Unlocking a new door to the 1940s

1940 census details to be released to public

March 27, 2012|By Bill Daley, Tribune Newspapers

April 1, 1940: As a Depression-weary nation wondered if President Franklin Roosevelt would run for an unprecedented third term and where Nazi armies would strike next, some 120,000 census takers went to work counting people wherever and however they could — even if that meant driving a dog sled in the Alaska territory.


Searches are free, and you'll be able to download what you find. There's a catch: The government has not indexed the 1940 census by name; instead, you have to look up family and friend by where they lived via their "enumeration district." These census districts ranged in size from a few city blocks to entire towns depending on the population size. The website offers tips for helping you find the right district.

Be patient. The major genealogical websites are planning to put up searchable name indexes on their sites but that will take some time. One such company, MyHeritage.com, hopes to have the entire 1940 census completely searchable by name within a year, says Yuval Ben-Galim, company vice president.


The 1940 census was taken on the eve of America's entry into World War II as the Great Depression lingered and many New Deal programs were still active. Working mattered; there are 13 census questions on employment, notes Connie Potter, a reference archivist at the National Archives. While there's a broad social and historical significance to the 1940 census, there's the personal element as well.
