Have you heard??
The LDS are releasing an extracted form (not scans of the originals) of
the US 1880 Census on June 1 in a 56-CD set (35 of data, 20 of index, and
1 viewer) for $49.00!! Check with
http://familysearch.org for ordering
instructions.
It contains 50.5 milliion names, twice the number on the Ellis Island
Records, and covers all "38 states, 8 territories, excluding only the
Indian Territory of present-day Oklahoma" then in the Union. "It is a
fully extracted record, with every name indexed."
"The 1880 U.S. Census is the most complete database published by the
Church to date and contains each individual's full name, relationship to
head of the house, age, gender, race, marital status, occupation,
birthplace, and the birthplace of the individual's parents....
"[A] powerful search engine is included with the CD that makes it
possible to find a person through 'bits and pieces' and 'wild card'
searches. Bits and pieces means each category can be in a search. A
wild card search is where one or more letters, such as the easily
mistaken r, y and v can be replaced by an asterisk. The census also
allows viewing of neighboring families."
The 1881 Canadian Census is currently extracted and is being processed
for finalization, date of release not known yet, but will be "soon."
--DESERET NEWS LDS CHURCH NEWS, May 26, 2001, p. 5, Col. 1.