The 1940 Census

I have to admit I was just as excited as everyone else about the 1940 Census being released--however, I waited a few days until the hysteria waned to take a peak at it myself.  And here I am...making my own little discoveries.  I went immediately to Niagara Falls to find my grandmother.  I thought she would like to see herself back in 1940.  It's not so different than going back in time for here she is just a young girl in 1940, a student, living with her parents, her brother and her grandparents.   And I couldn't help but notice that my great grandparents were just about my present age on April 16, 1940.  Now that made me stop and think!

If you haven't already checked it out, I will tell you a little bit about what you will find in 1940.  You may need to use the 1930 census as a reference point for Enumeration Districts if your family lived in the same place.   Although that may not even be too helpful in cities such as Niagara Falls as the population grew in leaps and bounds during that ten year period and apparently districts were switched around. Knowing the Enumeration District from 1930 did help me find my family in Niagara Falls, though. 

So what is on the 1940 census?  What sets this census apart from the others is the emphasis on employment status.  In fact, I counted twelve questions related to employment issues alone.  Was this person at work for pay or profit?  Was this person assigned to public emergency work (WPA, CCC)?  What is his occupation?  What industry?  How many hours did he work in a week?  How many weeks in a year?  What wages or salaries were received?  And then there are the Supplementary Questions....These questions randomly include the persons on lines 55 and 68 and ask those individuals additional questions.  I'm sure we're all hoping some of our ancestors were included among the lines 55 and 68 folk!  These additional questions include mother tongue, veteran status, place of birth of parents, social security status, if women were previously married and much more.  

Looking for my grandmother, I knew I wouldn't find information I did not previously know.  But it was fun to go back in time.  Glancing through Niagara Falls City Ward Number 9, District 32-91, I was astounded by the amount of  Niagarans of Italian descent!  Actually every page of all of the districts that I happened to look at had several Italians.  My family was among the Italians of Niagara Falls.  I found the Fortuna's at 827 19th Street--deep in the heart of Little Italy.  My great grandfather, Francesco (called "Frances" by the enumerator) was a barber at the time.  He had a little barber shop in the building that would in a few short years become the Deluxe Restaurant--(Fortuna's Restaurant today).  My great grandfather had recently purchased the entire building.  He was living here with his wife, my great grandmother, Clementina (who was only 38), my grandmother, Jean (she was 15 years old and a student at Niagara Falls High School).  She had already legally changed her name from the beautiful Italian name her parents had given her at her birth, Gina, to the anglicized Jean Ann--which had been suggested to her by a school teacher.  My uncle Joe, who would one day be my godfather, was only 10 years old.  They also lived with my great great grandparents, Angelo and Adelina Ventresca, who had also come from Italy.  My great great grandfather worked on the Niagara Junction Railroad.  And most interesting of all was that my great grandfather stated that he worked 50 hours per week and my great great grandfather pulled in a whopping 40 hour week at 63 years old. 

Good luck finding your own family!  I will be off checking to see what all of my other relatives were doing in 1940.  On to Oklahoma City!