Tip Page for July 2003
Finding a relative who lived in a big city can be a daunting task in any census year, but especially in the more recent censuses when the cities had grown to hundreds of thousands or more. If you have access to a name index and find your relative's name or family listed, you're in luck. That's not always possible. Fortunately, if you know or can find the person's street address, there's a tool to help you. What you need is the Enumeration District your person lived in. Steve Morse's site Obtaining EDs for the 1930 census enables you to specify the state, the city, and the street address. This narrows your search to a small number.
For example, I wanted to find my newly-married parents in Sioux City, Iowa, when the 1930 census came out. There are 78,814 census households for Sioux City in 1930, and 56 Enumeration Districts in which those households are listed. Fortunately, I knew that my parents were living with my grandparents at 1201 South Cecilia Street. I went to Steve Morse's site, chose the state, the city, and the street; and immediately narrowed the search to three EDs (62-63-64). On the same page is a box to enter the number of the street address and go to a map (Yahoo or MapQuest) that shows the present-day location of the address you're seeking. In some cases that will enable you to pick the right ED immediately. But searching three is a whole lot better than searching 56!
The site has other features worth exploring, including an FAQ section that tells you what to try if you do not know your person's exact address.
Using a site map is sometimes a good way to find out the nature and scope of a website and to find the specific information you're seeking. Consider the Iowa State Historical Society, a site every Iowa genealogist should be familiar with. The home page provides a nicely organized overview of what you can explore there. It highlights special events and recent publications, awards, and news. It lists the major sections of the site, e.g., the Archives, the Museum, the Library, Publications, etc. This is a well-done, easy-to-use home page. But look too at the site map (a prominent link on the home page). This is a fast, text-only trip through the whole site, providing details about each major section and linking to those specific sections. A good site map can often get you where you want to be as fast as, or faster than, the home page. Don't forget to check it out.
The Spanish American War Centennial Website is the place to start if you're researching an ancestor who served in that war. In addition to a wealth of general information and tips, it lists rosters for many companies, including the 51st Iowa Volunteers, Company M. Another site to look at for the 51st is David Lovell's The 51st Iowa Volunteers; many links are unfortunately broken, but some are still active.
In addition, an
article you can order through interlibrary loan at your library is H. Roger
Grant, editor. "Letters From the Philippines: The 51st Iowa Volunteers
at War, 1898-1899." Palimpsest, (November-December 1974), pp.
162-177.
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