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1930 US Federal Census Data Bar Harbor

Families with one East European immigrant


NameSingle/MarriedRoleappx DOBPlace of BirthStreetemploymenttitle
Annie PerlinskyMarriedWife1872Russia3  
Mark PerlinskyMarriedHead1869Russia3ClothingMerchant
Abraham M ShiroMarriedHead1878Russia27 Holland AvenueMerchant TailorManager
Lena L ShiroMarriedWife1888Maine27 Holland Avenue  
Harold I ShiroSingleSon1911Maine27 Holland Avenue  
Marion R ShiroSingleDaughter1914Maine27 Holland Avenue  
Dorothy B ShiroSingleDaughter1919Maine27 Holland Avenue  
Katie HillsonMarriedWife1862Russia10 Hancock Street  
Nathan HillsonMarriedHead1865Russia10 Hancock StreetClothingMerchant
Vina GordonMarriedWife1890Russia116  
Hermie H GordonMarriedHead1888Russia116Dry GoodsClothier
Philip GordonSingleSon1914Maine116  
Irving GordonSingleSon1918Maine116  
Phyliss GordonSingleDaughter1929Maine116  
Nathan EmdurMarriedHead1872Russia81 Main StreetFurnitureMerchant

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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