Our May meeting will be concerning the 1950 Census but I hope that you use some of the links below to help you prepare for the release of this Census on April 1, 2022. As you probably already know the government restricts access to census records for 72 years.  Every ten years genealogists are eager for the release of a new census and try to glean as much information about that census prior to release as possible to assist researchers who will wish to use the data as soon as it is released. Before the release of the 1930 Census our society had pre-ordered the microfilm rolls for Clermont County but an article on our web site, https://ccgsoh.org/cpage.php?pt=138,  explains the trials and tribulations encountered by our volunteers who were attempting to make access to the records easier by creating an index since we were accustomed to using Soundex with earlier 20^th Century census records. Many researchers may recall the server failures on the release date of the 1940 Census when everyone tried to access them at the same time. The government worked with Archives.com to offer free online access to a census for the first time. This eliminated the previous need for us to wait for a roll of microfilm to arrive. However, it also lacked indexing so organizations like FamilySearch and Ancestry worked to provide free access to an index. This link shows that Ancestry released their index in August 2012: https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/newsroom/press-releases/ancestrycom-releases-completely-searchable-1940-us-federal-census

Now, we want to try working ahead of the April release to make our searches easier and more successful. We currently have access to city directories on sites like Ancestry.com at a library branch if not from home to help locate addresses for relatives around 1950. The Cincinnati Public Library also has City Directories at their main library branch but call before visiting as construction in the main building has changed ways to access the library. The residence of your relatives in the 1940 Census could be a starting location for searching the 1950 census. You will want to find the Enumeration District for the area of your search. I have listed the link on the National Archives site for the Clermont County 1950 Enumerators District Map under the National Archives heading below. If you are looking for relatives in other areas try the site created by Stephen P. Morse, PhD & Joel D. Weintraub, PhD listed below:

 

We can begin our preparations by accessing some of the recent releases by the Census Bureau and National Archives to assist us in our preparations. The links listed below are found on the Census Bureau site:

Population Census Questionnaire:

Housing Census Questionnaire:

Enumerator Instructions:

 

National Archives:

1950 Census Enumeration District Maps –Ohio (OH) Clermont County – Clermont County ED13-1 to 51

Other sources of information include:

Ancestry.com

Family Search:

The FamilySearch Blog has information at the link below:

 

Cyndi’s List has several helpful links at:

I hope that I have provided you with some helpful information for you to research while awaiting the 1950 Census release. I am too young to be in this Census but I am looking forward to trying to locate my father who was serving in Japan as part of the U.S. Armed Forces that were to be enumerated for the first time. Wish me luck and I will wish you luck in your research as well.

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