The People in Your Neighborhood

One of the interesting facets of family history research is the study of the neighborhood,  city and social history your ancestor experienced.  It brings to mind the Sesame Street song about the people in your neighborhood.

Lucky for those of us that like to study such things, there are plenty of ways to determine where your ancestors lived. One is the decennial US census records as they become available (1940 is the most recently available). This is part of the 1910 census record for  William E. Pierce and family who lived at 31 Sargent Street in 1910.

Over the years, the Pierce family lived at 389 Main (1900); 106 Maplewood (1920), 3 1/2 Alpine Court (1930) and 3 Smith St (1940). There were 12 children born to this couple, so there were years where additional room was needed such as seen here for 1910.  So I went to go see those neighborhoods as they look today:

I realize house numbers may have changed over the years, but today’s 389 Main:

Today’s 31 Sargent Street (1910)

Nearby 106 Maplewood (1920)

4 1/2 Alpine Court (1930)

3 Smith Street (1940 just 2 years prior to William’s death):

I am proud to learn immediate family members lived in and near these neighborhoods along with other hardworking residents. It makes me feel even more connected to our city.