1950 Census: A Unique Opportunity

Thousands of volunteers are needed to make historic 1950 U.S. Census searchable online.

The 1950 Census is coming out in April! You may have heard that it will be indexed very differently than the previous decade because the 1950 Census was the first U.S. Census that was processed by a computer which means it’s going to be the first one indexed by a computer.

The FamilySearch Census team issued a challenge stating, “We indexed the English part of the 1940 Census in four months. Do you think we can review the 1950 Census faster? Because we are reviewing all of the fields, it’s about twice the effort! We’re excited to find out.”

Why the big push?
According to the press release issued by FamilySearch, the “US Census collections are some of the most popular online databases used by millions of people for family history research. Most people in the US today can remember an ancestor who can be found in the 1950 US Census. Protected by law for 72 years, this long-awaited census will be the most comprehensive record set available of those who were living in that historic era in the United States.”

A massive volunteer indexing project will begin on April 1st to explore the mid-century details found within the Census. Visit this link to see how indexing the 1950 Census will be different.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for the 1950 Census release:

• Identify who in your family tree will most likely be found in the Census.

• Plan to adopt specific surnames or locations to review.

Once the project has launched, here’s what you can do to build and keep momentum:

• Make it social.

• Share progress towards your goal.

• Celebrate your successes.

Visit this page on FamilySearch to see what interesting things you can expect to discover and sign up for updates.

New to indexing? It’s a volunteer transcription effort that makes valuable genealogical records freely searchable online. Learn more here.

For indexing and family history questions contact the Hurst Stake Family History Consultants, John and Shirley Johnson here.