1910 Census
The 1910 census was begun
on 15 April 1910. The enumeration was to be completed within thirty days, or
two weeks for communities with populations of more than five thousand.
Questions Asked in the 1910 Census
The 1910 census schedules record each person’s name and relationship to the
head of household; sex; color or race; age at last birthday; marital status;
length of present marriage; if a mother, number of children and number of
living children; birthplace and parents’ birthplaces; if foreign born, year
of immigration and citizenship status; language spoken; occupation; type of
industry employed in; whether employer, employee, or self-employed; number
of weeks unemployed in 1909 if applicable; ability to read and write; if
attended daytime school since 1 September 1909; if home was rented or owned;
if owned, whether free or mortgaged; if home was a house or a farm; if a
veteran of the Union or Confederate army or navy; if blind in both eyes, and
if deaf and dumb. The Indian schedule also recorded the tribe and/or band.
Research Tips for the 1910 Census
The quality of the microfilming of the 1910 census seems especially poor
when compared to other census schedules. Overexposure in microfilming
schedules for Mississippi, for example, rendered hundreds of pages
illegible. Additionally, the omission rate in the 1910
Miracode/Soundex
appears to be greater than in most other indexes. In many cases, individuals
not indexed are indeed present in the census schedules, so it is especially
advisable for researchers to continue a search in the actual schedules even
though a name fails to show up in an index.
The 1910 census, while not providing as much precise
information as the 1900 census (such as exact birth month, years married,
and number of children born to the mother), is still a good tool for
determining approximate dates and places to search for marriage records,
birth and death records of children, and the marriages of children not
listed. The 1910 census sometimes makes it possible to verify family
traditions, identify unknown family members, and link what is known to other
sources, such as earlier censuses, naturalization records (especially
declarations of intent to become citizens), school attendance rolls,
property holdings, and employment and occupational records. These records
will also verify Civil War service, trace and document ethnic origins, and
locate military and naval personnel in hospitals, ships, and stations and
those stationed in the Philippines, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.