1910 U.S. Census

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The United States Federal Census
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This article is part of a series.
Overview of the U.S. Census
Finding and Reading U.S. Census Records
1790 U.S. Census
1800 U.S. Census
1810 U.S. Census
1820 U.S. Census
1830 U.S. Census
1840 U.S. Census
1850 U.S. Census
1860 U.S. Census
1870 U.S. Census
1880 U.S. Census
1890 U.S. Census
1900 U.S. Census
1910 U.S. Census
1920 U.S. Census
1930 U.S. Census
1940 U.S. Census
Census Indexes and Finding Aids
Using the Soundex with Census Records
Non-Population Schedules and Special Censuses
State and Local Censuses
Census Substitutes
African American Census Schedules
Reconstructed 1790 Census Schedules
Censuses of Native Americans
List of Useful Census References
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This article originally appeared in "Census Records" by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Matthew Wright in The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy

The 1910 census began on 15 April 1910. The enumeration was to be completed within thirty days, or within two weeks for communities with populations of more than 5,000. The official census population count was 92,228,496.

Questions Asked in the 1910 Census

1910 census schedule for San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, that lists photographer Ansel Adams.

The 1910 census schedules record number of the dwelling house and family, in order of visitation; the street address; each person's name and relationship to the head of household; sex; color or race; age at last birthday; marital status; and length of present marriage. If the person was a mother, it records the number of her children and number of living children, as well as each person's birthplace and his or her parents' birthplaces. If the individual was foreign-born, it shows the year of immigration and his or her citizenship status; spoken language; occupation; type of employment; and whether he or she was an employer, employee, or was self-employed; the number of weeks he or she was unemployed in 1909, if applicable; and whether he or she was out of work on 15 April 1910. The schedules also show if the individual was able to read and write; if he or she attended daytime school since 1 September 1909; if the home was rented or owned, and if owned, whether it was free or mortgaged, and a house or a farm. Finally, it shows if each person was a veteran of the Union or Confederate army or navy; whether he or she was blind in both eyes; or deaf and dumb. The Indian schedule also recorded the tribe and/or band.

Research Tips for the 1910 Census

The quality of the microfilming of the 1910 census was especially poor when compared to other census schedules. Overexposure in microfilming schedules for Mississippi, for example, rendered hundreds of pages illegible. Additionally, the omission rate in the 1910 Miracode/Soundex appears to be greater than in most other indexes. In many cases, individuals not indexed are present in the census schedules, so it is especially advisable for researchers to continue a search in the actual schedules, even though a name might not show up in an index.

The 1910 census, while not providing as much precise information as the 1900 census (such as exact birth month), does ask years married, and number of children born to the mother, and is a good tool for determining approximate dates and places to search for marriage records, birth and death records of children, and the marriages of children not listed. The 1910 census sometimes makes it possible to verify family traditions, identify unknown family members, and link what is known to other sources, such as earlier censuses, naturalization records (especially declarations of intent to become citizens), school attendance rolls, property holdings, and employment and occupational records. These records will also verify Civil War service, trace and document ethnic origins, and locate military and naval personnel in hospitals, ships, and stations, and those stationed in the Philippines, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

For additional information on the 1910 census, see The 1910 Federal Population Census: A Catalog of Microfilm Copies of the Schedules at the National Archives. For boundary changes and identification of missing census schedules, see Thorndale's and Dollarhide's Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790'1920.

Comparison of Census Information, 1790-1940

Personal Info on Census 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940
Name of family head only
Headcount by age, gender, ...
Standard census form
Names of all individuals
Age
Sex
Color
Profession or occupation
Place of birth
Attended school that year
Highest grade completed
Married that year
Read or write
Deaf, blind, insane, idiotic, ...
Real estate value
Personal estate value
Separate slave schedule
Father of foreign birth
Mother of foreign birth
Month of birth
Month of birth that year
Male citizen over 21 years
Male over 21 denied vote
Visitation number of dwelling
Visitation number of family
Street name in city
House number in city
Relationship to family head
Marital status
Month of marriage that year
No. of months unemployed
Father's birthplace sup
Mother's birthplace sup
Sickness on census day
Year of birth
No. of years present marriage
Mother how many children sup
Number of children living
Year of immigration to US
No. of years in US
Naturalization status
Months attended school

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