My mother in the study, in
the old Main St house at
Calais, Me. with "Finn" her cat.
Mother between 75 + 80 years old.
3/27/30 Lowell Copeland
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wordless Wednesday ~ Sarah Lowell Copeland and her cat
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
How to Search the 1940 US Census before there's an Index
When the 1940 Census is released on April 2, 2012, by NARA (National Archives and Records Administration), at first only the digital images will be made publicly available (free) at the official 1940census.archives.gov.The 1940 U.S. Census Community Project, a joint initiative between Archives.com, FamilySearch.org, findmypast.com, is coordinating efforts to provide access to these digital images and start indexing them to make the ability to search online. If you are interested in volunteering to help index the images, visit The 1940 U.S. Census Community Project to sign up.
Last summer, I wrote about how to search for individuals in the 1940 census before indexes are available. See Tuesday's Tip ~ Getting Ready for the 1940 Census for details on how I did this to find out the enumeration districts I will browse through to find my parents.
The key websites you'll want to use to find your family members' enumeration districts (E.D.'s) are:
How to Access the 1940 Census "Quiz" at Steve Morse's One-Step website, where you'll have to know the street address your family member lived at.
Archival Research Catalog of the National Archives, where you'll want to search on "1940 Census Map [city] [state]" and look for the "digital copy available" icon at the left.
If you can't wait for the index to be completed, which could take six months, you'll want to do some preparation using these tools to narrow down where to look for your family members. Of course, this assumes you know the address where your family members are living. Good luck!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Matrilineal Monday ~ Sarah Lowell
I am continuing my series on my long-lived maternal ancestors.
My great great grandmother Sarah Lowell was born in Calais, Maine, on December 30, 1833, the youngest of eight children to Reuben Lowell and Sarah Smith. Her father died in May 1837. I have not been able to find her widowed mother, Sarah (Smith) Lowell in the 1840 Federal Census, though I just found her in the 1850 Federal Census, mis-indexed as Sarah Lowde.
This is the earliest record I have found for my great great grandmother, 16-year-old Sarah Lowell, as Sarah (Smith) Lowell's youngest child. 22-year-old Frederick A. Lowell is a third great uncle.
On December 15, 1858, Sarah Lowell married Henry Clay Copeland (1832 - 1912) in Calais. [Calais, Maine Vital Records.]
They had three children:
Sarah's husband Henry died in 1912 in Calais.
Sarah died in Cambridge, Massachusetts on January 9, 1916, at the age of 82. See a photo of Sarah Lowell.
My descent from Sarah Lowell > Lowell Copeland > Lowell Townsend Copeland > my mother > me.
Matrilineal Monday is a daily blogging prompt from Geneabloggers, the genealogy community’s resource for blogging. It is used by many genealogy bloggers to help them tell stories of their ancestors.
My great great grandmother Sarah Lowell was born in Calais, Maine, on December 30, 1833, the youngest of eight children to Reuben Lowell and Sarah Smith. Her father died in May 1837. I have not been able to find her widowed mother, Sarah (Smith) Lowell in the 1840 Federal Census, though I just found her in the 1850 Federal Census, mis-indexed as Sarah Lowde.
 |
| Detail from 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Sarah Lowell in Calais, Washington County, Maine |
On December 15, 1858, Sarah Lowell married Henry Clay Copeland (1832 - 1912) in Calais. [Calais, Maine Vital Records.]
They had three children:
- Charles Townsend Copeland (April 27, 1860 - July 24, 1952) - longtime Harvard English professor, never married.
- Lowell Copeland (October 5, 1862 - December 24, 1935) - my great grandfather.
- Sarah Katherine Copeland (October 15, 1874 - September 13, 1924) - married William Harrison Dunbar in 1898.
Sarah's husband Henry died in 1912 in Calais.
 |
| Boston Journal, January 11, 1916, GenealogyBank.com |
Sarah died in Cambridge, Massachusetts on January 9, 1916, at the age of 82. See a photo of Sarah Lowell.
My descent from Sarah Lowell > Lowell Copeland > Lowell Townsend Copeland > my mother > me.
Matrilineal Monday is a daily blogging prompt from Geneabloggers, the genealogy community’s resource for blogging. It is used by many genealogy bloggers to help them tell stories of their ancestors.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
1940 Census ~ What You Will Find
Although the basic reason for a census is to count the number of residents of a community, a state, or a country, each census asks for different information. The 1930 US Census had a column that asked if the household owned a radio.
The 1940 US Census asked 34 questions of all residents. Some of the interesting things that the 1940 census will reveal about a household include:
What is the highest grade of school completed for this person?
In what place did this person live on April 1, 1935?
How much income did this person earn during 1939?
Did this person receive income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary? (Yes or No)
The census sheet will look similar to that of the 1920 or 1930 census, with 40 names on a sheet. For those "lucky" enough to be on lines 14 or 29 (about 5% of the population), there are an additional 16 questions asking about where that person's parents were born, language spoken in home in earliest childhood, and for all women who are or have been married, has she been married more than once, age at first marriage, and number of children ever born (excluding stillbirths).
If you want to read about all of the questions that were asked of our family members in the 1940 census, visit the 1940 census enumerator instructions.
The 1940 US Census asked 34 questions of all residents. Some of the interesting things that the 1940 census will reveal about a household include:What is the highest grade of school completed for this person?
In what place did this person live on April 1, 1935?
How much income did this person earn during 1939?
Did this person receive income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary? (Yes or No)
The census sheet will look similar to that of the 1920 or 1930 census, with 40 names on a sheet. For those "lucky" enough to be on lines 14 or 29 (about 5% of the population), there are an additional 16 questions asking about where that person's parents were born, language spoken in home in earliest childhood, and for all women who are or have been married, has she been married more than once, age at first marriage, and number of children ever born (excluding stillbirths).
If you want to read about all of the questions that were asked of our family members in the 1940 census, visit the 1940 census enumerator instructions.
Friday, February 24, 2012
The 1940 Census is Coming...
I have signed up to be a 1940 Census Ambassador. In the next 37 days, I hope to share some information about the release of the 1940 US Census with my readers.
United States Federal Census records become available 72 years after the date they were taken. I remember in April 2002, visiting the National Archives in Waltham, MA to look at the 1930 census on microfilm for family members. (I still didn't find my five-year-old dad until these records were digitized.) January 1992 would have been when the 1920 census was released because the 1920 census was taken as of January 1, 1920. I had only just started researching census records at that time (on microfilm, at the National Archives.)
April 2, 2012 is the magic date for the 1940 US Census to become public!
Just think of all the people you know who you'll be able to find!
I'll be looking for my five-year-old mother and her family, my fifteen-year-old dad and his family, as well as my parents-in-law and their families!
Guess what I'll be doing on the morning of April 2 ... visiting the official site of the 1940 US Census!
United States Federal Census records become available 72 years after the date they were taken. I remember in April 2002, visiting the National Archives in Waltham, MA to look at the 1930 census on microfilm for family members. (I still didn't find my five-year-old dad until these records were digitized.) January 1992 would have been when the 1920 census was released because the 1920 census was taken as of January 1, 1920. I had only just started researching census records at that time (on microfilm, at the National Archives.)
April 2, 2012 is the magic date for the 1940 US Census to become public!
Just think of all the people you know who you'll be able to find!
I'll be looking for my five-year-old mother and her family, my fifteen-year-old dad and his family, as well as my parents-in-law and their families!
Guess what I'll be doing on the morning of April 2 ... visiting the official site of the 1940 US Census!
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