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1940 US Federal Census Data Calais

Families with one East European immigrant


N B: Information on place of birth.
Some people replied with the name of the place when they left; others replied with the name of place when the census was taken; in other cases it just seems that it was easier for the census taker to write ‘Russia’ rather than Lithuania, Ukraine or other unfamiliar country names.
And there is another reason to be skeptical of the accuracy of the place of birth information. Immigrants from the Pale had a very justified fear of the Russian and often local governments. One way to manage this reality was to tell government representatives what they expected they wanted to hear or what they thought would bring them the least trouble. This may well explain why a number of family members, who were clearly from Eastern Europe, may have answered ‘Maine’ or ‘New York’.

Nameest birth yearbirth placemarital statusrelation to head of household occupationindustryresidence in 1935 Highest Gradeweeks worked in 1939income
Joseph Gordon1881RussiaMHead38 Spring Street, CalaisJunk Dealerown businesssameElementary school, 4th grade52not recorded
Lillie Gordon1906RussiaSDaughter38 Spring Street, CalaisBookkeeperRepair garage High School, 4th year521000
Morris Holland1896RussiaMHead75 Main Street, CalaisSalesmanRetail clothingsameElementary school, 8th grade521560
Edna Roe Holland1896RussiaMWife75 Main Street, Calais   Elementary school, 8th grade00
Esther Gordon1883RussiaMWife38 Spring Street, Calais   Elementary school, 4th grade  
Jessie Gordon1915MaineSDaughter38 Spring Street, CalaisSecretaryBank College, 2nd year521000
Abraham Leroy1881RussiaMHead8 Monroe Street, CalaisDr Good Store MgrRetail clothessameElementary school, 8th grade52 
Goldie Leroy1885RussiaMWife8 Monroe Street, Calais   Elementary school, 8th grade  
Bernard Leroy1901Canada-EngSSon8 Monroe Street, CalaisSalesmanRetail store College, 1st year51765
Henry Holland1924MaineSSon75 Main Street, Calais   High School, 3rd year  
Jacob Kalcheim1883PolandMHead64 North Street, CalaisRabbiJewish Church College, 5th year521500
Sylma Holland1928MaineSDaughter75 Main Street, Calais   Elementary school, 7th grade  
Scheindel Kalcheim1892PolandMWife64 North Street, Calais   College, 1st year  
Rudolph Brown1876LatviaSHead1 Church Street, CalaisCutting WoodCordwood Ind.sameElementary School, 4th grade12108
Arthur Wholisky1900RussiaMHead19 High Street, CalaisMerchantRetail clothingsameElementary school, 8th grade520
Lillian Wholisky1907MaineMWife19 High Street, Calais   Elementary school, 8th grade00
Joseph Wholisky1932MaineSSon19 High Street, Calais   Elementary school, 4th grade  
Martha H. Wholisky1934MaineSDaughter19 High Street, Calais   Elementary school, 2nd grade  
Lidney R. Wholisky1938MaineSSon19 High Street, Calais      
Charles Wholisky1904RussiaSBrother19 High Street, CalaisMerchantRetail clothing High School, 4th year520
Philip Gordon1866PolandMHead61 North Street, CalaisManagerShoe StoresameHigh School, 1st year52not recorded
Elis Gordon1884PolandMWife61 North Street, Calais   Elementary School, 7th grade 

Last Updated : Dec 5. 2020

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