The 1940 census anticipation is really building. I’ve seen estimates of about six months to get the name index of the 1940 census available. If you just can’t wait in the meantime, and if you have an idea where your ancestors were living, then you need to find the enumeration district number that was applied to their neighborhood or village. And that means it’s time to visit the indispensable Stephen P. Morse and his one-step pages to use the Unified 1940 Census ED Finder.
He’s got a great set of pages up with step-by-step guidance for finding your ED number based on your ancestor living in a rural area, town, or a major city. The tutorial is here:
http://stevemorse.org/census/quiz.php
And the Unified 1940 Census ED Finder is here:
http://stevemorse.org/census/unified.html
My boring Scandinavians in Chicago never moved, so I should be able to find them right away. My husband’s Kansas/Oklahoma/Texas relatives will have to wait for the name index, I think.
And even after the 1940 census is fully indexed, the Unified 1940 Census ED Finder may come in handy if you just can’t find the family you’re looking for. And for other information about using the 1940 census, click here.
