Local volunteers making historic 1940 U.S. Census searchable online

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The St. Croix Valley Genealogical Society (SCVGS) is participating in the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project. The society is encouraging local volunteers to help make the 1940 U.S. Census easier to search for everyone.

This unique crowd-sourcing project will make the 135 million individuals found on tens of thousands of pages of the 1940 U.S. Census searchable online for free. Interested volunteers need simply download the indexing tool from www.the1940census.com/society and indicate they are participating as part of the St. Croix Valley Genealogical Society.

A training session on indexing the 1940 Census will take place at the monthly meeting of SCVGS March 15 at 7 p.m. in the River Falls Public Library main floor meeting room.

On April 2, the National Archives and Records Administration of the United States will make the 1940 U.S. Census publicly available. This census is the largest, most comprehensive, and most recent record set available that records the names of those who were living in the United States at that time. The 1940 U.S. Census Community Project is a national collaborative effort that uses the Internet and a large volunteer workforce to speed up the process of indexing the historic census records.

The outcome will benefit everyone. The 1940 U.S. Census will be digitally preserved forever, and the general public will have incredibly convenient online access to volumes of rich historical information that could be personally relevant to their personal family history. Anyone with genealogical roots in the U.S. in 1940 will benefit from the project.

The 1940 census included several standard questions, such as: name, age, gender, race, education, and place of birth. But the census also introduced some new questions like where people lived 5 years before the census, their highest educational grade achieved, and detailed income and occupation.

Interest in the 1940 U.S. Census is significant and sentimental because it documents what is often referred to as “The Greatest Generation” of U.S. citizens. As a group, these are individuals who:

--Survived the Great Depression

--Fought in the Second World War

--Innovated technology (TV, Microwave)

--Sacrificed in the name of freedom

--Practiced thrift and compassion

--Understood hard work and industry

The 1940 US Census Community Project is also receiving additional support from Archives.com, FamilySearch.org, and findmypast.com, and leading societal organizations like the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical Society to engage and coordinate the volunteer workforce needed to deliver the ambitious 1940 U.S. Census Project.

If interested in volunteering to index the 1940 Census, contact the St. Croix Valley Genealogical Society Volunteer Administrator/Coordinator Darcy at (715) 425-9978.

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