Read Between Those Lines

Do genealogists find only gold dust when they’re really digging for nuggets as they read the U.S. censuses, those veritable gold mines of records?

That was the question posed by Judith Svoboda during the October Rendezvous, a genealogy seminar sponsored by Heritage Quest Research Library in Orting, Wash.

Often, nuggets can be mined from between the lines of census records, Svoboda said, and gave suggestions on how to read between those lines:

What lines do we read? Do we take the time to get to the original and actual census record, or do we stop with an index or a Soundex? Worse yet, do we sit back contentedly with compiled records?

Her next question was, “Who determines what information we may or may not find on these lines?” The answer is a long list of folks: the census taker, the filmer, the abstracter and the index compiler.

Then, she asked, “What sort of people problems might have been inherent in getting this information on to the lines? People problems mean problems with personalities, ethnicity, language, hearing and eyesight. (Not to mention the horse and the buggy, I would suppose.) Errors of omission occur here, too.

Do genealogists realize, she asked, that the census can tell us more than we’d first guess about our ancestors? Then she outlined things like vital statistics, physical characteristics, social history, residences, citizenship and relationships.

Svoboda gave sound advice on how to refine our census-searching techniques. Here are her suggestions:

Know what you’re looking for and be sure you’re looking in the right place.

Have a list of names you’re looking for in that area.

Create a profile or timeline for each individual on the list.

Have a county map on hand.

Do not stop with an index or Soundex search.

Analyze each entry completely.

Record ALL data from the entry, including the top of the page.

Consider the individual, the family, the dwelling and the neighborhood.

Locate the individual on all schedules on which he/ she might logically appear.

Assume all is in error.

Assume all is correct.

Analyzing the census data is often the most tricky and certainly the most overlooked part of the process. Svoboda emphasized we must think when using census records and not get carried away with our excitement upon finding that one name.

Here are her suggestions for questions we should ask as we analyze an entry:

Does the entry support what I believe to be true?

Does the entry contradict what I believe to be true?

Does the entry provide new information?

Does the entry suggest specific records to consult?

Does the entry suggest new avenues of research?

Does anything in the entry give me pause?

How can I explain these facts?

Svoboda finished her talk by encouraging us all to practice reading between those census lines, and assured us that not only is there gold dust in this gold mine of records, but sparkling nuggets, too.

Today’s Laugh: Pendleton Messenger, July 9, 1823: Maj. William G. GUN was married in Petersburg, Vir., on the 9th inst., to Miss Emily M. PISTOL, by the Rev. Mr. CANNON.

, DataTimes MEMO: Donna Potter Phillips welcomes letters from readers. Write to her at The Spokesman-Review, Features Department, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. For a response, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

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