Release of 1940 Census records strains National Archives website

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | April 2, 2012 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[Brown Deer]

The 1940 census records were released this morning, and the National Archives website buckled under the load.

About 1.9 million users hit the archives servers in the first four hours the data went public, but many of those users got no further than a screen that said “Preparing Image.”

[bgill]

Not to mention it’s of practically no use since it’s indexed by enumeration districts and not by the person’s last name.

[Lmo56]

Unless you know the location of the person in question - you ain’t gonna be able to get their info ...

For example, I know that a distant aunt and two cousins lived in a certain ward of Hartford, CT [as of the 1930 Census]. ASSUMING, they remained there for the 1940 Census, I would have to download ALL of the digital images for that ward and comb through them one-by-one to find my relatives ...

The NAME SEARCH for the 1940 Census IS NOT available at this time ...

[Brown Deer]

so was the 1930 census when it was first released.

[Brown Deer]

I would have to download ALL of the digital images for that ward and comb through them one-by-one to find my relatives ...

Better than having to travel somewhere and scroll through microfilm.

[oh8eleven]

I've subscribed to Ancestry for about four years and quite frankly, it's worth every dollar they charge (~ $150/yr).
I was able to find two totally lost generations and even met a "missing cousin."

[Brown Deer]

at ancestry.com, the following have completed uploading:
American Samoa, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, Indiana, Maine, Nevada, Panama Canal Zone, Rhode Island, Virgin Islands

and the following is in the processs of being uploaded:
California, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia

[oh8eleven]

Thanks - I’m a “New Yawker.”

[bgill]

Better than having to travel somewhere and scroll through microfilm.

One doesn't travel somewhere to scroll through microfilm. They travel somewhere to look at the actual documents. Just like Hussein's BC, don't cha know.

[Lauren BaRecall]

This has sometimes worked for me: look up every 5 - 10 pages or so to find the street, then fine tune accordingly. Look up a street map to see the streets in the neighborhood.

Nothing beats an every name search, but this hit and miss technique has saved me time. Even with a name database, sometimes the name is so badly misspelled, this technique has helped me.

Also - if you can get your hands on a city directory, you can get an idea if they’re in the same place. I’d do that first. Maybe you can connect with someone on the genealogical act of random kindness website to do a look up for you. Or the message boards on ancestry.com. If your family was in NYC, I would do it for you.

[TonyInOhio]

My family has lived in this part of Ohio since the 1830s. Two of my aunts began to research our family tree in the mid-1970s, leading to a compliation of my father's family tree through six generations, back to the homeplace in Germany. I marvel when I leaf through the book they wrote based on their research, which numbers five hundred and thirty-eight pages, knowing that they completed the task using index cards, handwritten letters, and typewriters.

So, no need for me to look up the 1940 Census date. :)

[catfish1957]

As an advanced genealogist, I can not tell you how angry I am at Ancestry right now. This free 1940 census fiasco has bogged the system down to molases.

Add this to their sponsorship of "Who Do You think You Are".......... You would think Ancestry and NBC could find one non-liberal to trace their ancestry.