FGS 2020: Census Sense: Clues and Conundrums for Intermediate by Patti Gillespie

As I have an upcoming presentation on NYS Census records for NCGS, I thought this might be a good program for me to check out as I would like to compare each NYS census to the federal population census on either side of it.

In her presentation, Patti Gillespie first reviewed how beginning vs. intermediate genealogist approached researching the census. Secondly, she gave a tour of the Census.gov site and how to navigate it and find interesting information.

A few other notes I took from the presentation:

  • Use the census blank forms to help make sure that you read the question asked by the Marshall or Enumerator.
  • Don’t forget to try using wildcards when searching.
  • Use maps to help to determine county boundary changes.

One of the links from the handout that was new to me is from the National Archives. It is a page about each non-population census and lists the rolls they are found on: https://www.archives.gov/research/census/nonpopulation#ag. I especially like how they detailed the non-population censuses available for each state. I can’t wait until the National Archives open up again and that I can visit DC!

You can learn more about Patti Gillespie at her website: http://familylinesandstories.com.