Steve Morse has posted a new 1790―1930 federal census browser that allows the user to go directly to any particular image on any roll of federal census microfilm posted on Ancestry.com’s website. Once there, the utility allows the user to move back and forth within the images, not just a page at a time, but by 1, 2, 3, or even 4 pages.
The utility also allows anyone to browse the film roll descriptions 1790―1930, and ascertain exactly what counties are on what rolls.
If you are an Ancestry.com subscriber and you wish to use the utility to browse images, click on the “year” arrow in the lower left corner of your screen, highlight the year of interest, and click on enter. Then pick the roll number (which has the state 2-letter abbreviation attached to it). Enter an image number if you know it. Click on “Display Frame.” You’ll find yourself in Ancestry.com’s website looking at the image you selected. You may then browse within that roll as mentioned above.
If you don’t know which exact roll to go to to get started, click on the “View all Rolls” button at the top of the browsing page in Steve’s site. You will go to the Census Schedules Descriptions page –find the roll number by browsing down the page until you come to the year and county you’re looking for. Make note of the roll number there – and go back to the original browsing page. Enter the image number, and click on “display frame.”
To use Steve Morse’s new browser, go to: www.stevemorse.org/census/censusbrowser.html
