These web pages present the work published in my books, Temples in the Census 1790-1900 and Temples in the Census 1910-1930. The web pages include many updates to the first edition of Temples in the Census 1790-1900. The census years include close to 100% of Temples in America.
The whole Temples in the Census series was inspired by my desire to help others find their Temple ancestor. It started back in 1997 when I thought to myself "If I could make a listing of all Temples in the United States I should be able to track each one and determine each of their lines". It is not as easy as what it sounds but I have determined several new lines by using my books. I first posted a message on the Internet in the spring of 1998 about the Temples in the Census concept. Several people responded, so since that day I have spent many hours each day putting together what is included in the two books I have compiled. Temples in the Census of the United States of America 1790 to 1900 and Temples in the Census of the United States of America 1910 to 1930. This has been a task much bigger than what I expected.
Since I started my task, great advancements have been made by technology in finding your ancestor on-line. On-line image services were not available back then. I spent many many hours at the library going through microfilm and my first edition was done almost entirely by what I found at the library. Now with websites such as Ancestry.com you can find an individual with relative ease.
This book is much more than an index. Various indexes were put together by people not familiar with individual Temples. By entering people in the given format everything comes together. Hard to read images are now deciphered because thought is put into each entry based on what is already known. Genealogies have been developed and are shown by a reference number entry. You may be able to find your line or a new line by using these books.
The purpose of this publication is not to verify your find, but to help research your ancestor. The records in the following charts should serve only as a guide. Many errors have been made, as I find them everyday. Some of the information was difficult to read from the microfilm so my interpretation was made. I'm sure the census takers made errors as well. There is no insurance that this report is completely accurate. However I would estimate it at over 95% correct. Make sure you check the original record yourself if any of the information is used for your personal files.
From 1790 to 1840 the format of the files are different than those of 1850 to 1900. During these years the census only included the name of the head of the household. The files are sorted according to location. The charts also show how many males and females were included in the household. The blank census pages included at for each census year describe the age range of those listed in the family size column. A more detailed description on how to use this section can be found Directions for Using and Understanding the Tables 1790-1840.
Starting with 1850 each Temple is listed according to state, country, location and then page or ED number in 1880 and 1900. It lists the head of the household and all relatives living in that household. All that are present in that household are listed on a single line with additional children continued on the following page on the corresponding line number. A more detailed description on how to use this section can be found Directions for Using and Understanding the Tables 1850-1900.
Finally, the codes and symbols used in the indices for 1910 through 1930 are found at Directions for Using and Understanding the Tables 1910-1930.
I have discovered many new Temple lines with the use of my book. I record them on my Family Tree Maker program. I use a reference number from this program to identify each known head of the household and it is entered in the Ref # column in this book. Several of the genealogy lines were derived strictly by using the census records. Therefore the accuracy of these lines may be questionable. I will add to or correct the family trees as information becomes available.
In the webpages from a separate book titled "Temples in the Census 1790 to 1930 Index," you can locate a known individual from the alphabetical listing. The book is divided in three parts. The first section lists the head of the household and the other two sections list the children and wives. Each person is listed alphabetically. Once the person is located you look in the left column to find the line number. You then find the corresponding line number which gives the details of that individual. If a reference number is given in the Ref # column then it indicates that I have a genealogy of that individual. The codes for these reference numbers are explained Directions for Using and Understanding the Tables.
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