Taking a Look at the 1950 Census on the National Archives Website - Find Your Genealogy!

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

Get more tips on the 1950 census in this playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PL7Y4oPKUvwciM-lMraUMueaEXpK2csok7

[@lesliealexander4925]

Thank you for all this information and for sharing your skills and knowledge! And for your curious attitude! I love watching your videos! I have learned a lot from you! And you make all your shares user friendly. Thanks sooooo much for all you do! 😍

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

You are so welcome! And thank you for the very kind words 😊

[@2MuchPurple]

Just seeing this today. I'm glad you posted all this. I found my parents and me using your tips. I was born in San Francisco in March 1950. The computer interpretation of the names needs ro be tweaked, though. My dad's first name was Lynn, which was shown as jynn because of the old fashioned "L" in the otherwise clear handwriting. Other names also were mispelled. Thanks so much for this!

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@geraldwalker7609]

You're right about the memories that come rolling in when you see the names from the past. That just happened with me on the 1950 census. Even though I didn't come around till 1964, so many names were familiar and sparked memories that were dormant till now! I even remembered the census taker, Jettie Webb!

[@stevenm.9458]

Sorry I missed it. I really wanted to be there; however, thanks for putting up the replay!

[@ArnoldBerger49]

Watching the replay and was able to find my family. Thanks for showing us how to do a search.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

You're welcome! Glad you were able to make some discoveries!

[@cecilesands5380]

Watching the replay. Very interesting!

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@oldsebago]

I found both my self and my wife and both our fathers were on the sample line which was great. Found out when exactly my dad had to leave school

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

That’s awesome! One of the families I searched for had a family member on the sample line, but it didn’t add much since he was only 7 months old at the time 😂

[@russellbickford7890]

Watched you live last night. This morning I logged on and tried it out. I turn 62 this month and started doing my genealogy when I was 12. So this year is my 50th anniversary. Sure is a whole lot different doing research these days then when I first started. Anyway today I have been going through and submitting corrections to the handwriting recognition program. Earlier this morning the submission program was not working but it is now. Your comment bon not being able to search page by page. My father's parents are on one page and my father and his siblings are on the next page. So if I did not know the information already I would not have found my father and his siblings in the census.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

I’m so glad that the info was helpful to you!

[@emeralds3]

I had to go to Enumeration district and scroll through the pages until I found my grandparents. My dad was 18 years old. So cool!!

[@karenandrews8695]

My mom was 11 and my Aunt Joan was 18.

[@NanaOwlKat]

Woke up this morning and did my first search: my grandparents that I never found in 1940 census even after hours (days, weeks) of scouring every single ED sheet in their county and surrounding counties and a few other possibilities. And there they were...exactly where they should have been! I may have happy cried. Bonus: it's the first census record for my mom.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

Wonderful!

[@karenandrews8695]

I guess I an missing something. I searched and could find my family. I have them in 1940 in Jersey City and so, what am I doing wrong?

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

When you say "searched," do you mean you entered their name in the NARA search? If so, it's very possible that the name was mis-indexed. If you know where in Jersey City they were living, browse the images of that specific enumeration district. My video "Get Ready for the 1950 Census" shows how to use the one on Steve Morse's website; my video "New Tool for the 1950 Census" shows how to use the one on Ancestry. If you don't find them now, you can wait a few weeks for the new index by Ancestry and FamilySearch to be created. Good luck!

[@karenandrews8695]

@@AmyJohnsonCrow found my mom. Still can't find my dad. I am not impressed with the Amazon AI software. You would think a simple name like Andrews would not trip it up. I found this interesting 🤔. Thank you for responding back. I will try it again later. 😀

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

It doesn't really matter how simple the name is. It's more a function of how legible the handwriting is. For example, I quickly found "Daubenmire" yesterday. It isn't a simple name, but the enumerator should have been a handwriting instructor, it was so clear! I've been indexing on FamilySearch and so far, I've found Ancestry's AI-generated index to be far superior to what is on the National Archives website. It'll be a few weeks before that index is ready for use, however.

[@Seashellsbytheseashore21]

Love your party hat. I got a hat and beer ✨✨✨ 🤣

[@lindacarroll6896]

My father was listed as head but was not indexed. My grandmother was living with them and was indexed, but as Janes instead of Jones (different surname). Another person I was looking for was listed as a lodger and was indexed.

[@yvonnefarrell1029]

Thanks for mentioning WACs which the Census did not.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

It's a shame that the supplemental question about military service was asked only of the men.

[@andreaboyer6898]

Hi Amy. Thanks for all your help! The column where the street name is supposed to go is blank for one of my ancestors in the 1950's census, any ideas how I can figure out what street they lived on? Thanks

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

Take a look at the page before and see if it's listed there. (Pay attention to the house numbers, though, to make sure that it isn't one of the cross streets.) It's possible, though that if they were out in the country, they didn't list the street name.

[@andreaboyer6898]

@@AmyJohnsonCrow Thanks Amy, I found them!!

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

Yay!!

[@ramrod0209]

Just watched full replay after 72-year wait! Question: now that you found your Ralph Ramsey by manually going thru each sheet of the E.D., what did the original OCR data show the machine transcription text for that page for his full name? Was the OCR correct & the search failed?, OR: was the OCR data botched somehow, deflecting a valid search?

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

The index had the surname as Remsey instead of Ramsey.

[@ramrod0209]

@@AmyJohnsonCrow Thank-you! I have seen these kind of OCR anomalies & suspected that. Your clever (but ambitious) wild-card attempt might have eventually helped Search Success ... if only WildCards worked. Great job!

[@jenniferreese3116]

Found my paternal Grandpa and grandma as well as my Grandpa's brother. Still looking for my Dad, my Mom, and my maternal grandparents.

[@thenglar]

A lot of my relatives migrated from Germany to the States between 1830 and 1853. Since I met some of their descendents in the meantime, it was really nice to see, what they did in the New World. Already found some distant cousins in Minster, Auglaize, Ohio, a place I remember from a trip in 2004.

[@Gio_Vanni6143]

I already made transcription corrections. The video is not showing the chat feature.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

The chat replay should be showing up now. Thanks for watching!

[@Gio_Vanni6143]

@@AmyJohnsonCrow Thank you, Amy! I'm not familiar with how KZbin works on the content creator's side. I didn't know if it was supposed to show up automatically after the livestream.

[@jackie-dbdstitchart4969]

Any suggestions how to search for residents of mental health facililties?

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

If you know where the facility was, look in the enumeration district description. It's possible it was in its own enumeration district. Then you'll search for the images like any other location. You can also search by name (sort of) on the National Archives website, or wait for the improved index on Ancestry and FamilySearch.

[@Seashellsbytheseashore21]

When it’s indexed, it’s much easier. I found a relative at a psych hospital on 1940, through the index just using his name. Good luck!

[@anndonnelly6308]

I was able to find someone in a mental health facility in NYC. The hospital was a separate ED. And all the patients were listed in alpha order by surname a very easy search, with everyone findable by name search.

[@hoponpop3330]

I found myself at age 6 but it was a mixed feeling . In looking at past census’s going back to 1790 the fact that few are still alive who were in the 1920,1930,1940, is easily acceptable to a veteran, Census. The 1950 census is more personal.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

I know what you mean. Although I'm not on any of the public censuses (yet), there was still something about seeing my grandparents with two of their sons at home, and seeing my aunts married off and living away from them.

[@DaisyBloomz]

Smith in Jay Co! I'm here LOL

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

Roll Call! 😂

[@missmaryrosaireanderson9033]

How do I find the enumeration district for Minneapolis Minnesota in 1950. This is where my parents lived in 1950, and where their eldest child was born, but later in the year, after the census was taken.?

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

There's an enumeration district finder on Ancestry (free to us) and one on SteveMorse.org. In my 1950 Census playlists, I have tutorials on using each of those. Here's a link to the playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PL7Y4oPKUvwciM-lMraUMueaEXpK2csok7

[@missmaryrosaireanderson9033]

@@AmyJohnsonCrow thanks so much for replying, Amy; regarding the enumeration district finder on ancestry, would I be able to find his enumeration district if I don't know the street address my dad and mother lived? I was just on Ancestry (I have a paid membership) and when I did a search on my dad, ancestry pulled up records from the 1930 and 1940 census, but not the 1950 census. ( By the way, the 1950 census was probably completed and turned in by autumn 1950, and anyone born in later 1950, would probably have for the 1960 census in 2032?)

[@missmaryrosaireanderson9033]

@@AmyJohnsonCrow I just remembered that while my parents were in Minneapolis in 1950, and had been living there before a birth, they were in Tucson as late as March, or possibly April, because they got married in St. Cyril's Church in Tucson. (When did people need to turn in their census form in 1950 anyway?) I noticed on both the National Archives and Steve Morse website that Tucson has a lot less enumeration districts than Minneapolis, but when I pulled up a result for Carl Anderson, I could not see if it was my dad, because the print was so small, and I don't know how to enlarge on my tablet. The tablet tends to enlarge when I don't want it to, and not when I do.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

I haven’t tried it on a tablet, but I bet it’s easier to navigate on a desktop or laptop.

[@missmaryrosaireanderson9033]

@@AmyJohnsonCrow I will need to wait until I get to the library to enlarge images, as I don't have a laptop or a desktop (Thank the Almighty than the pandemic from h_ _ _ is nearly over and libraries have open for awhile!)By the way when did people have to turn in their census forms?

[@stephaniejames4940]

I signed up on Ancestry to get notifications for States I'm interested in.

[@janebuckeye]

I'm only 23 minutes in to the replay. You can type the state or city/county without scrolling within the drop-down box.

[@russellbickford7890]

We all learn to fill out as much information that we have and then let it search. If you don't find the person actually put in less information. It will bring up more records then needed but then you can go through all those records and you might find what you are looking for. example my great uncle Wellington Bickford. Look it up and you won't find it because the program has it as Mellington Pickford.

[@MrLUISBERRIOS]

I'am from Puerto Rico. Waiting to start working...

[@lindacarroll6896]

I am going to look for me.

[@aidanfries1540]

its a pity we can't specify first name and second name separately, and it should only return people that match both. If you search for John Smith, you get all Johns and all Smiths. I guess this will improve

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

It likely won’t improve on the National Archives website. However, as indexes come online at Ancestry, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage, the searching will become much more robust (and accurate).

[@susanb0216]

As anticipated, I am not on the 1950 census although being born in 1946. No family member ever wanted to claim me. For some crazy reason I guess they thought I was devil possessed. How stupid--old traditions, wives tales, etc.

[@AmyJohnsonCrow]

Don't give up. Wait for the improved index on Ancestry and FamilySearch and search for yourself there. You might be in a different location than you're expecting.