Genealogy Hints
Genealogical Society of Marion County, Indianaenumerator
Census records were generated by enumerators. Some who had very bad handwriting.
other censuses
Census were also done by States and Territories for various reasons.
Enumeration District
Starting in 1880, an Enumeration District consisted of not more than 4,000 persons assigned to one enumerator, or census taker.
Census facts?
Don't assume that all information in the census is correct. It's only as good as the knowledge of the person reporting it or recording it.
census timeline
Prepare a census timeline before you begin. Review what you will find in the census you are searching. Expect spelling and age variations.
last person on page
If you find your ancestor as the last person on the census page, make sure you check the next page for more information.
1890 census
The 1890 census was destroyed in a fire but many groups are now gathering other data to fill in this gap.
check neighbors
When you're working with census records, be sure to look at 10 families before and 10 families after the family you are researching. These folks are most likely the friends (and family) of your ancestor. They lived in community and they often moved as a group.
official census day
A person may not have been living on the day the census was actually taken (not the official day). However, all information is supposed to be "as of" the official census day.
Wife not mother?
Don't assume that all children listed in the census belong to the wife listed. This may be a second wife and the children a combination of "his and hers." Men frequently re-married quickly in order to provide for their children after the loss of a wife.