1940 Census Enumeration District Maps At Ancestry.com

One of the necessities before searching the soon to be released 1940 census is knowing the enumeration district that contains your ancestor. Ancestry.com recently released these maps and they are on the National Archives website as well. I personally found the ones on NARA a little easier to use.

It is important to find the enumeration districts...even for those who have ancestors in rural areas, like me. If you "know" the rural location, I find that the maps are easier to use than any of the other online finding aids. I save Steve Morse's site for urban people's enumeration districts.

This is part of a map for Hancock County, Illinois, Prairie Township. This is where my paternal grandparents should be located in 1940. Their farm is close to the Prairie/Carthage Township line--in fact Carthage township's border "jogs" on the east side as can be seen in the map below. There is also the City of Carthage as well.

From this map:

• Prairie Township appears to be 34-29.
• Elvaston appears to be 34-27
• Village of Ferris (cut off mostly in the image) appears to be in two enumeration districts (because it is in two separate townships. The southern strip appears to be in district 34-28 and the rest of the village appears to be in enumeration district 34-30. 
• The city of Carthage appears to be in district 34-6.

Grandpa and Grandma Neill should be enumerated in district 34-29 as their farm was in Prairie Township.

Have to add that to the list.