New Index Makes It Easy to Find Relatives in 1940 Census for Virginia

McLean residents can search the 1940 U.S. census by the name of their friends and relatives because the 1940 Virginia census is now indexed by name.

When the National Archives put the 1940 Census online in April, it offered copies of the actual census pages. You had to know where your relatives lived to find them. You couldn't search by their name.

Now, thanks to the work of 100,000 volunteers, the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project has a free, searchable index of 1940 U.S. census records for Virginia and five other states: Delaware, Colorado, Kansas, Oregon and New Hampshire, the project said in its announcement.

Records for these states are now searchable by name, location and family relations.

"It's the first census I'm in," said Linda MacLachlen, a supervisor at the Family History Center on Great Falls Road and one of the volunteer indexers.

"Anybody living now will know someone in the 1940 Census — your parents, or your grandparents, your former neighbors," she said.

The 1940 U.S. Census Community Project is an initiative between the National Archives, Archives.com, FamilySearch.org, findmypast.com, ProQuest and other genealogy organizations.

The collection is available online for free to the general public at 1940census.archives.gov, Archives.com, FamilySearch.org, findmypast.com and by ProQuest.com through public libraries.

Since April 2, Community Project volunteers have indexed more than 45 million records. Those interested in lending a hand can learn more and sign up to be an official 1940 U.S. census volunteer indexer at the 1940 census website (the1940census.com). The project will release searchable records for individual states on an ongoing basis with the goal to make the entire 1940 U.S. census searchable by the end of 2012.

MacLachlen who is from Illinois is one of the volunteers indexing the 1940 Illinois Census. She had entered about 8,300 names, she said.

"When you index U.S. census records, what you're essentially doing is stepping back in time and walking in the shoes of the enumerator some 72 years prior," said Megan Smolenyak, spokesperson for the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project. "The indexing experience is much like walking down a street, ringing doorbells and learning about a specific neighborhood in 1940. Only now, volunteers can explore these fascinating records from the comfort of our own homes."