We've all tried it. When first presented with a census subscription, we searched for a few family names, then tried "Humphrey Bogart," or "Ronald Reagan." Michael John Neill has gathered together on one website The Rich and Famous in the US Census, complete with free census images. My own favorite is Calvin Coolidgea distant cousin of my paternal grandmotherwhose entry in 1880 has been helpfully marked "President" with an arrow to his name. A similar unauthorized mark has been placed beside the name of Jesse James in 1860.
Other favorites:
- Jefferson Davis, 1870: his occupation given as "Expres. S. Confed."
- The Marx Brothers, 1900: Leo, Adolph, Julius and Milton (which explains "Chico", "Harpo", "Groucho", and "Zeppo").
- e e cummings, 1910: capitalized as a child, surely against his will.
