Finding History Makers and Record Breakers:
The Notable Americans on the 1930 Census
By Vanessa Wood
The 1930 Census has offered a unique opportunity to look at the Americans who became famous and infamous during the 20th Century.� When I first began researching more than a year ago I thought I would find a few Hollywood stars and be done with it then and there.�� The project took on a life of its own, pulling me away from other research and my website, www.tnpryors.com.�� I found that after finding the hundreds of famous actors, politicians, authors, and athletes that I could remember, there were still more that held memories for my family, friends and historical value for others.� It all came together in the creation of the book Notable Americans of the 1930 Census.� The cover states there are over 500 infamous and famous Americans to be found inside, but there are actually close to 600!
I've thought about why there were so many well-known people to be found on the 1930 Census.� I had tried to find famous Americans on
other census records without much luck.� I believe that the best explanation is in the industrialization of the U. S. and the burgeoning media driven culture.� No longer was a performance confined to one night on a stage, perhaps viewed by a hundred or so theatre-goers.� No longer were performances confined to large cities.� By 1930 our entertainment was delivered fresh to us in newspapers every morning via motorized transportation.� The Census Bureau included a question on the census in acknowledgment of the importance of the radio.� Sound had come to films by 1927 and films were being shown in small venues across the United States. Fame was no longer fleeting, but preserved for generations in print, film and in recordings. �More people than ever before were known through the media. In tracing my own family I have always felt that genealogy spun a web that connected people together; one person led to another and families were tied by the relationships of each generation.� It's a beautiful thing to a genealogist.
Researching famous Americans was different.� Instead of a long, connected history, I felt that I was capturing snapshots of their lives; a
moment somewhere in the midst of what we know of their fame.� The census caught them before fame or before tragedy, stars between
spouses, or living large after finding fame.� Shirley Temple was living with her parents in Santa Monica; it would be two more years before she would make her first film. ��Truman Capote was living with his maiden aunts before his mother remarried changing his name to Capote.� The more you know about each notable, the more poignant the information gleaned from an entry.�
DEPRESSION ERA PRICES.� I confess that I never paid much attention to the earlier census columns that recorded the value of real property.� It seemed a given that you could by an entire farm for $500 in 1850!� The rental costs and home values of the famous on the 1930 Census held some intrigue.� Perhaps it's because with hindsight we know who made it big and out of poverty.� In our era of inflated housing prices, it's heartbreaking to reflect that a well-positioned family with servants may have lived in a house worth only $16,000 seventy-some-odd years ago. Rural families paid $5 per month rent.� I wondered at film stars with million-dollar homes, wondering what type of a king's ransom they must be worth today!��
IT'S A GIVEN.� Homework was needed to track down the given names of Hollywood's famous.� I think we all know that Rock Hudson and Kirk Douglas adopted their names for their acting careers.� Orson Bean!� You would think that was his given name.� Of course, many notable females were recorded with their husbands and using their married names. �Even when there was no name change some American notables were recorded incorrectly by census-takers misspellings. �
"REEL" BIRTHDATES?� When attempting to locate anyone on a census it is always helpful to have their date of birth or even just the year they are born.� Unfortunately the studio system perpetuated biographies that made stars a little older; and more often a little younger than their true ages.� If the census is correct, Doris Day is a couple years older than her oldest birth date given in several biographies.�
FIRST JOBS.� If you enjoy snooping around the lives of the famous, then there?s some fun in finding what they did before they became famous.� I found a 40's bandleader living in a train station, a 50?s singer working as a barber, and a well-known comic running a printing business.
FAMILY TIES.�I was especially touched by seeing so many notables recorded with their families.� It was part custom; part necessity to keep multi-generation households.� Borders were also common.� While it may not have dictated the path a notable would take in life; it's interesting to see the occupations of their parents and siblings too.� Several notable Americans were children of ministers and Christian Science practitioners.
FOR THE RECORD.� I visited my local library that was stocked with numerous biographies and reference sources.� The internet was helpful, but not always reliable.� If you have ever watched the X-files you are probably familiar with the warning "Trust No One."� I was forced to confront that caution several times when I would find a Notable American living in an unlikely place, under an unexpected or misspelled name, or in circumstances that weren't accounted for by biographers.
WHERE THEY LIVED.�� A fruitful search of the Manhattan census pages located an apartment complex inhabited by Ginger Rogers and several other celebrities.� I found if you read between the lines there is some saucy information contained in the 1930 Census.� Several fan websites rumor of a relationship between actress Norma Talmadge and her co-star Gilbert Roland.� Both actors are found on the census living in neighboring apartments.��� The relationship between publisher William Randolph Hearst and actress Marion Davies is well-documented, one fan-site stated that the $1.5 million-dollar oceanfront home was a gift to Ms Davies from Hearst.
I think I would make Lucy Ricardo proud of my tenacity in tracking down the notables of 1930.� I haven't pilfered any grapefruits from celebrity back yards, but created the most comprehensive reference of the Americans who were a memorable part of our of the last century . READ MORE....
Copyright 2003 Vanessa Wood
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