I recently finished Lesson 11 of the NGS HSC on migration and census analysis. I decided to use what I created from the census portion of the assignment to write an article for the Koreny journal for the Czech and Slovak American Genealogical Society of Illinois.
Let me explain the assignment. I had to choose two censuses in which an ancestor appeared. Transcribe that census for the ancestor and his family plus 100 people surrounding the ancestor. Then analyze the data and write a narrative report. I chose my great-great grandfather Joseph Kokoska and roughly 100 of his neighbors for 1900. By 1910 that number increased to over 100 because so many more people moved into the neighborhood.
Now I am debating whether or not I have the time to transcribe the 1920 and 1930 censuses for the same addresses to write a deeper review of the neighborhood. I’m not sure. Maybe my article for the journal will be enough with two censuses and questions to leave the reader wanting more. Then they can perform their own census analysis.
What do you think? Have you looked at the Chicago neighborhood in which your ancestor lived? Have you explored it in-depth? What did you find?
Donna Hansen Peterson
August 25, 2011 at 8:30 am
Thanks Jennifer. That was thought provoking. I may do that with my West Side Irish.
Jennifer Holik-Urban, Professional Genealogist
August 27, 2011 at 5:29 am
Thanks Donna! I’m glad you enjoyed it.