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About the 1930 Census Microfilm Locator

What can I expect from this site?

  • A complete guide to researching your family history in the 1930 census.
  • Information about what questions the census asked, which States had name indexes prepared, and how to access the original records on microfilm.
  • Step-by-step guides and detailed search strategies prepared by NARA census experts, to help you find your information quickly.
  • A searchable database, the Census Microfilm Locator that helps you find specific rolls of microfilm to consult.

The 1930 Census Microfilm Locator lists every roll of microfilm in the 1930 census. It is not a family or individual name index or a digital version of the microfilm. It is a searchable online database that will help users located which roll(s) of microfilm they need to consult.

The Locator will guide you to one or more of the 2667 microfilm rolls of the Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930, National Archives Microfilm Publication T626. The Locator contains searchable data about the population schedule rolls for every state and territory, including state, county and place names; institutional names; enumeration district (ED) boundaries and ED numbers; as well as large cities defined by the Bureau of the Census. These are linked to the microfilm publication number and roll number.

The Locator also covers the Soundex indexes for 12 southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky (only counties of Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Kenton, Muhlenberg, Perry and Pike), Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia (only counties of Fayette, Harrison, Kanawha, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, and Raleigh). The Locator contains searchable data on the Soundexes for these states. The database is linked to the microfilm publication number, which is different for each state, and the roll number.

Once you have identified the roll(s), the Locator will tell you how to view the microfilm at a NARA facility or how to rent or buy it. Only by viewing the actual microfilm rolls will you be able to complete your research.



inquire@nara.gov
Last updated March 12, 2002
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