Working Through the 1880 Census

Moved on to the next phase of my census projects to update my database to the 1880 census.  Completed the 1940 census awhile back and have jumped back in time 60 years to the 1880 census.

I've set my search feature in my RootsMagic database to locate individuals that should be found in the 1880 census.  My criteria is to look for individuals born before 1860 and died after 1880.

As I go through the database and find people who match these criteria, I'm looking for those who do not have an entry for the 1880 census and those who have a spouse.  I'm selecting only those who were married by the time of the 1880 census, hoping I can find household information.

Understanding that these criteria will exclude individuals who do not have a death date, I plan to go back after I get through the alphabet and de-select the death date criteria.

So far, I've managed to get into the "C" in my database, finding and adding many new records and individuals.  My database has grown from just my family and in-laws to include DNA matches as well as one-name study members.  

I'm not concerned that some of these people added might not be blood relatives, as I will be using them as "cousin bait" when I update my family tree on the public sites, such as Ancestry.  Having a more robust family tree (or family bush) with all of the interconnected families will also be helpful in identifying where DNA matches tie into the family.

Why 1880?  Because the 1880 census is the first one that identifies every individual in relationship to the head of household.  Unlike the 1850-1870 census, you don't have to assume that people are married or that all the children are from the same set of parents.  Of course, I've come across a few interesting clues along the way and some mysteries that will need further research.

Of great interest are the clues generated when the enumerator captured the birthplace of the father and mother. These are merely clues, however, and are only as good as the person who gave the information.  I've seen many listed as "unknown" or just left blank.

I'm trying to stick to the schedule I previously set for myself, but i find that adding the census records are addictive.  Currently, I'm using the hints from RootsMagic into the FamilySearch database to add the records.