Comment

Post a comment

Leave a comment below or email dmj@mindspring.com with corrections.

1940 US Federal Census Data Belfast

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 householdstreetoccupationindustryresidence in 1935 Highest Gradeweeks worked in 1939appx income 1939
   MHead12 Market Street, BELFASTDie Insurance SalesmanLife Insurance Co.sameHigh School, 3rd year522500
Lawrence Berson1910MaineMWife12 Market Street, BELFAST   High School, 4th year00
Sylvia Berson1912MaineMFather12 Market Street, BELFASTProprietorClothing Store none520
Abraham Berson1873LithuaniaMHead25 High Street, BELFAST  sameHigh School, 4th year00
Morris Frankel1871LithuaniaMWife25 High Street, BELFASTProprietor______ clothing Retail High School, 4th year520
Ida Frankel1880LithuaniaSDaughter25 High Street, BELFASTSaleswomanWomens Apparel Retail High School, 4th year521040
Sarah Frankel1900New YorkSDaughter25 High Street, BELFASTSaleswomanWomens Apparel Retail High School, 4th year521040
Marian Frankel1901New YorkSSon25 High Street, BELFASTBookkeeperWomens Apparel Retail High School, 4th year521040
Lewis Frankel1902MassachusettsWidHead16 Cross Street, BELFASTTruck Dealerown businesssamenone525000
Isaac W. Ruben1883RussiaSSon16 Cross Street, BELFASTLaborernot recorded College, 3rd year36216
Howard Ruben1919MaineSDaughter16 Cross Street, BELFAST   High School, 4th yearnot recordednot recorded
Molly Ruben1922MaineMHead31 Pearl Street, BELFASTManagerPart Factorysamenone522966
Max Maisel1883RussiaMWife31 Pearl Street, BELFASTHousekeepernot recorded High School, 4th year52not recorded
Esther Maisel1889PolandSDaughter31 Pearl Street, BELFAST   College, 3rd year  
Sophia Maisel1919AlabamaMSon-in-law31 Pearl Street, BELFASTSalesmanRetail Furniture High School, 4th year521800
David Dorsky1913MaineMDaughter31 Pearl Street, BELFASTHousekeeper  College, 1st year52not recorded
Grace Dorsky1918PolandSGranddaughter31 Pearl Street, BELFAST      
Sandra H. Dorsky1940MaineSNephew31 Pearl Street, BELFAST  Mobile, AlabamaHigh School, 2nd year  
Max J. Maisel1923AlabamaMHead9 Premrose Street, BELFASTProprietorRetail Clothing StoresameHigh School, 4th year520
Charles Robinson1894PolandMWife9 Premrose Street, BELFASTClerkRetail Clothing Store High School, 4th year520
Bertha Robinson1899MaineMHeadWight Street, BELFASTFiremanLumber FactorysameElementary School, 8th grade521040

Last Updated : Dec 5. 2020

People: 
tags