South Bay Cities Genealogical Society

Promoting Genealogical Education and Research in Southern California's South Bay

Beginner's Basics

Keeping Up With the Joneses

by Connie Moretti

How did your ancestral family compare to their neighbors? The answers to this question will help you to better understand them and their position in their community.

Working back through the United States Federal Census can provide much of this information. In 1930, people reported whether they rented or owned their residence and the value of the property or the monthly rent. Attendance at school and literacy were also reported. Perhaps the most interesting question was whether they owned a radio. In 1930, when radio was still a fairly new phenomenon, this identifies them as being at the front of the crowd.

In 1920, although no dollar value was reported, residents were asked if their property was owned, mortgaged or rented, and literacy questions were included. The 1910 enumeration included literacy and home ownership questions and also asked if an individual had been out of work, and if so, for how long. Home ownership and education questions were also part of the 1900 census. Although the 1880 census did not include home ownership questions, literacy was a part of the questionnaire. In addition, columns 15 through 19 contain health questions.

Starting in 1850, reports included the value of real estate owned by the family. The 1860 and 1870 censuses added the value of personal estate to that of real estate. This personal estate could include livestock, machinery and tools. The dollar amounts reported in these three censuses can be quite revealing. And, as with the other years, literacy questions were included.

It's important, if you want to fully understand your ancestors, to read a number of pages before and after their census entry. Ten plus ten is a good rule of thumb — ten pages before and ten after their listing. Careful reading of these twenty pages will show you where your family fits in the community. Are most other families wealthier, poorer, or about the same as yours? How do their property holdings compare? Are most of their neighbors renters or owners? What is the literacy and education level in the community? Do all the children attend school? Are the women as well as the men able to read and write?

What about the years before 1850 and from 1880 to 1920? Although those census records can give you a broad feeling for your ancestral community, personal wealth was not included. It is at this point that tax lists become extremely valuable. In many areas, detailed tax lists are available back to the late 1700's. At the very minimum, these lists include the number of acres owned. Sometimes the acreage is identified by quality — first, second or third rate land. Often the amount of livestock and certain other items, such as carriages or billiard tables, will be taxed. Just as with the census, it is possible to glimpse your family's community standing rather quickly.

Other lengthier documents such as deeds, wills, court minutes, and newspapers will provide more details about your family, but for a reasonably quick understanding of their status, census enumerations and tax lists cannot be equaled.

[First appeared in The Beacon, July/August 2009.]