1940 US Census - ancestry, findmypast and FamilySearch

[Ann from Sussex]

Just seen this on familysearch.org

http://the1940census.com/?cid=fsHomeT1940Text

Could be useful for any of us with American relatives....and it will be FREE :)

[Ammanda Schutz]

Thanks for the link, Ann. I just volunteered! What was I thinking?

[Muggins in Sussex]

The website has been launched, with an information video, http://www.1940census.archives.gov/ - the census is due to go live on April 2nd :)

[Ann from Sussex]

The website has been launched, with an information video, http://www.1940census.archives.gov/ - the census is due to go live on April 2nd :)

Oooh, only another 4 weeks (plus a couple of days - blinking leap year making it a day longer than it should be!)

[kiterunner]

Should be going live some time today! As I understand it, there won't be a name index yet, so you will need to know whereabouts the people you're looking for were living in 1940. Ancestry has lots of US city directories from around that time but the search for those isn't very good - it seems to be best to do a name search without selecting a place and then just look through the results for people in the place you want.

[kiterunner]

A few counties in Delaware seem to be live (for browsing) on FamilySearch already:

Delaware counties 1940 (https://www.familysearch.org/search/image/index#uri=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.familysearch.org%2Frec ords%2Fcollection%2F2000219%2Fwaypoints)

[kiterunner]

Ooh, and some of the states (also Guam) are available to browse on ancestry now:
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2442

[Ann from Sussex]

Ooh, and some of the states (also Guam) are available to browse on ancestry now:
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2442

California - the one I want, of course - isn't included yet :mad:

[kiterunner]

"Panamal Canal", lol. They (ancestry) also have American Samoa and the Virgin Islands, as well as Delaware, DC, Indiana, Maine, Nevada, and Rhode Island so far. I don't know if any of these are complete. Some have more counties available than others do.

The new US findmypast site has a facility where you can tell them who you want to find and they will let you know when those records are available:
http://www.findmypast.com/

[Janet]

If you scroll down the page you see that only DC and Nevada are complete as yet. (Pretty easy, not much population!)

[kiterunner]

Ancestry are working on New York now and say that all the states etc listed earlier (i.e. in post #9) are complete. Looks like they are also working on California, Virginia and Pennsylvania at the moment.

[kiterunner]

Findmypast still don't seem to have any 1940 census images available although their countdown has finished. But reading the info about their new .com site, it looks as though they are going to launch a worldwide sub at some point, including the US, UK, Ireland and Australia. I hope it will be possible to upgrade to this from a UK sub!

[kiterunner]

By the way, ancestry have maps and descriptions of the enumeration districts for all the states, so it might be worth finding the addresses you're going to look for on the maps and then you will know which enumeration districts to look at when the images are up.

[Mary from Italy]

Familysearch have the images up for 5 states: Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Oregon and Virginia.

https://www.familysearch.org/1940census/?cid=fsHomeT1940Text

[kiterunner]

Ancestry appear to have started on Tennessee, Texas and Ohio now. I'm still waiting for New Jersey!

[kiterunner]

Washington being uploaded to ancestry at the moment.

[kiterunner]

FamilySearch have now added Alabama and Florida. And Ancestry have added North Carolina.

[kiterunner]

Nebraska now added to ancestry. And Oklahoma on FamilySearch.

[kiterunner]

So, to recap, states etc now included on ancestry (not all complete yet):
Alabama, American Samoa, California, Colorado, Delaware, DC, Georgia, Guam, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Panama Canal, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington.

And on FamilySearch so far:
Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia.

Findmypast still says "coming soon".

[kiterunner]

Massachusetts, Missouri and Oklahoma now added to ancestry.

[Kit]

Findmypast still don't seem to have any 1940 census images available although their countdown has finished. But reading the info about their new .com site, it looks as though they are going to launch a worldwide sub at some point, including the US, UK, Ireland and Australia. I hope it will be possible to upgrade to this from a UK sub!

Sounds good. I haven't tried the aussie site as there doesn't seem that much there and I don't want to waste the free day. I also haven't had time to devote to the free day.

Familysearch have the images up for 5 states: Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Oregon and Virginia.

https://www.familysearch.org/1940census/?cid=fsHomeT1940Text

I transcribed an image for Kansas the other day. Not sure they are transcribing all 5 though. But that may have changed since I went on.

[Mary from Italy]

Lots of images available here:

www.1940census.archives.gov

Most states seem to be there, although I don't think all towns are covered yet.

[kiterunner]

Thanks so much for that, Mary - I found my great-aunt and family in a few seconds!

[Mary from Italy]

Goodness, that was lucky :)

[kiterunner]

I had the address from city directories and had already pinpointed it on the map, so I just had to use their ED finder, and the family were on page 1 of the first ED it suggested! One of the daughters is missing, though, and I have no idea where to look for her, but there is another daughter I didn't know about. And it's shown me I was on the wrong track with one of the sons.

[kiterunner]

Looks like most or all states are on ancestry to browse now, and Delaware and Nevada are indexed (not sure whether partially or fully.)

[Mary from Italy]

Goodness, that was quick!

[kiterunner]

FamilySearch has finished indexing Delaware now:
https://www.familysearch.org/1940census/1940-census-delaware/

[kiterunner]

MyHeritage has indexed Rhode Island!
http://www.myheritage.com/1940census

[kiterunner]

Findmypast does have an index (Delaware only so far) and images at last:
findmypast 1940 US census (http://www.findmypast.com/search?targetcollection=uscensusrecords&targetregion=unitedstates&eventyear=1940#search?targetcollection=uscensusrec ords&targetregion=unitedstates&eventyear=1940&_suid=13343064235500911778248016634)

[kiterunner]

Ancestry has now indexed Delaware, DC, and Nevada. Apparently they wait for each state to be 100% complete before releasing it.

[Janet]

They'll be awhile, then. Those are the easy ones. Delaware is tiny, Nevada is sparse, and DC is a city.

[kiterunner]

Colorado now indexed on Findmypast.

FamilySearch have also updated their index but I can't work out what has been added.

[kiterunner]

Ah, it's Colorado on FamilySearch too, should have guessed!

[kiterunner]

Kansas now searchable on Findmypast and FamilySearch.

[kiterunner]

New York is now partially indexed on My Heritage, and Rhode Island fully:
http://www.myheritage.com/1940census

[kiterunner]

FamilySearch and Findmypast have now indexed Oregon, New Hampshire, and Virginia.

[kiterunner]

Maine now on ancestry, though for some reason it doesn't show in the state drop-down menu (nor does DC).

[kiterunner]

Utah now on Findmypast. FamilySearch is showing as updated today but I can't see what has changed. No doubt Utah will soon be searchable on there too as they are usiing the same index as Findmypast.

[kiterunner]

Findmypast has added Wyoming and Florida.

[JBee]

Has Massechusetts been released yet and can you search by road??? I have an address but not a surname unfortunately.

[kiterunner]

There are images available for all the states, Julie; it's just the indexes that haven't all been finished yet. Massachusetts is not indexed on any site yet. The images are on FamilySearch, Findmypast US, Ancestry, and My Heritage.

I think this is the easiest way to find a street:
http://1940census.archives.gov/index.asp

[JBee]

Thank you so much Kite - I've had a look and found the first page for the street - unfortunately it's having trouble loading the next page - will try again later.

Thanks.

[kiterunner]

Lots more states now indexed on FamilySearch and Findmypast. Probably easiest if I just list all the ones that are indexed, including those that were already done before:

Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming.

[kiterunner]

Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Hawaii now indexed on Findmypast and FamilySearch.

[kiterunner]

New York now indexed on ancestry.

[Janet]

Ooh, thanks, Kite.

[kiterunner]

Oklahoma now indexed on findmypast and FamilySearch.

[kiterunner]

Indiana, Alabama, Maine, North Dakota, and South Dakota all indexed on findmypast now, and presumably on FamilySearch as they show it as being updated but aren't showing which states are indexed at the moment.

[kiterunner]

Time for another full list of states indexed on findmypast (and now FamilySearch too), I think. New ones in red:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California,Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming.

[kiterunner]

And a full list of the states now indexed on ancestry, with new ones also in red:

Colorado, Delaware, DC, Maine, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.

[kiterunner]

Rhode Island and Minnesota now indexed on findmypast and FamilySearch.

[kiterunner]

Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, DC, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin all now indexed on ancestry (additions in red).

[Langley Vale Sue]

I know it says Michigan is fully indexed but I can't find either of my G Uncles & G Aunts in Detroit. :(
They definitely should be there as they didn't die until 1942 & 1955.
I'll keep checking.

[kiterunner]

If you post up the names, places and years of birth I'll have a look too, Sue.

[Langley Vale Sue]

Thanks Kite. I'll post a new thread with all the details I have.

[kiterunner]

A lot of new states indexed on ancestry today:

Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah.

[kiterunner]

More states have been indexed on ancestry - can't easily post a list at the moment because I'm on the pocketsurfer but maybe someone else can?

[kiterunner]

American Samoa, Connecticut, Florida, Guam, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Panama Canal, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Virgin Islands, West Virginia and Wyoming all indexed on ancestry now, in addition to the states that were already indexed. This means that the index is now complete on ancestry!

[Janet]

Yes indeed!

----- Original Message -----
From: Ancestry.com
Sent: Friday, August 03, 2012 12:00 PM
Subject: The 1940 U.S. Census index is complete! Search now.

1940 Census. Now fully indexed.
All 134 million names are ready to search.

[kiterunner]

Findmypast and FamilySearch have also updated their 1940 census indexes but they now seem to be showing some states as available to search when they are not indexed, which is a bit confusing, so I won't list the ones they may or may not have added!

FamilySearch are showing a total of 22,693,907 indexed records and FMP say 53,111,895, whereas ancestry say 134,473,456 so it looks as though FamilySearch and FMP have a way to go yet.

[kiterunner]

Findmypast have corrected the list of states available to search now so that it doesn't include the non-indexed ones. So we can see that Arkansas, District of Columbia, Missouri, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are now indexed on Findmypast.

[kiterunner]

List of states indexed so far on FMP: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming. I'm not sure why the number of records keeps going up when there don't seem to be any more states included yet.

[kiterunner]

New York now indexed on FMP.

[kiterunner]

Connecticut, Georgia , Kentucky and Maryland all now indexed on FMP. FamilySearch index also updated.

[kiterunner]

List of states indexed so far on FMP and FamilySearch with latest additions in red: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

[kiterunner]

Massachusetts, Michigan, and Tennessee now indexed on Findmypast.

[kiterunner]

Guam, New Jersey, Panama Canal Zone, and US Virgin Islands now indexed on Findmypast. So I think that means it is more or less complete now, but their map hasn't been brought up to date yet.

[kiterunner]

And now fully indexed on FamilySearch too!