Di & List, I guess Census is the topic of the day. It is a good one and a primary source for all researchers. A couple of additional comments based on my "lessons learned" from the census. First, the census films available from the LDS are the same as those from the National Archives. The LDS didn't film any of the federal census records. All of their films are copies of the originals done by the Archives (NARA). The LDS have filmed many off-year state census records. The census indexes on Ancestry.Com and/or from most books for 1790-1860 are 90% from those done by Ron Jackson's company, Accelerated Indexing Systems (AIS) of Ogden/Logan?? Utah. So far as I know, Ron's company closed or something years ago. It was a private indexing service and Ancestry purchased his database at some point. I can't locate the paper written on them, but it explains that these, like most "human" transcribed records, contain many errors. They are very well done, but probably are missing about 5% or so of the actual records. I have found that personally while looking for my GGG Grandfather Benjamin E. Taft in the 1860 Ohio census index. He is there, but he's not found in the index. Another problem is page numbers. I have found many irregularies, particularly in the 1860 indexes. Many families are 3-4 pages off of what the index says. Below is a web site I located with a bit of data on the AIS indexes: http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/ais.htm A quote it has says: "Regarding the page numbers indicated in the AIS Indexes -- use them as a "loose" guide. The census microfilms I've reviewed have three different page numbers listed on each page. Its easy to get confused, and it seems the AIS indexers sometimes used one, and then another of those numbers. Sometimes, the actual census entry was a page or two before or after the page indicated in the index. So I'd say -- "Be flexible!" I have personally experienced the "what page number is this" syndrome over the years. There are numbers on the pages written by the enumerators, others stamped on the pages, and yet other's handwritten on the pages when they were bound. Our ancestors made this a challenge for us. It gives one a headache at times. In recent years Heritage Quest has published many indexes for the 1870 census. They have accomplished a daunting task and their indexes are quite good. Of course, the 1880 "all-name" census index/full transcription done by the LDS is the best. For $49 (including shipping) you get some 56 CD's with over 50 million names. These are searchable by name nationally and by state. Most, if not all, LDS family history centers have these CD's. Or you can order the set from http://www.familysearch.org. Click on Order/Download Products. The order number is 50168000. Speaking of 1850 Grant Co., some years ago I was sent the following "definition" of District #24 in Grant Co: Some of the townships in District 24 are the areas of Mt. Hope, Patch Grove, Bloomington, Little Grant, Liberty, Lancaster, Hurricane, Beetown, North Andover, Waterloo, British Hollow, Potosi, Tennyson, Glen Haven, Cassville. Please share any good census searching articles you locate and I will do the same. I have seen several over the years, but can't recall if they were on-line, in genealogy books, or in genealogy periodicals. Dave Taft

Dave, thanks. I appreciate your expertise, and your spot on this list! :)) Mari At 10:39 PM 2/7/02 , David W. Taft wrote: >Di & List, > >I guess Census is the topic of the day. It is a good one and a primary >source for all researchers. > >A couple of additional comments based on my "lessons learned" from the >census. > >First, the census films available from the LDS are the same as those from >the National Archives. The LDS didn't film any of the federal census >records. All of their films are copies of the originals done by the >Archives (NARA). The LDS have filmed many off-year state census records. > >The census indexes on Ancestry.Com and/or from most books for 1790-1860 are >90% from those done by Ron Jackson's company, Accelerated Indexing Systems >(AIS) of Ogden/Logan?? Utah. So far as I know, Ron's company closed or >something years ago. It was a private indexing service and Ancestry >purchased his database at some point. I can't locate the paper written on >them, but it explains that these, like most "human" transcribed records, >contain many errors. > >They are very well done, but probably are missing about 5% or so of the >actual records. I have found that personally while looking for my GGG >Grandfather Benjamin E. Taft in the 1860 Ohio census index. He is there, >but he's not found in the index. > >Another problem is page numbers. I have found many irregularies, >particularly in the 1860 indexes. Many families are 3-4 pages off of what >the index says. Below is a web site I located with a bit of data on the AIS >indexes: > >http://members.aol.com/dearmyrtle/ais.htm > >A quote it has says: > >"Regarding the page numbers indicated in the AIS Indexes -- use them as a >"loose" guide. The census microfilms I've reviewed have three different page >numbers listed on each page. Its easy to get confused, and it seems the AIS >indexers sometimes used one, and then another of those numbers. Sometimes, >the actual census entry was a page or two before or after the page indicated >in the index. So I'd say -- "Be flexible!" > > >I have personally experienced the "what page number is this" syndrome over >the years. There are numbers on the pages written by the enumerators, >others stamped on the pages, and yet other's handwritten on the pages when >they were bound. Our ancestors made this a challenge for us. It gives one >a headache at times. > >In recent years Heritage Quest has published many indexes for the 1870 >census. They have accomplished a daunting task and their indexes are quite >good. > >Of course, the 1880 "all-name" census index/full transcription done by the >LDS is the best. For $49 (including shipping) you get some 56 CD's with >over 50 million names. These are searchable by name nationally and by >state. Most, if not all, LDS family history centers have these CD's. Or >you can order the set from http://www.familysearch.org. Click on >Order/Download Products. The order number is 50168000. > >Speaking of 1850 Grant Co., some years ago I was sent the following >"definition" of District #24 in Grant Co: Some of the townships in District >24 are the areas of Mt. Hope, Patch Grove, Bloomington, Little Grant, >Liberty, Lancaster, Hurricane, Beetown, North Andover, Waterloo, British >Hollow, Potosi, Tennyson, Glen Haven, Cassville. > >Please share any good census searching articles you locate and I will do the >same. I have seen several over the years, but can't recall if they were >on-line, in genealogy books, or in genealogy periodicals. > >Dave Taft > > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, >go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237