Free Census Project (USGenWeb) - Transcribing Help Index (2024)

USGenWeb Free Census Project Help, 1920 Census Help

Remember, please sign up with a State Census Coordinator before beginning a transcription.

The following following are available to our volunteer transcribers so that our file managers can convert them to the standardized text output to meet the goals of the project.

CENTRANS (MAC & PC) Centrans Instructions and Help

We have the following templates available for download: MSExCel Spreadsheet | MSWorks Spreadsheet | Tab Text Templates

[Note: These are zipped and are also available by request from Maggie Stewart. Please use "templates" as the subject of your email and include what year and type of template that you need.]

Header Information That's Needed:


Part A

Part B

Part C

Part D

Part E
  • Census Year 1920
  • Microfilm # (NARA Microfilm Series T625.) T625-1380
  • State Ohio (Click on Part A above)
  • County Franklin (Click on Part A above)
  • Township or other division of county Precinct A. - Insert proper name and, also, name of class, as township, town, precinct, district, hundred, beat, etc. (Click on Part A & B above)
  • Name of Incorporated Place City of Columbus - Insert proper name and, also, name of class, as city, village, town, or borough. (Click on Part C & D above)
  • Ward of city. 11 (Click on Part E above)
  • Name of Institution - Insert name of institution, if any, and indicate the lines on which the entries are made. (Click on Part A & B above) NOTE: Please put the name of theinstitution in the remarks next to each applicable line where entered.
  • Supervisor's District No. 12th (Click on Part E above)
  • Enumeration District No. 183rd (Click on Part E above)
  • Enumerator Otto H Slageford (Click on Part E above)
  • Enumeration Date 3rd DAY OF January, 1920 (Click on Part C, D & E above)
  • Transcriber - Your name here Maggie Stewart
  • Proofreader - If proofread, put their name here. If you don't have one, put Not Proofread.
  • Remarks (This is for something that refers to the entire sheet/page)

Columns present in the census: [Columns highlightedin red are additional columns that we require to be filled out unless otherwise noted.]

(*)Page # The 1900, 1910 and 1920 preprinted census forms have a space called "Sheet No." with a line to be filled out by the enumerator underneath it and a stamped "A" or "B" to the right of that line. The filled in number and the printed "A" or "B" are theactual page number. The Page Number on the example page is 4B. We askthat you fill in the page numbers on the far left hand side of the templates for each line on eachpage. (Click on Part E above)
(*)Sheet # - These were added many years after the census was completed. They are small stamped numbers, usually located somewhere on the upper right part of the right hand page which is the "B" half. For an example click on the image to the left. The Sheet Number on this example image is 245B (Page Number with this is 1A.). NOTE: If the page ends in A then the sheet will end in B. We ask that you fill in the sheet numbers on the far left hand side of the templates, just to the right of the page numbers, for each line on each page.

See "Page and sheet numbering system" for an indepth explaination. If youstill have questions, please contact your State Census Coordinator for further clarification.

(*)Line # (These run 1-100 with 1-50 on the first page and 51-100 on the second page then repeats in two page cycles.)
--PLACE OF ABODE.
(1)Name of Street, avenue, road, etc. (Fill in every line even if theenumerator didn't) Note this is usually written sideways up the sheet.
(2)House Number or farm, etc. (Fill in every line even if theenumerator didn't)
(3)Number of Dwelling House in order of visitation. (Fill in every line even if theenumerator didn't)
(4)Number of Family in order of visitation. (Fill in every line even if theenumerator didn't)
--NAME of each person whose

place of abode

on January 1, 1920, was in this family. Enter the surname first, then the given name and middle initial, if any. (NOTE: In our templates we separate the surname from the given name.) Include every person living on January 1, 1920. OMIT children born since January 1, 1920.
(5)Last Name (Do not put all in capitals)
(5)First Name
--RELATION.
(6)Relationship of each person to the head of the family.
---TENENT.
(7)Home Owned or Rented.
(8)If Owned, free or mortgaged.
--PERSONAL DESCRIPTION.
(9)Sex.
(10)Color or Race.
(11)Age last birthday.
(12)Single, married, widowed, or divorced.
--CITIZENSHIP.
(13)Year of Immigration to the United States.
(14)Naturalized or Alien.
(15)If naturalized, year of naturalization.
--EDUCATION.
(16)Attended School any time since Sept. 1, 1919.
(17)Whether able to read.
(18)Whether able to write.
--NATIVITY AND MOTHER TONGUE. Place of birth of each person and parents of each person enumerated. If born in the United States, give the State or Territory. If of foreign birth, give the place of birth and, in addition, the mother tongue.
-PERSON.
(19)Place of birth.
(20)Mother Tongue.
-FATHER.
(21)Place of birth.
(22)Mother Tongue.
-MOTHER.
(23)Place of birth.
(24)Mother Tongue.
(25)Whether able to speak English.
--OCCUPATION.
(26)Trade, profession, or particular kind of work done, as Spinner, Salesman, laborer, etc.
(27)Industry, business, or establishments in which at work, as cotton mill, dry goods store, farm, etc.
(28)Employer, salary or wage worker, or working on own account.
(29)Number of farm schedule.
(*)Transcriber's Remarks (Fill this outonly if some additional comment is needed.)

Special Notes/Comments:

  1. Example of online completed 1920 census transcription. (This output was done using the CenTrans software.)
  2. States with surviving 1920 census schedules:
    • Alabama
    • Alaska Territory
    • American Samoa Possession
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Canal Zone
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • District of Columbia
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Guam Possession
    • Hawaii Territory
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Midway Possession (w. Hawaii)
    • Minnesota
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • Oklahoma
    • Oregon
    • Overseas and Shipboard Military
    • Pennsylvania
    • Puerto Rico Possession
    • Rhode Island
    • South Carolina
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virginia
    • Wake Island Possession
    • Washington
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin
    • Wyoming

When transcribing the census, MAKE A BACKUP COPY!

Volunteer

  • Fast Menu
    1790 | 1800 | 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940
  • Subdistricts and Enumeration Districts
  • Page and sheet numbering system
  • About the header on each page
  • About the columns on each page
  • Various sources of the census records
  • EXAMPLES of how you will see names on the census
  • Census Transcribing FAQs
  • HISTORY of the United States Federal Census, 1790-1920
  • Notes for you to keep while working on your transcription
  • A basic overview of the census and its history
  • What is involved in being a second transcriber?
  • Free Census Project (USGenWeb) - Transcribing Help Index (7)
  • This page was last updated .
  • Free Census Project (USGenWeb)  - Transcribing Help Index (2024)

    FAQs

    Can census records be transcribed? ›

    Transcribing census records in spreadsheets is the best way to: avoid errors recorded by indexers. prevent overlooking relevant information.

    How can I view US census records online for free? ›

    You can access census records many different ways: View digitized Census Records online through one of our partners, ancestry.com or familysearch.org. (Familysearch.org is free-of-charge.

    How do you transcribe genealogy records? ›

    A transcription for genealogical purposes is an exact copy, either handwritten or typed, of an original document. The key word here is exact. Everything should be rendered exactly as found in the original source - spelling, punctuation, abbreviations and the arrangement of text.

    What types of records can be transcribed? ›

    Many of the documents at the National Archives are handwritten records such as letters, memos, and reports. Transcribing these primary sources helps us increase accessibility to historical records so that all of us can more easily read, search for, and use the information they contain.

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Article information

    Author: Foster Heidenreich CPA

    Last Updated:

    Views: 6176

    Rating: 4.6 / 5 (76 voted)

    Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Foster Heidenreich CPA

    Birthday: 1995-01-14

    Address: 55021 Usha Garden, North Larisa, DE 19209

    Phone: +6812240846623

    Job: Corporate Healthcare Strategist

    Hobby: Singing, Listening to music, Rafting, LARPing, Gardening, Quilting, Rappelling

    Introduction: My name is Foster Heidenreich CPA, I am a delightful, quaint, glorious, quaint, faithful, enchanting, fine person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.