Ancestry Library has finished uploading all of the 1940 Census images to its database. They are now working on indexing—at this posting, Delaware was finished and everything else is pending.
Meanwhile, you can find your relatives by browsing the right Enumeration District (ED).
An Enumeration District is a geographical area assigned to a census taker. City directories and other resources can help you determine your relative’s address during a census year. An Enumeration Map will tell you in which ED that address is located.
The Enumeration Districts for Davenport are ED 82-19 to ED 82-69 and ED 82-67. Institutions such as hospitals, orphanages and boarding schools had their own EDs.
On Monday morning, the first searches we tried (and were successful in downloading) were for the Iowa Soldier’s Orphan’s Home, AKA the Annie Wittenmyer Home (ED 82-51) and the Catholic orphanage in Davenport, St. Vincent’s Home (ED 82-36)
There were 559 children living at the Iowa Soldier’s Orphan’s Home and 56 at St. Vincent’s. In 1930, there were 598 children at Annie Wittenmyer and 96 children at St. Vincent’s. The census not only lists the orphaned children living in the home, but also employees, including teachers, caretakers and administrators.
Exciting stuff for historians and genealogists!
(posted by Cristina)
I am looking for four McIntyre children who were placed in an orphanage or foster homes in Iowa when their father died of diabities. Three of the names are Richard,
Paul and Franny. They were later adopted by aunts and uncles McIntyre and
White. Their mother had TB but recovered, but by that time the children were
farmed out to relatives.
Ms. Brunette,
If you would care to e-mail our Center (specialcollections@davenportlibrary.com) with your request, we would be glad to search the 1940s Census on your behalf!
Hello, I know this article is many years old. However, I cannot seem to find my grandfather, Raymond Lawrence Howell on the 1940s census. Him and two of his siblings, Horace Howell Jr and Jolida Jane Howell, are no where to be found. He was at Michigan Children’s Institute in Ann Arbor, I’m not sure if they have an ED number… thank you so so much.
We would be very glad to assist you in your search! Please email your questions to us at specialcollections@davenportlibrary.com or fill out our online research request form at https://www.davenportlibrary.com/about-us/contact-us/contact-special-collections . Thanks!