Mormons put census from 1880s online
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- The Mormon church has put millions of 19th century ancestors on its genealogy Web site, giving family tree buffs a more convenient -- and free -- way to trace their heritage.
The church said Wednesday it's offering free Internet access to 55 million names from the 1880 United States Census and the 1881 Canadian Census.
Before, census records from those years were available on a microfilm set spanning 56 compact discs -- a search process many found cumbersome and time-consuming. People either had to buy the set or visit a Mormon genealogy center.
On the Web site, www.familysearch.org, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints allows searchers to find ancestors not only by name, but race, birthplace, location or neighbor's name.
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