WVC Library Home Page > Research by Subject Menu > Genealogy

Online Census Resources

• Heritage Quest - if you are a resident served by North Central Regional Library you have online free access to Heritage Quest.  Call or e-mail them for the password to use this service.  HQ has ALL U.S. Federal census images but currently only the 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1860, 1870, 1910 and 1920 census are indexed (head of household indexes) .  HQ also has access to a large collection of print materials like family and county histories. For help printing census images on HQ go here
  
  
• Ancestry Images Online  - requires  subscription 
  
  
• Census Finder: a Directory of free census information on the web
  
  
• Census Links on the Internet - directory to free census information on the web - this is becoming an outstanding site and has links to census outside of the U.S. as well.
  
  
• Census Online: Census Sites on the Web - directory to free census information on the web
  
  
• Online Census Images Through RootsWeb - directory & search engine to census records done by volunteers at Rootsweb
  
  
• 1880 Census of the U.S.  (FamilySearch)  Everyname indexed
  
  
• STATE CENSUS INFO  Help knowing what state and territorial census exist
  
  

Census Forms

• Census Inventory Form  (Anne Livingston)
  (opens in Word or Word Pad)
  
  
• "Count Guide" to early census [help understanding the "hash marks" on early census (Anne Livingston)
  (opens in Word)
  
  
• Printable Census Research Forms (LDS)
   
  
• Printable Census Forms (Ancestry)
  
  
• Downloadable U. S. Census template forms in Word [Genealogy Genius]
  
  

Software

• Census Mate  Download Excel templates that help keep track of census findings - some knowledge of Excel is needed.

Help Using Census Records

• Calculating Birth Year Based on Census Information 
  
  
• Census & Soundex Card Abbreviations
  
  
• Clues in Census Records 1790-1840
  
  
• Clues in Census Records 1850 - 1930
  
  
• How to Read a Soundex or Miracode Card and 1900 (Genealogy Records Service) this is the pdf/Adobe Acrobat version which is best but if you do not have pdf capability you can view it here through a regular webpage format
  
  
• NARA: National Archives and Records Service 
  Federal Population Census on Microfilm (a guide to the census rolls. The numbers here correspond to those you use to order through any library or archives)
  
  
• Rootsweb Guide to Using the U.S. Soundex
  
  
• Soundex Converter (type in your name and it will give you the soundex code)
  
  
• U.S. County Formation Maps (show counties by the census year -)
  
  
• U.S. Historical Census Data
  Interesting database that does not have the individual census data but can be checked to see how many people lived in a particular area and some overall details of particular census.