The 1950 Census for Lewis Co, TN will be released to the public on 1 April 2022, exactly 72 years after it was taken. After the 72 years have passed, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is responsible for making the records publicly available for viewing or purchase.  There were a few of firsts in that census.  

This census included the continental United States, the territories of Alaska and Hawaii, American Samoa, the Canal Zone, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and some of the smaller island territories.

This was the first time that Americans living abroad were enumerated.  Provisions were put in place to count members of the armed forces, crews of vessels, and employees of the United States government living in foreign countries, along with any members of their families also abroad. 

Families or neighbors were also able to report other persons living abroad in their household.  This data was considered to be of poor quality and was not included in published statistics.

Efforts to Improve Coverage and Completeness

The Census Bureau implemented new procedures to improve the accuracy and completeness of the 1950 census.  These procedures included improved enumerator training, providing enumerators with detailed street maps of their assigned areas, publishing “Missed Person” forms in local newspapers, and setting a specific night to conduct a special enumeration of persons in hotels, tourist courts, and other places frequented by transients.

The Census Bureau recanvassed a sample of about 3,500 small areas and compared these to the original census listings to identify households that may have been omitted in the original enumeration.  This was a first.   In addition, a sample of about 22,000 households was reinterviewed to determine the number of persons likely omitted in the initial count.

Technological Advancement

The Census Bureau began use of the first non-military computer shortly after completing the 1950 enumeration. UNIVAC I (for Universal Automatic Computer), the first of a series, was delivered in 1951, and helped tabulate some of the statistics for the 1954 economic censuses.

Information Found on this Census

What information will find in the 1950 Census? 

Actually, a lot of information can be found in this census.  Let’s break it down:  

• Item 1: Name of Street, Avenue or Road
• Item 2: House and Apartment Number
• Item 3: Serial Number of Dwelling Unit
• Item 4: Is this dwelling on a farm or ranch? [Yes/No]
• Item 5: If no on item 4, is this house on a place of three or more acres? [Yes/No]
• Item 6: Agriculture Questionnaire Number
• Item 7: Name  [surname, first name] 
• Item 8: Relationship to head [head, wife, son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter, border, hired hand, lodger, etc] ,
• Item 9: Race [White, Negro, American Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Other Race (spell out)]
• Item 10: Sex
• Item 11: Age at last birthday; month of birth included if person is under one year old
• Item 12: Marital status [married, widowed, divorced, separated, never married]
• Item 13: State or Country of Birth
• Item 14: If foreign-born, were they naturalized? [Yes/No]

Then, the second section was to be filled out for anyone age 14 or older and focused on Work.  It included the following questions?

• Item 15: What was this person doing most of last week? Working (W), keeping house (H), unable to work (U) or something else.
• Item 16: If they answered Keeping House (H) or Unable to Work (U) for Item 15, Did this person do any work at all last week, not counting work around the house?  [Yes/No]
• Item 17: If they answered NO to Item 16, Was this person looking for work?  [Yes/No]
• Item 18:  If they answered NO to Item 17, Even though he didn’t work last week, does he have a job or business? [Yes/No]
• Item 19: If Work [Wk] in Item 15 or Yes in Item 16, How many hours did he work last week?  Include unpaid work on family farm or business.
• Item 20-a:  What kind of work was he doing?
• Item 20-b:  What kind of business or industry was he working in?
• Item 20-c: Class of Worker:  Private Employer [P], Government [G], Own Business [O], Without Pay on family farm or business [NP]

There are 30 rows on each page.  Six of these rows, # 4, 9, 14, 19, 24, and 29 Are denoted as Sample Lines.  People on these lines will answer an additional 20 questions.

• Item 21: Was he living in this same house a year ago? [Yes/No]
• Item 22: Was he living on a farm a year ago? [Yes/No]
• Item 23: Was he living in this same county a year ago? [Yes/No]
• Item 24: If no to Item 23, What county and state was he living in a year ago?
  • Item 24a: Enumerator writes in the county name or nearest place 
  • Item 24b: Enumerator writes in the State or Foreign Country
• Item 25: What country was his mother and father born in?  Enumerator writes in the locations
• Item 26: What is the highest grade of school he has attended? [0 for none, K for Kindergarten, S1 through S12 for grades 1 through 12, C1 through C4 for college, C5 for Graduate or Professional Programs.]
• Item 27: Did he finish this grade? [Yes/No]
• Item 28: Has he attended school any time since February 1st? [Yes, No, 30 or over]
• Item 29: If looking for work, YES in Item 17, How many weeks has he been looking for work?
• Item 30: Last year, in how many weeks did this person do any work as all not counting work around the house?
• Income received by this person in 1949 [questions 31a-c]
  • Item 31a: Last year, how much money did he earn working as an employee for wages or salary?
  • Item 31b: Last year, how much money did he earn working in his own business, professional practice or farm?
  • Item 31c: Last year, how much money did he receive from dividends, interest, veteran’s allowances, pensions, rents or other income (aside from earnings)?
• If this person is a family head – Income received from his relatives in this househould [questions 32 a-c].  Definition of a Family head is either the head of household with related persons in the household OR someone unrelated to household head but with a person/people related to him listed below him on the schedule sheet.  For example, a Lodger with wife and/or children present in household.
  • Item 32a: Last year, how much money did his relatives in this household earn working as an employee for wages or salary?
  • Item 32b: Last year, how much money did his relatives in this household earn working in his own business, professional practice or farm?
  • Item 32c: Last year, how much money did his relatives in this household receive from dividends, interest, veteran’s allowances, pensions, rents or other income (aside from earnings)?
• If male, Did he ever serve in the US Armed Forces during
  • Item 33a: World War II
  • Item 33b: World War I
  • Item 33c: Any other time including present
• Item 34: To Enumerator:  If worked last year [one or more weeks from Item 30] Is there any entry in items 20a, 20b, or 20c?   If Yes, skip to Item 36;  If No, make entries in Items 35a, 35b and 35c.
  • Item 35a:  What kind of work was he doing?
  • Item 35b:  What kind of business or industry was he working in?
  • Item 35c: Class of Worker:  Private Employer [P], Government [G], Own Business [O], Without Pay on family farm or business [NP]
• Item 36: If ever married, widowed, divorced or separated in Item 12 , has this person been married more than once? [Yes/No]
• Item 37: If married, how many year since this person last married?  If widowed, how many years  since this person was widowed?  If separated, how many years since this person was separate?  If divorced, how many year since this person was divorced?  Enumerator writes in years or checks box if less than a year.
• Item 38: If female and ever married, widowed, separated or divorced, how many children has she ever borne not counting stillbirths?  Enumerator writes in number or checks the box for none.

As you can see, there is a lot of genealogical information to be found on this census.

Once the images are released, you will be able to scan the pages for your families.  There is a couple of key pieces of information that will get you on your way.  One is the Civil District and the other is the Enumeration District.  The map below shows the Enumeration and Civil Districts used for the 1950 Census in Lewis County.  You will see large handwritten numbers in red.  These are the Enumeration District Numbers. With this informaton, you will be able to pinpoint which pages might contain information on your family.   Written in smaller font, also in red, is the Civil District.  This map gives you both piece of information.