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1930 US Federal Census Data Gardiner

Families with one East European immigrant


NameSingle/MarriedRoleappx DOBPlace of BirthStreetemploymenttitle
Jacob CanterMarriedHead1871Lithuania266 Water StWomens ClothingMerchant
Annie CanterMarriedWife1875Latvia266 Water St  
Milton M CanterSingleSon1901Maine266 Water StWomens ClothingSalesman
Lewis B SlosbergMarriedHead1880Lithuania71 Church StClothing StoreRetail Merchant
Sophia SlosbergMarriedWife1882Lithuania71 Church St  
Charlie L SlosbergSingleSon1902Maine71 Church StClothing StoreSalesman
Sam L SlosbergSingleSon1911Maine71 Church St  
Gussie FriedmanWidowedHead1890Lithuania15 Robinson Street  
Laura FriedmanSingleDaughter1914Maine15 Robinson Street  
Elwin FriedmanSingleSon1922Maine15 Robinson Street  
Abraham GlazerSingleSon1903Russia78 Winter StreetRetail StoreSalesman
Harry GlazerMarriedHead1880Russia78 Winter StreetRetail StoreMerchant
Simon GlazerSingleSon1907Maine78 Winter StreetRetail StoreSalesman
Oscar GlazerSingleSon1911Maine78 Winter StreetRetail StoreSalesman
Leo GlazerSingleSon1909Maine78 Winter Street  
Mark ShapiroWidowedHead1873Russia85 Winter StreetWholesale FruitMerchant
Sadye ShapiroSingleDaughter1903Maine85 Winter StreetWholesale StoreBookkeeper
Louis ShapiroSingleSon1910Maine85 Winter Street  
Abraham B RossMarriedHead1879Russia65 Dresden AvenueSoft DrinksBottler
Annie RossMarriedWife1881Russia65 Dresden Avenue  
Benjamin RossSingleSon1903Russia65 Dresden AvenueSoft DrinksBottler
Morris RossSingleSon1906Russia65 Dresden AvenueVariety StoreAsst Manager
Samuel NaimanMarriedHead1873Russia25 Summer StreetFruit DealerWholesale Store
Ida NaimanMarriedWife1875Russia25 Summer Street  
Frank NaimanSingleSon1897Maine25 Summer StreetWholesale StoreSalesman
Harry NaimanSingleSon1899Massachusetts25 Summer Street  
Rosie NaimanSingleDaughter1911Massachusetts25 Summer Street  
Louis NaimanSingleSon1914Maine25 Summer Street  
Rose GoldbergMarriedWife1883Russia39 Summer Street  
Milton M GoldbergSingleSon1919Maine39 Summer Street  
Max GoldbergMarriedHead1868Russia39 Summer StreetJunk ShopJunk Dealer
Edward N ButlerMarriedHead1881Latvia182 Brunswick AvenueFruit StoreProprietor
Fanny L ButlerMarriedWife1891Poland182 Brunswick Avenue  
Jacob S BriskMarriedHead1863Latvia16 Fremont StreetOwn BusinessGroceryman
Rosie R BriskMarriedWife1871Latvia16 Fremont Street  
Max LevineWidowedHead1876Latvia11 Robinson StOwn BusinessJunk Dealer
Charles LevineSingleSon1908Maine11 Robinson StWholesale FoodSalesman
Moris GlaserMarriedHead1882Latvia181 Brunswick AvenueMens ClothingRetail Merchant
Weinniet A GlaserMarriedWife1886Latvia181 Brunswick Avenue  
Milton J GlaserSingleSon1915Maine181 Brunswick Avenue  
Max EllisMarriedHead1892Poland20 Haselton StInsuranceSalesman
Lena R EllisMarriedWife1892Poland20 Haselton St  
Stanley I EllisSingleSon1917Maine20 Haselton St  
George B EllisSingleSon1919Maine20 Haselton St  
Mary [Mamie] DionWidowedMother-in-law1856Poland20 Haselton St 

Methodological note :

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."


NB : In the census tables below ‘POB’ means ‘place of birth’ and ‘YOI’ means ‘year of immigration’.
There is a bit of historical difficulty with the answers to the questions about 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’.
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Last Updated : Feb 6, 2012

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