Genealogy Basics: The 1900 Census

It's another Monday and time for another post.  Today, we're continuing our recent discussion on census records, today we're looking at the 1900 census.  The 1900 census was enumerated beginning 1 June 1900.  Let's look at the actual census record to see what information can be extracted from this census.  Using my great-grandpa Edward's census listing, let's look at what can be discovered about his family: 

1900 Census record for Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family

Edward B. Conwell, Sr. is listed here with his wife, Zella.  Breaking the census listing down into three parts will help us view the information a little easier: 

Section #1 of Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family 1900 census record

The first three columns contain information on the location:

• Street and house number (in cities)
• Dwelling number
• Family number

 
The information isn't shown on my screen shot but the census record shows that Edward and Zella are living on Cherry Street.  So this is another address that I can go look up to see if the house is still standing.  Add that to my list of genealogy things to do.

Column #4 is the name of each person whose place of abode on June 1, 1900, was in this family (surname first, then first name and middle initial if there is one):

• Conwell, Edward B. - head
• Conwell, Zella - wife

Columns #5-#14 are personal description data:

• Relation to head of family
• Color
• Sex
• Month of birth
• Year of birth
• Age at last birthday
• Whether single, married, widowed or divorced
• Number of years of married
• Mother of how many children
• Number of these children living

This is pretty self-explanatory information, though it does bear mentioning that at this time Edward and Zella had no children together and they listed their number of years married as zero.  Right there, that is a great indication to look for a marriage record within the last year.

Great information to get off this census is the age at last birthday, their marital status and number of years of present marriage, the number of children born and number now living and probably the best information: month and year of birth.

Moving on to part #2 of the census record: 

Section #2 of Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family 1900 census record

Columns #15-#17 are nativity information:

• Place of birth
• Place of birth of father
• Place of birth of mother

This is also really great information because, if I didn't already have places of birth for each person and their parents, this census provides it.  Keep in mind this information is only as good as (1) the person giving the information and (2) the person writing the information down.  But it gives you a clue where to look.

This census enumerator has taken the time to list each person's birth location and the birth locations of their parents (as provided by the person providing the census information).  As you can see, everyone was U.S. born and most were born in the Midwest in either Kansas, Illinois, Indiana or Ohio. 

Columns #18-#20 are citizenship information:

• Year of immigration to the U.S.
• Number of years in the U.S.
• Naturalization

Again, by this time all my family was U.S. born so none of these columns apply.

Moving on to part #3 of the census record:

Section #3 of Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family 1900 census record

Columns #21-#22 are occupation information:

• Occupation, trade or profession of each person ten years of age and over
• Number of months not employed 

From this we can see that Edward Sr. was working as a collector of bills.  He worked the entire year so number of months not employed wasn't applicable.

Columns #23-#26 are education information:

• Attended school (months)
• Can read
• Can write
• Can speak English

Neither Edward Sr. nor Zella attended school but they both were able to read, write and speak English so they must have attended school at some time.

Columns #27-#30 are home information:

• Home owned or rented
• Home owned free or mortgaged
• Farm or house
• Number of farm schedule

In 1900 Edward Sr. and Zella were renting and they were renting a home.  That's not surprising considering they were newly married.

The 1900 census can contain some great information for genealogists.  There are several ways to access the census records, from using Ancestry.com (if you don't have a paid subscription to Ancestry, check out your local library or Family History Center for free usage opportunities) for indexed images to using some of the non-indexed sites and paging thru the census record pages one by one.  I prefer the indexed version, however, going through page by page can wield treasures of its own.  Additional family members have been discovered in this manner and it can also give you a picture of who was living around your ancestor.

Next week: the 1880 census!  But wait, we missed one didn't we?  Nope, unfortunately due to a fire in the Commerce Department building, most of the 1890 census was destroyed.  Some parts of the census did survive and information on what survived can be found here.

Around the Town Thursday: Kansas City Livestock Exchange Building

Happy Friday eve everyone and welcome to another edition of Around the Town Thursday!  Today we're back to exploring Kansas City and we're highlighting the Kansas City Livestock Exchange Building.

Front of Kansas City Livestock Exchange Building

Entrance to the Kansas City Livestock Exchange Building

Originally built in 1910, the Livestock Exchange Building was the headquarters of the Kansas City stockyards.  According to the National Register of Historic Places application: "At the turn of the century the stock yards covered 207 acres with accomodations for 70,000 cattle, 40,000 hogs, 45,000 sheep and 5,000 horses and mules daily. By 1871 seven railroads were operating in the stock yards; today there are over ten miles of track inside the yards excluding acres and acres of track to the east and west."

The stockyards themselves were originally established in 1871 in Kansas City, Kansas along the Kansas River and Missouri Pacific railroad tracks.  According to the Kansas City Kansan newspaper article "How KC became 1 of great stock markets of world": "In the heyday year of 1923, 2,631,808 cattle were received at the Kansas City yards."  The stockyards originally contained five acres and by 1883 another 125 acres had been added.  While there were earlier buildings erected on the grounds of the stockyards, the brick building that currently stands is considered the highlight of the period from 1871 to 1909.

Currently (after a thirteen million dollar renovation in 1991) the building serves as an office building, containing everything from restaurant facilities to a post office to a health club.  While not ornate in decor the building has beautiful original oak woodwork and a simple, yet beautiful Grecian key floor border.

This important piece of Kansas City history has withstood time, floods and the closing of the Livestock Exchange.  It's now a part of the National Register of Historic Places, which will provide the opportunity for future generations to actually see this beautiful building.

Genealogy Basics: The 1910 Census

Continuing our recent discussion on census records, today we're looking at the 1910 census.  The 1910 census was enumerated beginning 15 April 1910.  Let's look at the actual census record to see what information can be extracted from this census.  Using my great-grandpa Edward's census listing, let's look at what can be discovered about his family:

1910 Census record for Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family

Edward B. Conwell, Sr. is listed here with his wife, Zella, and children Edward B., Milford, Mildred and Frank.  Breaking the census listing down into three parts will help us view the information a little easier:

Section #1 of Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family 1910 census record

The first two columns are not numbered but they contain information on the abode:

• Street, avenue, road, etc. (name)
• House number (in cities or towns)

Columns #1-#2 contain additional information on the abode:

• Number of dwelling house in order of visitation
• Number of family in order of visitation

I see that Edward and his family are living on Cyprus Avenue (the street name got partially cut off but it does say Cyprus Avenue).  So this is another address that I can go look up to see if the house is still standing.  Add that to my list of genealogy things to do.

Column #3 is the name of each person whose place of abode on April 15, 1910, was in this family (surname first, then first name and middle initial if there is one) and column #4 is the relationship of the person to the head of the family:

• Conwell, Edward B. - head
• Conwell, Zella - wife
• Conwell, Edna M. - daughter
• Conwell, Edward B. - son
• Conwell, Milford R. - son
• Conwell, Mildred A. - daughter
• McCabe, Sarah A. - mother-in-law

Columns #5-#11 are personal description data:

• Sex
• Color or race
• Age at last birthday
• Whether single, married, widowed or divorced
• Number of years of present marriage
• Mother of how many children: Number born
• Mother of how many children: Number now living

This is pretty self-explanatory information, though it does bear mentioning that at this time Edward was 41 (Zella's age on this census is unreadable), married to Zella for 10 years and they had a total of six children, with four still living.  This tells me I need to look for some deceased children prior to 1910.  Using earlier census records will help me narrow down the years I need to check for those children.  Sarah's number of children is also listed so I know she had six but the number still living is unreadable.

Great information to get off this census is the age at last birthday, their marital status and number of years of present marriage, the number of children born and number now living.

Moving on to part #2 of the census record:

Section #2 of Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family 1910 census record

 
Columns #12-#14 are nativity information:

• Place of birth of this person
• Place of birth of father of this person
• Place of birth of mother of this person

This is also really great information because, if I didn't already have places of birth for each person and their parents, this census provides it.  Keep in mind this information is only as good as (1) the person giving the information and (2) the person writing the information down.  But it gives you a clue where to look.

This census enumerator has taken the time to list each person's birth location and the birth locations of their parents (as provided by the person providing the census information).  As you can see, everyone was U.S. born and most were born in the Midwest in either Kansas, Missouri, Illinois or Ohio. 

Columns #15-#16 are citizenship information:

• Year of immigration to the United States
• Whether naturalized or alien 

Again, by this time all my family was U.S. born so none of these columns apply.

Column #17 is whether the person is able to speak English or not and if they were not English speaking, the enumerator was asked to list what language they spoke.  The entire family was able to speak English.

Moving on to part #3 of the census record:

Section #3 of Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family 1910 census record

 
Columns #18-#22 are occupation information:

• Trade, profession, or particular kind of work done as spinner, salesman, laborer, etc.
• General nature of industry, business, or establishment in which the person works, as cotton mill, dry goods store, farm, etc.
• Whether employer, employee or working on own account
• If an employee: Whether out of work on April 15, 1910
• If an employee: Number of weeks out of work during the year 1909  

From this we can see that Edward Sr. was working but his trade and industry are mostly unreadable.  I'm going to have to see if I can find a better copy somewhere.  Great-great grandma Sarah was working as a laundress for a private family.  They were both working on their own account.  Neither one was out of work as of the enumeration date and neither was out of work during 1909.

Columns #23-#25 are education information:

• Whether able to read
• Whether able to write
• Attended school any time since September 1, 1909

Edward Sr. and Zella are the only ones listed as being able to read and write.  Their daughter, Edna, is the only one listed as having attended school that year.

Columns #26-#29 are ownership of home information:

• Owned or rented
• Owned free or mortgaged
• Farm or house
• Number of farm schedule

I'm somewhat disappointed that there's no information listed in these columns for Edward and his family.  I have no idea if they rented or owned their home in 1910.

The last three columns are kind of interesting bits of information:

• Column #31: Whether a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy
• Column #32: Whether blind (both eyes)
• Column #33: Whether deaf and dumb

I didn't expect to see any information in these columns for my family honestly.  I know none of the last columns applied to any of them but column #31 (Union/Confederate military survivor) is great information for genealogists since it gives a clue to military service.

The 1910 census can contain some great information for genealogists.  There are several ways to access the census records, from using Ancestry.com (if you don't have a paid subscription to Ancestry, check out your local library or Family History Center for free usage opportunities) for indexed images to using some of the non-indexed sites and paging thru the census record pages one by one.  I prefer the indexed version, however, going through page by page can wield treasures of its own.  Additional family members have been discovered in this manner and it can also give you a picture of who was living around your ancestor.

Next week: the 1900 census!

Around the Town Thursday: Machu Picchu

In my last post I left you with a little teaser for my next Around the Town Thursday post.  I promised you something special so here it is:

Machu Picchu

Okay, so it's not exactly around THIS town but my intention was to expand my Around the Town radius, although the original plan was to expand little by little.  So, um...yeah, that brings us to this week's post on my travels to Machu Picchu!

Me (and Jack, who is located in my belt, haha) in front of the Central Plaza at Machu Picchu

In case you're wondering about the buffalo in my belt in the picture above, the buffalo's name is Buffalo Jack and he's my traveling companion.  Jack was adopted in Fort Hays, Kansas.  D1 and I were there for one of my son's band performances and I thought Jack was kind of cute.  D1 purchased him for me and we started taking pictures of him in different locations in Fort Hays.  It expanded from there and now he travels with me whenever I go.

Buffalo Jack at Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was built by the Incan people about 7,000 feet above sea level in the fifteenth century.  According to UNESCO, "The approximately 200 structures making up this outstanding religious, ceremonial, astronomical and agricultural centre are set on a steep ridge, crisscrossed by stone terraces."  According to the tour guide I had, Machu Picchu was never actually considered to be "finished".  There was always ongoing work.  It was called a "Lost City" because when the Incans carved the city out of the surrounding landscape they used the landscape to their advantage and carved WITH the mountain, never destroying what they didn't have to in order to build this beautiful place.  There are many theories as to what Machu Picchu was used for and no one has yet to learn the real purpose of it.

Terraces at Machu Picchu

Most people, when they decide to go to Machu Picchu, plan for months.  They make preparations well in advance and usually go during the good weather season.  That's not what I did at all, haha!  I was scheduled to travel to Peru for a work meeting and whenever I travel for work I always try to see at least one interesting site in the locality I'm going to be in.  That's how I've managed to see Tikal, climb Pacaya Volcano, walk the grounds of Chichen Itza, stand on the cliffs of Tulu'um, watch flamingos in Celestun and, now, climb the terraces of Machu Picchu and ascend the stairs of Huayna Picchu (okay, okay, so it was more like crawl up the stairs of Waynapicchu...no judging, LOL).

Machu Picchu - November 2013

Due to some indecision no arrangements for Machu Picchu were made prior to leaving the States.  D1 worked hard to help me make a tentative itinerary, since I'm a person that prefers to have a plan in place when I travel.  For anyone thinking about going to MP this is NOT my recommended course of action.  I strongly recommend you make your arrangements prior to leaving and definitely with a reputable tour company.  You may pay a little more on the front end but you'll be more likely to get exactly what you want.  If you like a little adventure, go with a tentative itinerary and wing it.  It wasn't awful but a little pre-planning on our part would have allowed us more time to enjoy MP.

As popular of an attraction as MP is, there is no direct way to get to MP.  From Lima (where my meeting was) I had to take a plane to Cusco, where a car picked us up and took us to a train station in Ollantaytambo (pronounced Oy-an-tay-tahm-bo).

Waiting in Ollantaytambo to take a train to Aguas Calientes!

A better picture of the street leading to the train station in Ollantaytambo

From Ollantaytambo we took a train (I highly recommend taking the Vistadome either going or coming back if you can, it's really neat) to Aguas Calientes (known now as Machu Picchu Pueblo).  We used Peru Rail because I really wanted to ride the Vistadome train.  The picture of the Vistadome on Peru Rail's website is pretty misleading (it shows an almost fully glass train car but the actual train cars simply have windows in the ceiling of the car) but it's still neat to be able to look up and see the tops of the mountains.

Our chariot...I mean train...awaits!

Upper windows of the Vistadome train

The train ride takes about an hour and a half to get from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and the scenery was beautiful.  I was able to mark another item off my bucket list in addition to going to MP...my first train ride!

On the train to Aguas Calientes!

We were served a nice little snack on the train, complete with a llama tablecloth!

Llama!

When we arrived in Aguas Calientes, we located our hostel and checked in.  I was pleasantly surprised with how nice the hostel was (considering it's remote location).  They really worked hard to make sure we were as comfortable as possible.  The only issue I had was the toilet was clogged in my room but the staff at the hostel immediately fixed it.  They also offered a baggage hold for guests after check out while the guests toured MP.

We spent a little time shopping in Aguas Calientes, grabbed some dinner and went to bed early since we planned to get up before sunrise so we could (hopefully) watch the sunrise in MP.  It was pretty questionable whether we would actually get to see the sunrise in MP however, because November is the rainy season and MP is so high it tends to be pretty foggy.  But we took the first bus up to MP where we met our tour guide the next morning.  I discovered the joys of having next to no lung capacity at all in Aguas Calientes and it wasn't getting any better in MP.  What can I say, I'm a Midwest gal thru and thru.  But I kept pushing onward and upward with our tour guide cheering me on until we reached our sunrise viewing location.

A very foggy Machu Picchu

Unfortunately we did not get to see the sunrise.  But as I said, with it being November it was pretty questionable.  Our tour guide went out of his way to make sure we knew this in advance so, while I was a little disappointed, it wasn't unexpected.  After the sun rose and the fog began to burn off, the tour guide took us on a two hour tour of the ruins explaining what different parts of the ruins were and how the residents of MP might have lived, worked and even celebrated.  Interestingly enough, the tour guide told us that nowhere in the Incan language (that had been discovered at this point) was there a word for war or warfare and that the Incan people were known as peaceful, highly intelligent scholars and workers.  The tour was great.  Well worth every minute and every penny spent on the guide.

Considering we barely had a plan for our trip to MP we managed to hit the jackpot and got tickets to climb Waynapicchu, a massive mountain about 1100 feet above MP that the Incas built a trail up the side of and temples and terraces on top of.  The climb up Waynapicchu is a restricted activity.  There are only 400 people a day allowed to climb WP and it's done in two groups.  The first group must begin their climb between 8:00am and 9:00am while the second group must begin their climb between 10:00am and 11:00am.  If you don't arrive to begin your climb within the specified start time you're not allowed onto WP.

Entrance to Waynapicchu with a map showing different
routes you can take, some longer and some shorter

Waynapicchu, if you look closely you can see the terraces and temples on top

And for good reason.  The trail up WP (and I use the term trail very loosely) is narrow and steep at times.  It was a difficult climb for someone like me who hadn't make any advanced preparations physically and had little-to-no lung capacity.

Look very closely and you'll see the trail (close to the middle of the picture)

Coming down the trail...WHOA that's steep!

 

That's me in the orange shirt at the turn in the trail

Despite the lack of planning going to MP was well worth the time, money and effort.  Here's some recommendations I have if you're thinking about going:

• Make a plan in advance.  Even if you don't stick to that plan, this is a location you really do want some type of itinerary to refer to simply because of all the different modes of travel you have to take to get there
• Use a tour company when at all possible.  It's possible to maneuver through MP by yourself but it's so much more enjoyable when you have someone explaining things to you.  It's also worth the money to let someone else worry about the logistics of transportation :)
• Everyone tells you to stay in Cusco.  I prefered Aguas Calientes to Cusco even though there was less to do in Aguas Calientes.  Aguas Calientes was not only closer to MP so we were able to get up to MP to possibly see the sunrise but we were also able to relax the night before going to MP.
• Get tickets for WP.  The 8:00am time slot would have been my preferred time slot because we could have had time to rest afterwards somewhere and then tour the rest of MP but even if you go at the 10:00am time slot it's well worth the climb.
• Take your time climbing around the ruins and (if you go) WP.  Enjoy the sights and views, take lots of pictures, and don't push yourself past your limit.
• Drink lots of bottled water.  Avoid the tap water at all costs.  Don't overdo the alcohol.
• Spend the FULL DAY at MP and return to Aguas Calientes that night.  Don't go back to Cusco the day you tour MP.  There are tour companies that will sell you what they call a full day tour but before you purchase make sure that tour doesn't send you to Cusco immediately after touring MP.  Returning to Aguas Calientes instead of Cusco will allow you more time at MP and will allow you to simply return to your hostel after exhausting yourself at MP.  And you will be exhausted.
• See the Sun Gate and the Incan Bridge if you can.  I missed these sites at MP because we actually ended up with only a 3/4 day tour with the WP climb.
• Stop to see the llamas (or alpacas)

 

A local Machu Picchu llama (or alpaca, I can't remember which has the longer neck!)

• Take time to acclimate to the altitude.  If you're not used to the altitude it will take its toll on you.
• There is ONE bank and ATM in Aguas Calientes.  And merchants charge an additional 10% to use your credit card there.  Plan accordingly.
• When shopping, plan to negotiate with the local merchants.
• Pay attention to your surroundings.  I didn't have any issues but I've heard that pickpockets work in teams and catch their victims unaware by using distractions you might think of as pickpocketing distractions.
• Try a pisco sour, the national drink of Peru (and Chile).  I'm not saying they're great but if you go to Peru you have to try the national drink, LOL

Above all else enjoy yourself.  Machu Picchu is an UNESCO World Heritage Centre and is absolutely worth the time and effort to see.  I enjoyed the time I was able to spend there and hope to go with D1 one of these days!

View of the terraces of Machu Picchu from the trail of Wayanpicchu

Genealogy Basics: The 1920 Census

Today we're continuing the discussion on census records and looking at the 1920 census.  The 1920 census was enumerated beginning 1 January 1920.  Let's look at the actual census record to see what information can be extracted from this census.  Using my great-grandpa Edward's census listing, let's look at what can be discovered about his family:

1920 Census record for Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family

Edward B. Conwell, Sr. is listed here with his wife, Zella, and children Edward B., Milford, Mildred and Frank.  Breaking the census listing down into three parts will help us view the information a little easier:

Section #1 of Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family 1920 census record

Columns #1-#4 contain information on the abode:

• Street of person's abode
• House number or farm
• Number of dwelling house in order of visitation by enumerator
• Number of family in order of visitation by enumerator

I see that Edward and his family are still living on Indiana (the street name got partially cut off but it does say Indiana), the street they were living on in 1930 when the census was taken, but they've changed house numbers.  So this is another address that I can go look up to see if the house is still standing.  Add that to my list of genealogy things to do.

Column #5 is the name of each person whose place of abode on January 1, 1920, was in this family (surname first, then first name and middle initial if there is one) and column #6 is the relationship of the person to the head of the family:

• Conwell, Edward B. - head
• Conwell, Zella - wife
• Conwell, Edward B. - son
• Conwell, Milford - son
• Conwell, Mildred - daughter
• Conwell, Frank - son

Columns #7-#8 are "tenure" data:

• Home owned or rented
• If owned, free or mortgaged

From this we can see that Edward Sr. was renting the home they were in.

Columns #9-#12 are personal description data:

• Sex
• Color or race
• Age at last birthday
• Single, married, widowed or divorced

This is pretty self-explanatory information.  Great information to get off this census is the age at last birthday and their marital status.

Columns #13-#15 are citizenship information:

• Year of immigration to the United States
• Naturalized or alien
• If naturalized, year of naturalization

Again, by this time all my family was U.S. born so none of these columns apply.

Moving on to part #2 of the census record:

Section #2 of Edward B. Conwell, Sr. and family 1920 census record

Columns #16-#18 are education information:

• Attended school since 9/11/1919
• Whether able to read
• Whether able to write

The three youngest children all attended school in 1919.  Grandpa Edward was 15 at the time this census was taken and it seems was not attending school.  I happen to know from verbal history that , like a lot of older children during this time, he was working to help support the family.

Columns #19-#24 are nativity and mother tongue information:

• Place of birth (of person)
• Mother tongue (of person)
• Place of birth (of father)
• Mother tongue (of father)
• Place of birth (of mother)
• Mother tongue (of mother)

This is also really great information because, if I didn't already have places of birth for each person and their parents, this census provides it.  Keep in mind this information is only as good as (1) the person giving the information and (2) the person writing the information down.  But it gives you a clue where to look.

This census enumerator has taken the time to list each person's birth location and the birth locations of their parents (as provided by the person providing the census information).  As you can see, everyone was U.S. born and most were born in the Midwest in either Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois or Ohio.  It seems, though, that the enumerator didn't complete all the boxes for the mother tongue information.  It would be nice if the enumerator was consistent and filled in all the boxes available but that obviously doesn't always happen. 

Column #25 is whether the person is able to speak English or not.  The entire family was able to speak English.

Moving on to part #3 of the record:

Section #3 of Edward Bell Conwell, Sr. and family 1920 census record

Columns #26-#28 are occupation information:

• Trade, profession, or particular kind of work done as spinner, salesman, laborer, etc.
• Industry, business, or establishment which at work, as cotton mill, dry goods store, farm, etc.
• Employer, salary worker, wage worker or working on his own account

From this we can see that Edward Sr. was working as a laborer and Edward Jr. was listed as an office boy in a packing house, but column #28 is somewhat confusing.  According to the census instructions I located here, the codes for this column were either Em for employer, W for a salary or wage worker and OA for a gainful worker that is neither an employer nor a salary or wage worker.  Someone who had no occupation was supposed to have that column left blank.  But the enumerator has listed both Edwards as simply "E".  Knowing that Grandpa Edward was always an employee and never an employer and seeing that both Edwards were listed as currently working, process of elimination dictates that they were both either salary or wage worker (most likely wage workers) and should have been listed with a "W" in that column.

Column #29 is the number of farm schedule, which doesn't apply to this household.

The 1920 census can contain some great information for genealogists.  There are several ways to access the census records, from using Ancestry.com (if you don't have a paid subscription to Ancestry, check out your local library or Family History Center for free usage opportunities) for indexed images to using some of the non-indexed sites and paging thru the census record pages one by one.  I prefer the indexed version, however, going through page by page can wield treasures of its own.  Additional family members have been discovered in this manner and it can also give you a picture of who was living around your ancestor.

Next week: the 1910 census!  And be sure to check back later this week for a very special edition of Around the Town Thursday!  I've got a special treat in store :)