Stories From the Census ~ Libby in 1950

My paternal grandmother (born Elizabeth Adsit) was called by her nickname, Libby, even by her grandchildren. I found her under the name Elizabeth A. Rust relatively easily in the 1950 census using the National Archives index.

She and her (second) husband, Edgar C. Rust, lived in Newton, Massachusetts.

Not all their information in the census is accurate, making me wonder who provided the details to the census enumerator. Perhaps Libby provided the information and didn't want to be truthful because she was about 15 years younger than her husband. The census reported that they were five years apart in age.

1950 U.S. census, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Newton, ED 26-89, sheet 8, lines 1-5, household 51 (Edgar C Rust & family); U.S. National Archives, 1950 Census (https://1950census.archives.gov/search/).

Edgar C. Rust, age 65 [actually 67], and Elizabeth A. Rust, age 60 [actually 52], both born in Massachusetts [actually Libby was born in Illinois], lived at 22 Gatehouse Rd. in Newton. (Not quite the right address - more about that below.)

Edgar worked 45 hours the previous week as an Executor in a Banking Firm. Libby is listed as "H" (keeping house). Three maids lived with them: 65-year-old Katherine M. Fannon, a widow, born in Ireland; 50-year-old Theresa Walsh, never married, born in Ireland; and 45-year-old Susan H. MacWhister, never married, born in Scotland. These women worked 60 (!) hours during the previous week as maids for a private family. (Libby's "keeping house" was likely telling the maids what needed to be done.)

The 1950 census included space either at the top or the bottom of each page for the enumerator to write additional notes about the households on that page. Be sure to take a look at any notes on the page.

"See note #1" is written to the left of the Rust household. This census page has its space for notes below the 30 lines of names.

Note #1: This home has main entrance on Gatehouse Rd
and has both address as either 22 Gatehouse or
22 Reservoir Ave.

According to a 1933 city directory (the Boston Blue Book), Edgar C. Rust's address was 22 Reservoir Avenue, though in the street listing, he is also listed at 81 Gate House Road. 

 

The 1940 census reported that the Rust family was living at 22 Reservoir Avenue, but they were not there when the enumerator visited so there are many errors in that listing, which I shared ten years ago. None of the servants who were with them in 1940 were still there in 1950.

Writing this blog post sent me down the rabbit hole of exploring land records for Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It appears that this property where Libby and Dad Rust lived contained 4.7 acres of land between Gate House Road and Reservoir Avenue, which they sold in 1953 to a developer. The house was much closer to Gate House Road, but the address was always 22 Reservoir Avenue.

For those who are familiar with the neighborhood, this is from the 1950 ED map. The red outlined area is an approximation of the Rust property.

And this is from Google Maps with the same (as best as I could do it) red outline of the property.

 

Exploring Google Maps, it appears that the house is still there, but with a different address. Of course there are also a dozen additional houses on these 4.7 acres of land.