Gina, In transcribing census records for our USGenWeb sites there are 2
separate processes that you need to be concerned with. For a large
census...as you get into 1870, 1880, 1900 etc, typically any given
county would be exceeding 10s of thousands of lines/records. To
undertake these projects you need to assemble a team that can
transcribe specific segments of the census and send those
transcriptions back to you to compile. On the Kosciusko County
USGenWeb site, I have transcriptions of the 1840, 1850, 1860 and 1870
census. I did the 1840 and 1850 by myself. But for the 1860 and 1870
census I gathered together a virtual team, with each individual
responsible for specific townships.
To share the data back and forth, we used microsoft excel, a
spreadsheet. I had created a template of the data to be captured. I
copied the census pages and sent the copies through the mail to each
team member. I had emailed the excel template. Excel is available for
both macs and pcs. When transcriptions were completed by team members,
they emailed the files to me. I did an error check on the
transcriptions (comparing them to the copied pages of the original
census) and folded the transcription into one master file for the
entire county.
The second major process is conversion of the excel files to html
pages. I've experimented with various methodologies over the 4 census
transcriptions that I've published. I've settled on a methodology that
fits with my capabilities, but not one that I would consider ideal.
My take on the ideal system would be one where I could export the excel
file into a database program, load the database to the internet server
and then publish each page dynamically when a researcher requested that
census page from a template. Unfortunately, the limitation of the
rootsweb server and the limitations of my capabilities have not allowed
me to pursue this ideal.
So I've taken a different path. I've decided that I want to present
the census transcriptions in two ways. I want to display an html page
just as it is seen on the census. I also want to publish an alphabetic
everyname directory to the census with a direct link for every
individual to the specific census page. To do this takes some manual
effort, but with as much automation I can utilize. I first tried to
publish directly from excel with their save as html function. But
microsoft generated way too much extraneous code. So I simplified.
I use a basic text editing program called BBEdit (on my Mac). I've
also done the same thing with HotDog Pro on the PC. I create a basic
html template in the text editing program. This template includes all
of the page headers and column headers, with the column headers
defining an html table. I then go back to excel. For each census
page, I have the excel file sorted in the same way the original census
is laid out. I would select the specific census page, copy that
selection, go back to BBEdit (or HotDog), paste the selection within
the table that includes the column headers. You then highlight the
data you just pasted in. Then comes the magic, both of these programs
allow you to convert that selection to a table. The process interprets
each excel column as a column within an html table. You will probably
have to do some cleaning up of the table headers that each program
would impose in this conversion process, but this is as easy as just
deleted some portion, so that the new table becomes part of the table
you originally set up with the column headers. I then save this file
with the name of the census page...i.e. 1870_302a.html. Once saved, I
use the same file, delete the data I just entered, go back to the excel
file and repeat the whole process for each census page. I change the
header information for each page I create to make it specific to the
census page. I do this for every census page. This might run into the
hundred of files.
I like doing the basic transcription in excel because I can do a
variety of sorts on the data and save them as different file names. I
do this to create the everyname index.
You can see the results of this process for Kosciusko County at:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~inkosciu/census.htm
Gene Andert
On Jan 9, 2005, at 12:24 PM, The Richardson's wrote:
Sue,
I saw that program, but can you use it to make html pages to add to
your
website, or do you have to send them to the Archives?
Gina
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sue P. Carpenter" <spcarpenter(a)ka.net>
To: <INDYTALK-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: [INDYTALK] Census Transcripts
> I have used centrans. You can find it at
>
http://www.rootsweb.com/~census/help/centrans.htm and download it
> free. It
> was written by Bill Husler for the USGenWeb Archives Census
> Transcription
> Project and has versions for both Windows and MAC.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "The Richardson's" <richardson69(a)comcast.net>
> To: <INDYTALK-L(a)rootsweb.com>
> Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 12:13 PM
> Subject: [INDYTALK] Census Transcripts
>
>
>> Hello Everyone!
>>
>>
>> I am trying to figure out what is the best way to transcribe census
>> records, so they can be put online.
>>
>> I was reading the USGENWEB pages and saw two different sites, the
>> Census
>> Archives and the Census Project. It almost looked like they were two
>> different sites competing against each other, using the USGENWEB
>> logo,
but
>> not really a part of the USGENWEB. Has anyone else used either of
>> these
to
>> get census records online?? Are they a part of the USGENWEB?
>>
>> I would like to have the census records online, but was concerned
>> about
>> sending them to either of these sites. So I had thought about getting
them
>> up on the actual county site.
>>
>> I was going to build a page for census records for the county, and
>> try
to
>> come up with some sort of template that others can use too.
>> My problem is I have a woman who has a MAC helping me transcribe
>> census
>> records. And we are having a problem coming up with a format that we
>> can
>> both use.
>> I am relatively new to all this, and am struggling with a solution,
>> does
>> anyone have any ideas on a somewhat simple way to do this??
>>
>> How is everyone else putting census records online???
>>
>> Help Please!!! <G>
>>
>> Gina Richardson
>> INGenWeb Volunteer Coordinator
>> Randolph County IN
http://www.rootsweb.com/~inrandol/
>>
>>
>> ==== INDYTALK Mailing List ====
>> Please remember this is an open list and is archived.
>> Don't say anything you wouldn't want your grandchildren to read! :-)
>>
>> ==============================
>> Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more.
>> Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. Learn more:
>>
http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx
>>
>>
>
>
>
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>
> ==============================
> Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and
> the
> areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months.
> Learn more:
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>
>
==== INDYTALK Mailing List ====
This list is for INGenWeb CC's to discuss anything and everything.
All are welcome, whether a CC or not, and all input (nice, though :-))
is appreciated.
==============================
Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the
last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more:
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Gene Andert
County Coordinator
Kosciusko County, IN USGenWeb Project
http://www.rootsweb.com/~inkosciu/