On the first Monday in September, U.S. residents celebrate Labor Day. It is also celebrated in other countries on various days. To many it is just a day off work. But Labor Day was designated as a tribute to the social and economic achievements and contributions of workers.
As with many things historical, there are differences about the origins. In honor of Labor Day, I urge you to investigate and celebrate your ancestral occupations.
Some Important U.S. Labor Day Milestones
- Before 1882: Parades honoring workers were held in cities around the world.
- 1882: First Labor Day parades are held in Providence, Rhode Island and New York City.
- 1887: Oregon is the first state to establish Labor Day as a holiday (first Saturday in June).
- 1887: Colorado. Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York observed Labor Day on the first Monday in September.
- 1894: Labor Day, the first Monday in September, becomes a U. S. federal holiday; Canada’s similar legislation followed a month later.
What Was Your Ancestor's Occupation?
Many of our ancestors changed jobs or held more than one job. Your farmer ancestor may have also been a teamster--using his horse and wagon to haul items for other people as a way to supplement the household finances. Women may have had an occupation before marriage. Depending upon the family’s financial status, an occupation outside the home may have continued for the woman. Use these historical sources to help determine what your ancestor did for a living.
- City Directories: Check each year as the occupation may change. The name of the employer may be listed; follow that up by checking the employer’s listing and there may even be a display ad for that company.
- County Histories: An ancestor’s biography entry might tell about occupations and employers; for business owners there may be a short history of the business.
- Estate Inventories: The listing of an ancestor’s belongings might list tools, supplies, or contents of a business as clues to the occupation (perhaps a furniture maker, shoemaker, farmer, harness maker, or patent medicine distributor!).
- Newspapers: Articles and advertisements may give a clue to an ancestor’s occupation or the local news column might give you a lead. Obituaries are often helpful in this regard; it may be the granduncle’s obituary that tells about the family blacksmith business.
- Church Record: In a Scottish church record I found a christening record that gave my great-great-grandfather’s occupation as jailer. At ScottishDocuments.com (http://www.scottishdocuments.com) a jailer is “one who keeps a jail or is responsible for the security of a jail.” In the U.S., the 1860, 1870, and 1880 censuses list him as a painter.
- Vital Records: If marriage license applications exist for your ancestral areas they may list the groom’s occupation. Once birth records became more standardized, there are usually spaces for the occupation of the mother and the father. Death records often asked for the deceased’s occupation.
- Meaning of the Name: Another great-great-grandfather was named Schleicher. I did some investigating and found that this meant “butcher” and by golly, that is what he was. The name became Americanized as Slaker when he came to Wisconsin.
- Place of Residence: Was it a company town, such as for a steel mill, a mining company, or a lumber camp? Did they live in a sea or river port? These may be pointers to possible occupations.
- Tradition: Does research show that most members of the ancestral family were saloonkeepers, farmers, or carpenters? This can help determine what the other family members may have done. Keep in mind they may have been involved in a related occupation. Did your ancestor in the marble business supply the marble for the relative who was a tombstone carver?
U.S. Census Clues
Beginning with the 1850 enumeration, the U.S. census included a column for occupation. The 1920 census asked, “trade, profession, or particular kind of work done; industry, business, or establishment in which at work; whether employer, salary or wage worker, or working on own account.” Earlier, the 1840 census asked for the number of individuals involved in mining, agriculture, commerce, manufacturing and trade, navigation of the ocean, navigation of canals, lakes and rivers, learned professions and engineers--all clues to occupations within household members. Some state census schedules also designate occupation such as the 1895 Iowa and the 1884 and 1894 Michigan enumerations.
Family Stories May Have a Bit of Truth
If the story about your great-grandmother says she attended Normal School, this was where she went to learn to be a teacher, not to become normal! A grandaunt told me her father was a police chief. She was young when he died and remembered his uniform. Turns out he was a volunteer fire captain--that was the uniform! You may find a relative does not want to tell you the truth about an ancestor’s occupation. Social status, even today, is overly important to some people and the family stories may reflect that. Does the story tell the great grandpa was a doctor when he really was a patent medicine salesperson?
More Assistance
To better understand what your ancestor’s occupation really meant, read articles about occupations in historical and genealogical publications. For example, over the years, there have been several “Ancestry Daily News” columns related to occupations, such as Pat Hatcher’s August 16 article on occupations related to shipbuilding.
Books, periodicals, and hereditary organizations exist for some occupations such as clockmakers, railroad telegraphers, or tavern keepers. RootsWeb has discussion lists related to specific occupations.
If you have found your relative in the Social Security Death Index, send for the social security application to find the name of the employer at the time of application. Directions for applying are listed at this site and others that have the SSDI.
Celebrate Your Ancestors
This Labor Day as you plan that picnic, barbecue, or just simply a day off work, remind yourself and your family about the importance of your ancestral occupations and how their hard work contributed to the country in which they lived. Share the story of what they did to eke out a living, how tough that life was, and maybe how that occupation was learned.
Some Additional Reading
Paula Stuart-Warren, CGRS, is a professional genealogist, consultant, writer, and lecturer. She has lectured all across the U.S. and coordinates the Intermediate Course, American Records & Research at the annual Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She is co-author of Your Guide to the Family History Library and an author for genealogical periodicals including Ancestry Magazine. She is a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota and spends many weeks each year at the Family History Library and the U.S. National Archives. Her roots include ancestors from seven different countries and researching them has given her broad experience and an occasional headache or two. Comments will reach her at PSWResearch@comcast.net.Paula is unable to answer individual genealogical research inquiries due to the volume of requests received.
Upcoming Appearances by Paula Stuart-Warren
(I enjoy meeting fellow genealogists at these events so please introduce yourself as an Ancestry Daily News reader.)
- 07 September 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah
Association of Professional Genealogists Professional Management Conference
www.apgen.org
- 07-11 September 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah
Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference
www.fgs.org
- 01 October 2005, St. Paul, Minnesota
Minnesota Historical Society
www.mnhs.org (click on library classes)
- 15 October 2005, Coon Rapids, Minnesota
2005 Northwest Metro Genealogy Conference
Irish Genealogical Society International and Anoka Community Education
www.irishgenealogical.org (click on Special Events)
- October 21, 2005, Regina, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Genealogical Society Annual Seminar
Celebrating the Saskatchewan Centennial
www.SaskGenealogy.com
- 05 November 2005, Grayslake, Illinois
Lake County Genealogical Society Annual Genealogy Workshop
www.rootsweb.com/~illcgs/index.htm
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