I've never thought about keeping track of this information this way before. This is a great idea!!! Carolyn Caplinger genbuff@atlascomm.net ----- Original Message ----- From: <MyKithNkin@aol.com> To: <GenTips-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, December 01, 2000 10:13 PM Subject: Re: [GT] Census Programs > Well, I haven't found a census program, but this is how I kept track: > > I used a spreadsheet program (use excel or microsoft works). I took the > surname that I was working on and went to the oldest person on the list and > started with him. > > In the first column, I listed every individual in his line that I was > interested in (In-laws included). > In the following columns, I labeled the top of the column with the year of > the Census (1810, 1820, 1830 etc...) You will need to print this out in > LANDSCAPE form as it is too wide for portrait printing and you will need to > adjust the size of your columns. If anyone wants to see an actual page, I'd > be happy to download one to them. > > Then, in each column under there, I put the STATE initials that I expected to > find them in next to the person's name....It would look something like this: > (Forgive the different servers that don't line up the columns right) > > Name 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 > 1880 1900 > Smith, John X MS MS LA LA TX > X X X > > I put the X showing that he would not be in the 1810 census because he was > born in 1805. Then I put the X in the 1870, 1880, 1900 etc census because he > died in 1863. > > I make the spreadsheet print out the gridlines so they columns are separated. > When I find the census he was in, I bring a yellow highlighter with me and > color in the square. That way I can easily see which ones I have found. > > Hope that helps some.....It takes a little while to type the thing up, but > believe me, it has saved me many a time at the files trying to remember who I > needed to get. I also put a Comments column, so that when I didn't find them > in the state that I thought they would be in, I let myself know that they may > have been on the "move" or in another state. > > Lisa >