Kaminskis in the USA Census

By Sharon Corey

Our ancestors have been participating in the Federal Population Census since 1790 and it has been taken every 10 years from that year. Data from these census records can be researched online through Ancestry.org and FamilySearch.org as well as any National Archives facility. The data is available for the years 1790 through 1940 only due to the 72 year restriction on data from the census. This excludes the data from the 1890 census which was almost completely destroyed in a Department of Commerce fire in 1921. Only data from a few states survived.

Family researchers typically begin their research with the census records data. From 1790 through 1840 only the head of household’s name was given and others in the household were counted according to their age bracket. Beginning with the 1850 census the name of every person within the household was given along with their age, state or country of birth, their parents’ birthplace(s), year of immigration, their street address, marriage status and years of marriage, their occupation, and the value of their home and personal belongings.

Heiman Kaminski first appeared in the United States Federal Census in South Carolina in the year 1860. Heiman was 22 years of age and living with Elkan and Hannah Baum, ages 38 and 35, in Kingston Parish, Horry County, South Carolina. All three were listed as having been born in Prussia. Elkan’s occupation was given as Merchant and Heiman Kaminski’s occupation was given as Clerk.

By the 1870 United States Federal Census Heiman had married Charlotte V. Emanuel. He was 31 years of age and she was 27. His occupation was given as Retail Drygoods Merchant and hers was Keeping House. They were living in Georgetown, South Carolina where they owned real estate valued at $4000 and a personal estate valued at $4000. Heiman and Charlotte also had their first two children by 1870, Edwin W., age 2 years and Lina, age 2 months.

The 1880 United States Federal Census also began giving Parent’s Place of Birth as well as the name of their Street. Heiman was 38 and Charlotte was 37. He was a General Merchant and she was Keeping House. Edwin was 10 years of age and At School. Lina was 8 years of age plus they had two more children, Nathan, 6 years of age, and Joseph, who was four. Four additional people were listed in their household, Solomon Emanuel, Maurice Emanuel, Nathan Emanuel, and Isaac Butler, all listed as being Clerks in Store. They were living on Front Street and Heiman gave his Parent’s Place of Birth as Prussia.

Sadly, the 1890 United States Federal Census for South Carolina was destroyed by fire. It would have been very interesting to see the information on this census as evidently Heiman’s wife, Charlotte, died during this time and the family moved.

By the 1900 United States Federal Census Heiman had remarried Rose Baum. He was 61 years of age and she was 39. His occupation was given at Merchant. Their son, Harold Kaminski, was 14 years of age and he was At School. Three other persons were listed in the household: Miss Maggie Leary of New York, Housekeeper; Isaac McGirt, Hostler; and Sarah Nesbit, Cook.

When the 1910 Unites States Federal Census took place, Heiman Kaminski was 70 years of ages and Rose was 50. He was still listed as a Hardware Merchant. They had moved to 207 Broad Street in Georgetown, South Carolina. Only Lina and Edwin W. Kaminski were living with them at this address.

By the 1920 United States Federal Census Heiman was 82 years of age and Rose was 58. There address was given as 814 Prince Street in Georgetown, South Carolina. Only Edward N. Kaminski and Harold Kaminski were living with them at this time. Harold’s Occupation was given as Farmer with a Farm.

When the 1930 United States Federal Census was taken Harold was married to Julia Pyatt. He was 44 years of age and she was 30. They lived at 220 Queen Street which they rented. His Occupation was given as Mayor of Georgetown and it states that he was a WW Veteran.

For the 1940 United States Federal Census, the last for which information can be gained at this time, Harold was 54 years of age and Julia was 40. They lived at 9 King Street in Georgetown, South Carolina which he owned and was worth 10,000. His highest grade completed was College, 2nd year.

The 1950 United States Federal Census information will not be available for research until 2022. We cannot wait to see the differences in the information given then. Check back soon as we take all this data and add other information gathered from research in the various rich sources of material available for Georgetown, South Carolina.

* Kaminski family researchers have noticed a discrepancy in Heiman’s given age from the 1870 census year to the 1880 census year. In the year 1870 Heiman’s given age was four years older than Charlotte’s given age whereas in the 1880 census year their ages were given as only one year in difference. The age differences from census year to census year is fairly common in census records for a number of reasons. The most common reason is that the person giving the information to the enumerator is not the actual person that he is taking information for. It could be a housekeeper, a child in the home, or a relative answering the enumerator’s questions and therefore might would have guessed at the ages of the other household members.

Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Kingston, Horry, South Carolina; Page: 57; Family History Library Film: 805221

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Georgetown, Georgetown, South Carolina; Roll: M593_1497; Page: 299B; Family History Library Film: 552996

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch..Original data: 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Minnesota census schedules for 1870. NARA microfilm publication T132, 13 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Georgetown, Georgetown, South Carolina; Roll: 1229; Page: 321B; Enumeration District: 050

Source Information: Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limited use license and other terms and conditions applicable to this site. Original data: Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Georgetown, Georgetown, South Carolina; Page: 14; Enumeration District: 0048; FHL microfilm: 1241528

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Georgetown, Georgetown, South Carolina; Roll: T624_1458; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 0037; FHL microfilm: 1375471

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA.

Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: Georgetown, Georgetown, South Carolina; Roll: T625_1696; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 70

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 are on roll 323 (Chicago City).

Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: Georgetown, Georgetown, South Carolina; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 0003; FHL microfilm: 2341931

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fi_eenth Census of the United States,1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.

Source Citation: Year: 1940; Census Place: Georgetown, Georgetown, South Carolina; Roll: mt0627-03810; Page: 27A; Enumeration District: 22-5

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.