Wisconsin - 1895 State Census


Project-Specific Indexing Instructions



Instructions Specific to this Project:

Data entry screen available in form entry format only:
  • For this project where the image you see on your screen may be Inhabitants, Soldiers and Sailors, or Militia, the only data entry option is form entry.

Number of Records per Image:

  • Each 1895 Wisconsin State Census image has one or two pages. This project has been set for 54 record entry lines per image. Each of these 54 entry lines on the data entry screen must be accounted for.
  • There are images with fewer than 54 actual records.          
    • Index all records as they appear sequentially on the image beginning with the left page working down and moving to the right page.
    • Do not mark any lines as blank until after you have indexed all the records listed on the image.
    • Then mark all remaining lines in the data entry table as blank by pressing Ctrl+Shift+B or by clicking the Mark the record as blank icon while in the Record Type field. The program will automatically advance to the next record.
    • Once all 54 possible records have been accounted for, a message will appear asking if you want to add one or more lines to this image. Click No.
  • There are images with more than 54 records.          
    • After indexing 54 records, a question will appear asking if you want to add one or more lines to this image. Click Yes.
    • Change the quantity in the Number of records box to the number of remaining records on the image.
    • Click OK.
    • Upon completion of the remaining records, a message will again appear asking if you want to add one or more records to this image. Click NO.
  • For more help adding and deleting lines, click on the link below. Then click on Insert Record, Append Record, or Remove Record links for more specific instructions.
              Adding and Deleting Lines

Using the Ruler:

  • Because of the format of the records, highlights will not be available for this project.
  • For help using the Ruler, click on the link below. Then click on the Ruler link on the page that appears.
             Ruler Instructions

Obscured Data:

  • At times there will be images with data that is obscured. This can happen in the following ways:
    • Tight bindings: Because some volumes have tight bindings, data near the center of the book is sometimes obscured. This may affect the All Other Countries column on the first page of an image or the Name column on the second page of an image. 
                           Example
    • Extra paper: Extra pieces of paper are sometimes glued to pages in the volumes, which overlay and obscure data.
                           Example
  • Whenever data has been obscured, simply index all data that can be seen.


General Instructions for Indexing:

How to Index Names:

  • Given Name: The given name is usually written first.
  • Surname: The surname is usually written last.

How to Index Places:

  • When a place has been misspelled, spell it correctly.
  • When a place has been abbreviated and you can determine what the abbreviation stands for, type the complete name instead of the abbreviation.
  • Use the lookup list for assistance. The lookup list does not include every possibility.
  • If you cannot determine the intended locality, type the information as it was written on the record.

Lookup Lists:

  • A lookup list is a collection of common names, places, races, etc, to help decipher a specific field. All fields that have a corresponding lookup list will have a down arrow at the right side of the column.
  • Click the down arrow.
  • Select Lookup for the appropriate list for that field to appear.
  • The lookup lists are not comprehensive. If the clerk wrote something that is not in the list, type what was written on the certificate.

Ditto Marks:

  • Ditto marks or similar signs of repetition may be found in several fields. If a field contains any of these signs, type the actual information from the above field.

Corrected or Crossed-Out Information: 

  • When information is crossed out and then replaced, type the new data into the appropriate fields.
  • When the information is crossed out, not replaced, and can be read, type the crossed-out information.
  • When the information is crossed out, not replaced, and cannot be read, mark the field unreadable by pressing Ctrl+U.
  • When every entry on a record cannot be read, mark the entire record unreadable by pressing Ctrl+Shift+U.

Unknown:

  • If a required field (a field marked with an asterisk) contains a descriptive word, such as unknown or don’t know, press Ctrl+B to mark the field as blank.
  • If a field that is not required contains a descriptive word, such as unknown or don’t know, press Tab to skip this field.  

Unnecessary Punctuation:

  • Do not type periods, commas, parentheses or semicolons after initials, abbreviations, or between multiple levels of localities for any of the fields.

Red Wavy Line:

  • The red wavy line does not mean that you made a mistake. It appears because the word you typed is not in the lookup list. This is okay.