Editor's Note: This article is the first in a two-part series. Read Part 2.

Beginning genealogists are an active bunch when they discover the federal census. A quick rush of adrenaline and a feeling of immediate gratification come when the genealogist starts to "leapfrog"—just find John Doe in the 1920 census and in every previous census until his birth, and your genealogy is finished!

Resist the temptation to believe that, just by tracking your ancestor in every census, you have "done your genealogy." During the ten-year census interval, he or she may have traveled to Europe, fought a war, or panned for gold, and come home again. Most census research involves microfilm. The National Archives and its regional archives have microfilm copies of all available federal censuses for the entire United States. In addition, many large libraries also have all available censuses. Smaller libraries may have all microfilms for a particular state or county. Also, the National Archives and various other organizations have programs for purchasing or renting specific rolls.

The key word in the above paragraph is "available." Know what is and is not available. For example, most of the 1890 census was destroyed in a fire. For the entire U.S., only three rolls of microfilm contain all the existing fragments. The names in these fragments have been indexed on two separate rolls.

Also, the latest available census is the 1920 census. For privacy reasons, federal censuses remain closed for 72 years following the enumeration date of the census. The 1930 census will not be available until 2002. However, since there may be a real need to see information in restricted censuses (1930 and later), information can be released to those named on the census or to their heirs (on proof of death) or their legal representatives. This information doesn't come cheaply; a search fee of $40 is imposed. Details are available from the Bureau of the Census, P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, ID 47131.

To find a specific individual, begin with the latest available census in which he or she should appear. You should also know a state of residence. An ancestor who died in 1918 won't appear in 1920, but his widow and children may. If you know their names, certainly search the 1920 census.

To assist in your search, consult the Soundex, a system of indexing surnames by grouping names that sound alike, even though they are spelled differently. (For more information on the Soundex, see "Documents in Detail: 1900 Census Soundex" by Kathi Sittner in Ancestry 12:1, January/February 1994). Each surname is given a Soundex code of the surname's first letter plus three numbers representing the name's remaining consonants. Once you have coded your surnames, keep a list so you won't have to look up the information repeatedly.

The 1920 Census is Soundexed for every state, as is the 1900 Census. But the 1910 Census is Soundexed for only 21 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The 1880 Census is Soundexed for every state, but it includes only those households that included children 10 years old and under. This is because the Soundex was a project of the Work Projects Administration; the government needed to know how many people were eligible for benefits under the new Social Security program. Therefore, if the family consisted only of children over 10 years old, or only of adults, it was not Soundexed because no one was eligible for Social Security benefits.

Within the Soundex code, first names are arranged alphabetically by head of household. There is also a listing for people whose surnames differ from that of the head of household. When searching the 1920 Ohio Soundex for Charles L. Herrick, I first coded the surname. The code for "Herrick" is H620, which is also the code for Harris, among other names. Under those names coded H620, first names are alphabetized (e.g., Alan, Albert, Arthur, Bart, and so on). I forwarded the film to Charles, a large category. Within this category, the first names were further subdivided by the state of birth. Thus, all individuals named Charles who were born in Ohio were listed before those named Charles born in Pennsylvania. I therefore checked the H620 names for Charles, born in Pennsylvania, but none matched mine. I reversed the film to those with the first name C.L.; still nothing. Finally, I found him after all the "Charles" listings, under Charley. (Later alphabetic listings included Charlie, a spelling he often used.)

In the Soundex, copy the information at the top of the card and the first few lines. Look for the Soundex code, the state, county, township, and other designation, such as volume, "E.D." (enumeration district) number, sheet, and line. The Soundex for Chicago is called a Miracode; it looks like a computerized version of a Soundex. On this type, you need the county and the 11-digit number from the top right corner of the card. This number is divided into three parts: volume, enumeration district, and family number. This data is needed to return to the actual census microfilm, which is divided by state, then county, then township or city. People on the census rolls are listed in the order in which they were visited by the enumerator. (Also of note: Soundex film is 16 mm wide; actual census film is 35 mm wide.)

Censuses before 1880, which are not Soundexed, are often indexed in book form. The indexes may have been prepared commercially (usually statewide, such as 1830 Indiana), or by a library or society (statewide or for only one county, such as 1870 Vigo County, Indiana). With advanced computer indexing now possible, indexes are being prepared more easily than ever. Names within these books are alphabetized. If the family spelled the name differently than you do, or the enumerator spelled it differently, or the indexer interpreted the handwriting differently, you will have to be creative and check alternate spellings.

Censuses, Soundexes, and indexes are not infallible. People may have been missed or misplaced along the way. If your ancestor doesn't appear in a Soundex or index, and you're reasonably certain he or she was in the county at census time, you must search the film line by line. Remember spelling or handwriting variations may cause you to pass the family by. My ancestors, John O. and Mary J. Hale, and their son, William F., appear in an Iowa census as John Q. and Mary H. Hall and son, William T.

In looking for my grandmother, Eugenia, in the 1920 census in Chicago, the family had a "Eugene" listed, a son. This was obviously an error by the enumerator, since there was no male "Eugene" in the household. The enumerator could have been given incorrect information, or missed the family entirely.

When searching microfilm, be sure to copy all data associated with it. The National Archives gives each roll of census and Soundex a series number and roll number. Other libraries may use other numbers. Whatever the source of the film you use, copy all information from the box label and the title at the beginning of the roll. It's easier to extract census data onto blank forms. These forms contain the census categories as they appear on microfilm, with blank spots for the information. There are different forms for different census years, since the questions often differed from census to census. The National Archives has prepared a census data form, and the forms are also available for sale from other companies through genealogical supply catalogs. Some books, like Emily Croom's Unpuzzling Your Past, contain master census forms. You can remove these and photocopy as many as you need.

Next time, I'll give tips for extracting information from censuses that provide hints on what to look for when viewing microfilm and listing useful addresses.