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1860 US Federal Census Data Waterville
Data extracted by the Colby Jewish History Project (2012)




Jews in Waterville in 1860


DMJ -ID SurnameFirst nameagebirthplaceoccupationpagenotes  
36183PeavyJacob39Prussiadealer in clothing57nj?? Owns property but no real estate  
36186PeavyRose E32Prussia 57   
38278PeavyRebecca5Maine 57   
30148PeavyGustavus3Maine 57   
30149PeavySilas1Maine 57   
38279PeavyLewis24Mainedealer in clothing57lives with Jacob; owns property  
38280PeavyIsaac27Prussiadealer in clothing57lives with Jacob; owns property  
38282PeavyMelissa25Prussia 57   
36182PeavyHarry0Maine 57 note: p. 75 has single NJ German woman living with farmer's family6 months
36530BonnaFannie B30Bavaria 80nj?  
36301BonnaHannah9Maine[at school]80nj? Owns property but not real estate  
36529BonnaLaura5Maine[at school]80nj?  
38377BonnaEmma2Maine 80   
38281BlumenthalMorris23Bavariatrader80lives with Bonnas; owns property  
33377BlumenthalEmanuel27Bavariatrader80lives with Bonnas; owns property  
COL108KylerMorris26Prussiatrader87lives in rental; owns propertyno known Jewish links 
COL109KylerSolomon23Prussiatrader87lives in rental; owns propertyno known Jewish links

Methodological notes :

This data was culled from the original U.S. census manuscripts, as found on www.ancestry.com.
Jews are understood to constitute an ethnic group of Eastern and Central European origin characterized by common names and occupational pursuits, as well as a distinctive language.
This definition lends itself well to analysis of the data preserved in census records.
Two primary methods were used to identify Jews:
1. Individuals born abroad whose mother tongue is "Yiddish," "Jewish," or "Hebrew" were automatically included in the spreadsheet, as were all members of their families.
2. For individuals born abroad whose mother tongue was another Eastern or Central European language (e.g., Russian, Polish, German), or individuals born in the U.S. with one or more parents from Eastern or Central Europe, we examined surnames, given names within a household, and occupations in light of common Jewish characteristics. This method of analysis is, of course, subject to inaccuracy, as we may have excluded Jews with uncommon names or occupations or included non-Jews whose characteristics appear Jewish. Individuals listed with the annotation "nj?" in the far right-hand column are those whose Jewish ancestry is plausible but questionable.
This method of analysis easily misses Jewish households whose members' parents were all born in the United States. In 1930 Maine, however, such households were quite rare. Special efforts were made to identify households of this nature in Portland, where they constituted less than 1% of identified Jewish households.
All members of a household containing a Jew are included in the spreadsheet, with the exception of Jewish lodgers and servants, who are listed individually. Household members who are evidently not Jewish (such as non-Jewish servants and some spouses or in-laws) are listed with the annotation "nj."
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’.

Last Updated : Jan 2 , 2021

Thank you to the Colby College Maine Jewish History Project (2011) for the information
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