Have you been counted?

Did you get your census report mailed by April 1? If not, a census taker (enumerator) may come knocking at your door, because Uncle Sam wants a head count of all of us (it only costs cents for mail-in forms, but a government cost of $57 if a census taker has to call on you). But be thankful you didn’t live in 1930 at census taking time – the “roll taker” asked, in addition to counting your household, how much you owed, how much you had and how much you made.

Mrs. A. W. Bush, “a teacher of the old school,” was appointed to take the 1930 census in Stanwood, including all voting precincts (Stanwood, East Stanwood, Norman, Cliff, Standby I and Standby 2, etc.). The government also required enumerators to take an oath not to divulge any of these secrets, under heavy penalty.

That was 80 years ago. It was just in 2002 that the National Archives opened the 1930 records to the public, taken 72 years ago, so if you want to find out anything about Stanwoodites at that time, that is where you will have to go. The rule to hold records protected for 72 years was implemented in 1952. (Makes one wonder how they came up with that number?)

The original 1930 documents were destroyed long ago, but not before photographic images were transferred to rolls of microfilm in 1944 and 1945, and kept in locked vaults at the National Archives. Their offices are in 15 different locations all the way from Washington, D.C. to San Bruno, Calif., and from New York City to Seattle.

However, the Census Bureau cannot help you find your ancestor if you are working on family roots. Several on-line services are assembling indexes for and/or posting images of the 1930 census but in the meantime, researchers will need to locate their ancestor’s address using city directories, then use a microfilm that locates addresses by enumeration district.

The 1930 census was the 15th taken since 1790, when there were six questions asked on Aug. 1. U.S. Marshalls conducted the census. Later, Census Day was moved to June, then April 15 in 1910. Ten years later, the date was moved to Jan. 1, which proved not to work because of weatherrelated difficulties in data collection, so Census Day officially became April 1 in 1930. That was the last census that asked U.S. residents if they could read or write; also the last one where everyone was asked the same questions. In 1940, a scientifically selected sample of households received a “long form” with questions in addition to those that were asked of all households. Enumerators applied for, and were appointed, following the passing of examinations sent out by the census department at Washington, D.C.

A 1930 Twin City News report stated, “…in conjunction with the population census, the farm census will be taken, the unemployment enumeration, and the deaf and dumb mutes census.” Thankfully, some of the objectionable questions were eliminated in future population counts.

A new question was, “Does this household have a radio?” It was designed to measure the extent of the nation’s leap into new home-appliance technology. Washington state had 1.5 million people, and 40- 50 percent that had radios. There were only 12 million households nationwide that had radios.

Other new questions were the value of one’s home, if owned or rented, age at first marriage, and if an occupant was a veteran. Standard questions included whether one was able to read or write, language spoken in the home before coming to the United States, year of immigration, naturalization, whether able to speak English, and, class of worker. The leading country of birth for immigrants was Italy, and life expectancy in the U.S. was 59.7 years. The median age nationwide was 26.5 years; 24 percent of women were in the workforce, and there was an average of 4.1 people in a household.

From a personal standpoint, I remember how exciting the day was when the census taker came to our rural farm in Montana. Not getting many visitors in those days, we were in awe of the business-like dress of the “head counter,” the impressive bulk of the briefcase. We children got to stay in the room while the enumerator talked to my parents, and we were made to feel a part of the bigger picture, that we were included of this land is America, and that we counted in the grand tradition, children or not. Twice I was counted in my parents’ household, then for the next six census days, including this year, I was the “official answerer” of our home that grew to include five children. I secretly hoped we would be one of the “scientifically selected” households that got to answer the long form! It was sort of a disappointment in 1980 when we had the mail out, mail back census form – no one came anymore in official-looking suits or with awesome briefcases.

Back to the 1930 census, Stanwood had 704 people in 1920, and in 1930, 713; East Stanwood had 476 in 1920, and 328 in 1930. There were 321 people in the Cliff voting precinct (Freeborn area), 358 in Standby I, Silvana had 657, Bryant, 593 and Norman, 257. Everett was the county seat with 30,000. A dusty, desert outpost called Las Vegas had 5,165 people, and another desert town to the south of Vegas had 48,118 in Phoenix.

When the people of Stanwood were counted, Mrs. Bush moved on to East Stanwood and other precincts. She had one month to complete her reports.

Mrs. Bush could not even tell a news reporter how many people there were in this voting precinct. “When the government is ready to make known any of the statistics gathered, it will reveal them through its own mediums.” Which it did, 72 years later.

Leaping ahead to 2000, Stanwood’s population was 3,923, over a thousand people more than in 1930. In 2009, population was estimated at 5,590, over 4,000 more than in 1930. The 2007 estimate of population in Stanwood’s service area placed us at 40,000. Population density in 2000 was estimated at 1,995.4 per square mile; Stanwood proper is 2.0 square miles. Whereas, life expectancy was less than 60 years in 1930, it was over 77 years in 2000.

This year’s census was remarkably simple with only 10 questions, as compared to the 32 questions asked in 1930.

It will be interesting to note the changes when the 2010 census figures are compiled, but with the 72 years rule, it will be 2082 before details of this census can be released.

By that time, most of us over 20 now, will be gone. But our descendents can browse through our data and find out what life was like back in 2010.