ-AlphaXi · #6 04-02-2012, 02:37 PM

I've tried all morning to get in. I know where my mother and grandparents were living in 1940, but all I get is a "preparing image" when I try to display the census schedule.

Has anyone had any luck getting something to display?

Beryana · #7 04-02-2012, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ-AlphaXi

I've tried all morning to get in. I know where my mother and grandparents were living in 1940, but all I get is a "preparing image" when I try to display the census schedule.

Has anyone had any luck getting something to display?

I actually was able to download a couple of the sets/enumeration districts. Have yet to actually view them online, but downloading was relatively successful - with a LOT of patience and reloading the pages! lol Found a couple of my great-grandparents and two grandparents. One grandfather is not where I thought he should be so I'm going to download the surrounding districts in case he is there (he was 25 in 1940 - and in Jan 1941 enlisted in the Army) - two of his sisters are also not where I thought they would be so I'm looking for them as well. Get to search an entire county for my other grandfather because they moved between 1930 and 1940. Otherwise a rather successful Day 1 for me

AZ-AlphaXi · #8 04-02-2012, 03:45 PM

^^^ glad you got in .. per an article in USATODAY the site was so hammered that most (including me) can't get data.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.T3oBVNWO7TU

maybe I'll try again tomorrow or later this evening.

aephi alum · #9 04-02-2012, 05:58 PM

Not a genealogy geek... but I tried to look up my father. He would have been just shy of 5 years old on census day, and I have his family's address (my grandfather lived in that apartment until the day he died, and I went there many many times when I was a child). But I can't get into the site either.

My MIL is a genealogy buff. She hadn't been born at the time, but she may want to look up her parents and extended family. Not now, though - her mother is on her deathbed

and she is obviously preoccupied.

WCsweet<3 · #10 04-02-2012, 06:22 PM

It will hopefully fill a hole for me/my family. We can go back to immigration for every side of the family except my father's father's side. There is little to no information on him other than his obituary. We know he lived in Portland when my grandfather was born and married my grandmother. We have no other information on him including where he was born or his parents. Unfortunately, my grandfather died when my dad was nine and my grandmother was never exactly curious. Great grandfather wasn't exactly the one to talk either. He has a common name too, so working back isn't easy.

Also, my thesis is on World War II so it may just be useful for that!

AZ-AlphaXi · #11 04-03-2012, 04:46 PM

Amazing what you find .. in looking for my grandparents in Maysville, KY .. I found the entry for Rosemary Clooney (age 11) ... for you of the younger generation .. she's George Clooney's aunt.

aephi alum · #12 04-03-2012, 07:28 PM

I finally got in and found my father and his family.

My father was just shy of 5 years old, and my aunt was just a baby, 10 months old. The four of them (my father, his sister, and their parents) lived in one apartment in the building, and my great-aunt, great-uncle, their two children, and my great-aunt's father lived in another. My great-aunt's father was born in Poland, as I believe was his whole generation on my dad's side of the family. I didn't recognize the name of the tenant in the third apartment. Interestingly, they're all listed as renters, although I remember my great-uncle and great-aunt owning the building ... I guess they bought it out at some point. I have no idea who lives there now - my grandfather and his generation have all passed away, and my father and his generation have all scattered elsewhere (except my aunt, who died young).

Fascinating stuff.

NinjaPoodle · #13 04-03-2012, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beryana

Just wondering if there are other genealogy geeks here (other than Honeychile) who is excited for the release of the 1940 Federal census - and helping with the indexing? I'm looking forward to finding more information about my grandparents and great-grandparents - as well as seeing who lived in my house which was built in 1939.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I am sort of excited about it, but I don't have any gaps from that era which need filling.

^^ Ditto- on my mothers side. On my fathers side though, I may possibly need to see it. I haven't gone on yet but I will tonight.

As a side note, I am ecstatic that I managed to find (on my maternal side) my 4x grandfather whose mother was born in Africa!