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1930 US Federal Census Data Belfast
Data extracted by Sam Kissen (2017)

Link to DMJ Bio	Relation to head	House Number Street name	own/rent, value	birth yr	age	Age at 1st Marr	student	literate?	POB person	POB father	POB mother	mother tongue	YOI	nat/alien	occupation	industry	Notes	Source
Isaac Ruben	Head	16 Cross Street	O, 2000	abt 1882	48		no	yes	Russia	Russia	Russia	Jewish	1905	naturalized	buyer	junk		1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Max Ruben	Son	16 Cross Street		abt 1910	20		no	yes	Maine	Russia	Russia							1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Esther Maisel	Wife	31 Congress Street		abt 1891	39		no	yes	Russia	Russia	Russia	Russian	1926	alien				1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Max Maisel	Head	31 Congress Street	O, 4000	abt 1886	44		no	yes	Russia	Russia	Russia	Russian	1907	naturalized	proprietor	clothing factory		1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Howard Ruben	Son	16 Cross Street		abt 1919	11		yes	yes	Maine	Russia	Russia							1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Harold Maisel	Son	31 Congress Street		abt 1916	14		yes	yes	Alabama	Russia	Russia							1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Ethel Maisel	Daughter	31 Congress Street		abt 1914	16		yes	yes	New Jersey	Russia	Russia							1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Sophie Maisel	Daughter	31 Congress Street		abt 1919	11		yes	yes	Alabama	Russia	Russia							1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Grace Rachlin	Stepdaugher	31 Congress Street		abt 1919	11		yes	yes	Russia	Russia	Russia	Russian	1926	alien				1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Stephen Benoski	Head	12 Belmont Rd	R, 10	abt 1887	43		no	yes	Russia	Russia	Russia	Russian	1914	naturalized	laborer	lumber factory		1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Bessie Ruben	Wife	16 Cross Street		abt 1886	44		no	yes	Russia	Russia	Russia	Jewish	1907	naturalized				1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Joseph Ruben	Son	16 Cross Street		abt 1913	17		yes	yes	Maine	Russia	Russia							1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Molly Ruben	Daughter	16 Cross Street		abt 1922	8		yes	yes	Maine	Russia	Russia							1930 US Fed Census - Belfast
Lena Grant	Servant	12 Belmont Rd		abt 1870	60		no	yes	Maine	Maine	Maine				housekeeper	private family	Servant to Stephen Benosky	1930 US Fed Census - Belfast

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

People: Isaac Ruben; Max Ruben; Esther Maisel; Max Maisel; Howard Ruben; Harold Maisel; Ethel Maisel; Sophie Maisel; Grace Rachlin; Stephen Benoski; Bessie Ruben; Joseph Ruben; Molly Ruben