By Cierra Earl, MA
Kenton County Public Library, Covington
Local History and Genealogy Department Library Professional
As the United States entered the 1950s, “Goodnight, Irene” by the Weavers was a No. 1 song; Walt Disney released Cinderella, the animated movie that became the top-grossing film of the year; and Bette Davis and Marilyn Monroe lit up the silver screen in All About Eve. The country was entering a prosperous period as a result of the end of World War II and the implementation of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the GI Bill, which provided millions of servicemen and servicewomen access to assistance, including housing, job counseling and tuition-free education. The result was a period in American history known for its economic boom, affordable housing boom and baby boom. This important point in history changed the lives of many of our ancestors, who took part in the 1950 United States Federal Census.
In the spring of 1950, volunteer enumerators began going door to door collecting information about each household for the census. Conducted every 10 years, the census is an important tool for filling in genealogical gaps or answering questions about your family tree. The 1950 Census asked each household questions about their family makeup, education and employment status. Random census takers also may have answered questions about their military service. These questions are gold mines for genealogists who are looking to piece together their family histories and stories.
Census records help establish where your ancestors lived, what type of industry they were employed in, the extent of their education, and their military service. These questions help provide context to what our ancestors were doing in 1950 and a snapshot of how they lived at the time.
You may have photographs at home of your family during the 1950s. The 1950 Census may help you unlock some of the secrets in those family photographs. I looked for an example photograph in the Kenton County Public Library’s Faces and Places database (facesandplaces.kentonlibrary.org). This free online database contains donations of photographs of families who lived in northern Kentucky and the surrounding areas. In the Nancy Bloemer Collection, there is a photograph of the Emark family posing for the camera in 1951. Using the 1950 Census, we can add more genealogical details about the Emark family to the description. With census information, we can include full names, ages, where the family lived, and the occupations of the adults.
If you need help researching the 1950 Census or are interested in researching your family history, the Kenton County Public Library in Covington is available to help. The library offers free one-hour one-on-one appointments to help you research your family history or break down your genealogy walls. To make an appointment, call 859.962.4070 or email history@kentonlibrary.org.
Follow the Kenton County Public Library Local History and Genealogy Department on social media! Join the Facebook group “Kenton Library Archives” and follow them on Instagram @kentonlibraryarchives.