FamilySearch Posts Indiana 1940 Census Index

FamilySearch has posted a free index of Indiana in the 1940 census. The index is at https://familysearch.org/1940census/1940-census-indiana/ and also includes a link to the image of the specific census page. Both the index and the images are free to the public and are part of the 1940 Census Community Project. Way to go, volunteers!!

Allen County Society Completes 1940 Census Index

Congratulations to the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana! On June 1st, 16 volunteers from the society completed their index of the 1940 census for Allen County, which listed over 155,000 entries. This index is available for free in the Records section of their website and includes a link to the digital image of the census page.

Indiana 1940 Census Indexing Reaches 100% Again

According to FamilySearch's progress map for the 1940 census indexing project, Indiana has reached 100% again. In the coming weeks FamilySearch should begin getting the index ready to go online for searching. Once again we thank all the volunteers who have been indexing and helping to arbitrate the entries for the 3.4 million people living in Indiana in 1940. You may remember that in an earlier post, we told you how FamilySearch had discovered that several batches of the 1940 census for Indiana had not been loaded into the indexing software.

1940 Census Indexing Update: More Indiana Batches Found

Last week the FamilySearch progress map for the 1940 census indexing showed that Indiana had been completed and that they would be getting it ready to go online in the next few weeks. On Friday, FamilySearch discovered that it had in fact NOT loaded all of Indiana's 1940 census images into their indexing software, so additional indexing is needed before Indiana is completed.

From the FamilySearch Indexing Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/familysearchindexing):

"Indiana not complete for 1940 Census:
When we started the Indiana—1940 US Census indexing project, not all of the images and batches were included. We’ve now made all of them available, so Indiana appears on the Download Batch list again in the indexing program. The percentage complete has changed to 18%, instead of 100%. We’re very sorry for the confusion, but we hope all those indexers and arbitrators interested in Indiana will band together to increase that percentage again."

Understandably, the Indiana Genealogical Society is very disappointed with this development, as we all wanted to see the Indiana index complete. However, we are determined to keep working on the index and get it completed sooner rather than later. Please team up with us to help finish indexing the 1940 census by creating a FamilySearch indexing account and associating it with the Indiana Genealogical Society (Instructions on how to associate your account with a society are at http://the1940census.com/video-training/).

Some good news: FamilySearch is tracking the work of societies. The Indiana Geneaogical Society is currently ranked 6th among large societies and has the highest arbitration rate at 98%. Let’s see if we can make it to the top of the leaderboard!

• 1940 census indexing progress: http://www.familysearch.org/1940census
• 1940 census Society Contest Leader Board: http://the1940census.com/society/society-dashboard/

Questions about IGS and the 1940 census indexing can be sent to IGS Vice President Tina Lyons at genwishlist@gmail.com.

Indiana 1940 Census Indexing 100% Complete

According to FamilySearch's progress map, the indexing of Indiana in the 1940 census is 100% completed! What a fantastic job by all of the indexers and arbitrators. In the coming weeks FamilySearch will begin the process of getting the completed index online so it can be searched.

Indiana 1940 Census Indexing 90% Complete

According to FamilySearch's progress map, the indexing of Indiana in the 1940 census is now 90% completed! We have heard from several wanting to help index that there are no batches available for Indiana - that is because others have already downloaded the batches. We invite you to work on other states in the meantime - particularly Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio, where our Indiana ancestors may have ended up.

Indiana 1940 Census Indexing 25% Complete

According to FamilySearch's progress map, the indexing of Indiana's 1940 census is over 25% completed! Great work by all the indexers and arbitrators. If you would like to help, visit 1940 Census - Getting Started.

1940 Census Search Tip - Indianapolis

One of the research strategies for browsing for an ancestor in the 1940 census before an index is completed is to narrow down the enumeration districts you must browse, based on what their street address was in 1940. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) has digitized and indexed several Indianapolis city directories, including one for 1940.

Indiana 1940 Census Images Now Available For Indexing

The Indiana 1940 census images are now available for indexing with FamilySearch! You can join the Indiana Genealogical Society in helping to index these records as part of the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project (http://the1940census.com).

Start by watching the 1940 Census Indexing Training videos (https://the1940census.com/video-training/). There you will learn how to download the FamilySearch Indexing software, create a FamilySearch account, index the 1940 census and associate yourself with a society.

Make sure to associate your FamilySearch account with the Indiana Genealogical Society. This will make both you and our society eligible for prizes (https://the1940census.com/blog/games-prizes/). IGS receives credit for all 1940 census indexing, not just the Indiana census pages. So feel free to index states where your ancestors lived or to to index a batch from each state.

You can keep up to date on the progress of the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project at https://www.familysearch.org/1940census/ - the site has a map where you can hover your mouse over a particular state and see the percentage of records that have been indexed.

If you have any questions about how to help the Indiana Genealogical Society in indexing the 1940 census, please contact IGS Vice President Tina Lyons at genwishlist@gmail.com.

Indiana 1940 Census Images Online at Ancestry.com

The images from the 1940 census for all 92 of Indiana's counties are now online at Ancestry.com. Go to http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2442 and select Indiana from the State menu, then select from the County menu and the Enumeration District. These census images are browseable until an index is created; you can print the image or save the file to your computer.

Remember, these images are free to the public - you do not need a membership with Ancestry.com to view them.

IGS Adds April 2012 Newsletter To Members-Only

The Indiana Genealogical Society has added the April 2012 issue of IGS Newsletter, the society's bi-monthly newsletter for IGS members, to the Members Only area. IGS members can login to the IGS Records section to download their copy.

Besides the numerous news items from around the state, there is information about the 1940 census and a Q & A with Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak.

The newsletter is available for download in its regular size, as well as in a compressed version which downloads faster on slower Internet connections.

The newsletter is a premium database, accessible only to IGS members.

1940 Census Searching Tip for Lake County

One of the research strategies for browsing for an ancestor in the 1940 census before the every-name index is completed is to use the street address from their entry in the 1930 census. However, if your ancestor is in Lake County, researchers need to be aware that many street names in Hammond changed late in 1930 because of a city ordinance. For more information (including the names of the changed streets), visit http://www.hammondindiana.com/history/streets.htm

1940 Census Indexing Project Has 34,000 Volunteers

According to this post on the DearMYRTLE blog, FamilySearch is reporting that 34,000 people have signed up to help index the 1940 census when it is released to the public next week. The blog post also gives information about webinars that will be held each night next week at RootsMagic so indexers can get together and share any problems, insights, etc. they are experiencing.

The Indiana Genealogical Society is part of this indexing project. To learn more about how you can participate in this collaboration by the genealogy community, visit http://www.indgensoc.org/projects/1940_census.php

Indiana in the 1940 Census

The 1940 U.S. Federal Census will be released to the public on Monday, April 2, 2012. The digitized images will be available for free at http://1940census.archives.gov.

Here are some quick facts about Indiana in 1940:
--The population of the United States in 1940 was 132,164,569.
--3,458,567 people across the country listed Indiana as their birth place.
--The population of Indiana was 3,427,796, an increase of 5.8% from 1930.

In Indiana:
--There were 1,725,201 males and 1,1702,595 females.
--1,887,712 people lived in urban areas and 1,540,084 lived in rural areas.
--2,597,509 people were born and lived in Indiana in 1940.
--712,438 people lived in Indiana in 1940 but were born in another state.
--110,992 people lived in Indiana in 1940 but were born in another country.

--681,167 pupils attended school, 59% of children aged 5 to 24.
--1,151,703 people were employed and in the work force.

Within Indiana the top countries of birth outside the United States were:

• Germany: 18,784 people
• Poland: 14,257 people
• Italy: 6,309 people
• Czechoslovakia: 5,782 people
• Canada: 5,588 people
• England: 5,562 people
• Yugoslavia: 5,342 people

How are we going to find our relatives among almost 3 and a half million people in Indiana in 1940? Join with the Indiana Genealogical Society and other genealogy societies and organizations to make a free index to the 1940 census. Learn more about how you can help IGS at http://indgensoc.blogspot.com/2012/03/join-igs-in-indexing-1940-census.html.

Information gathered from http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1940.html

Allen County Library Offers 1940 Census Classes

At last, the 1940 Census will be available for free online on Tuesday, April 2 from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) website. Shortly after appearing on the NARA site, the 1940 census will be available at Archives.com, FamilySearch.org, and Ancestry.com. The indexing process will begin immediately, but it will be months before the entire 1940 census index is completed. While you are waiting for the name indices, you will need to search page by page for your ancestors, so The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is offering an "Introduction to the 1940 Census" class to provide information on narrowing your search. Sessions are available on Wednesday, March 28, from 2:30 - 3:30 pm, in Meeting Rooms B & C; Monday, April 2, from 2:30 - 3:30 pm, in Meeting Rooms A & B; and Saturday, April 7, 10:00 - 11:00 am, in Meeting Rooms A & B.

For more information, please see the brochure at http://www.genealogycenter.org/Libraries/2012_Brochures/Census.sflb.ashx. Please register for any of these sessions by calling (260) 421-1225 or sending an e-mail to Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

Learning How To Index The 1940 Census

The Indiana Genealogical Society has joined forces with genealogy societies and organizations around the country as part of the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project. The Project will make the index to the 1940 census free to everyone.

Here’s a few things to get you ready to index the 1940 census:

1. Sign up to index the 1940 census with IGS. Learn the details at http://indgensoc.blogspot.com/2012/03/join-igs-in-indexing-1940-census.html
2. Watch the FamilySearch videos to learn about their indexing program. These include the Indexing Quick Start video and Indexing Tutorial. Also read their Frequently Asked Questions.
3. Although you can’t index the 1940 census until it is released from the National Archives on April 2, FamilySearch has posted two test batches to give you some practice time. These are census images created by FamilySearch for training purposes and are not actual census images.
4. FamilySearch has a number of ongoing projects that will help you build your indexing skills:
   --California Great Registers, 1866-1910
   --Louisiana, New Orleans Passenger Lists
   --New Jersey 1905 State Census
   --Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910
   --If you want to index Indiana records, you can index the Indiana County Marriages 1811-1959.
   

Watch the training videos, download a few indexing batches and be sure to join IGS as we partner with other genealogy societies and organizations to make a free index to the 1940 U.S. Census.

Learn More About The 1940 Census

The 1940 U.S. Federal Census will be released to the public on Monday, April 2, 2012. The digitized images will be available for free at http://1940census.archives.gov.

You can learn more about the 1940 census at http://www.archives.gov/research/census/1940/. Find out what questions were asked, see sample forms, learn what the codes mean, and more.

You can also prepare for the census release by attending the many lectures on the 1940 census happening around the state. These include:

• "Get Ready for the 1940 Census!" at the Danville Public Library on Saturday, March 10 at 10:00 AM. The workshop is free but seating is limited - register online at the library's events calendar or by calling the Indiana Room at (317) 745-2604 ext. 140.
• "Introduction to the 1940 Census" at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne on Wednesday, March 28 at 2:30 PM, Monday, April 2 at 2:30 PM and Saturday, April 7 at 10:00 AM. Please register in advance for this free class. Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info.
• "Genealogy Roundtable: 1940 Census" at the Hamilton East Public Library in Noblesville on Tuesday, April 10 at 2:15 PM. No registration is required.
• "Learning the 1940 Census" at the Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis on Saturday, April 14 at 10:00 AM. Register online or call (317) 232-1882 for more information. Cost is $10; $8 for IHS members.
• "Ask The Expert: 1940 Census" at the Carmel Clay Public Library in Hamilton County on Thursday, April 19 at 7 pm. No registration is required.

Can’t attend any 1940 census classes in Indiana? Watch the recorded webinar by Thomas MacEntee, "Are You Ready for the 1940 U.S. Census Images?" from Legacy Family Tree. It is available for free until March 19, 2012 at http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/webinars.asp.

Now that you know more about the 1940 Census and are ready for the digitized images to be released, consider joining with the Indiana Genealogical Society and FamilySearch to create a free index to the entire 1940 Census. Find out how you can be a part of our efforts at http://indgensoc.blogspot.com/2012/03/join-igs-in-indexing-1940-census.html

Marion County Society To View Webinars At Meeting

The Genealogical Society of Marion County in Indianapolis will view and discuss webinars at its next meeting, to be held on Saturday, March 10th from 1 to 3 pm at the Crown Hill Cemetery Waiting Station (Boulevard at 34th Street, East Gate). Webinar is an abbreviation for "web-based seminar" - a method of education that is being increasingly utilized by various vendors including Ancestry and Family Tree University, as well as societies and professionals. At this meeting, Terry Prall, Programs & Education Director for GSMC, will lead a viewing and discussion of selected webinars, including "Navigating the 1940 Census" and "Organizing and Sharing Digital Images."

Admission is free and open to the public.

Join IGS In Indexing 1940 Census

The Indiana Genealogical Society has joined forces with genealogy societies and organizations around the country as part of the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project. The initiative aims to publish a free, online searchable name index of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census after images of the census are released to the public on Monday, April 2, 2012. This online index will be free forever, offering family history researchers a rich genealogical data set for their ongoing use. Three leading genealogy organizations, Archives.com, FamilySearch International, and FindMyPast.com, launched the initiative at the end of last year.

The index created by the project will allow the public to easily search every person found in the census and view digital images of the original census pages where he or she is listed - all for free!

Here’s how you can join IGS in the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project:

1. Go to http://the1940census.com/society/
2. Under “Society Members,” click the red “Get Started” button. (This will prompt you to download the FamilySearch Indexing software. Download it and install it on your computer.)
3. When you launch the indexing software, you will be asked to “Register for a New Account” or “Sign In.” (If you already have a FamilySearch account that you use for indexing or for access to record images, you can just sign in.)
4. The “Register for a New Account” button will take you to the FamilySearch website to set up your account. Fill in all the information.
5. Join the IGS group by e-mailing your username to Vice President Tina Lyons at genwishlist@gmail.com. Alternatively, you might see a drop down box when you register that will allow you to select IGS as your society.
6. Tell the 1940 U.S. Census Project that you want to help by entering your e-mail, name and favorite state at http://the1940census.com. This will let them know how many people are available to index and keep you informed about the project through e-mail.

Now that you have a FamilySearch account, the FamilySearch Indexing software and have added your name to the Indiana Genealogical Society’s efforts, it’s time to start practicing your indexing. We’ll have more blog posts soon to help you get started!