Home› Welcome to the FamilySearch Community!› Ask a Question› Family Tree

Unable to view some 1950 census records

David Benjamin Baggerly
David Benjamin Baggerly ✭
September 27, 2022 edited July 12, 2024 in Family Tree

When I attempt to open 1950 census records to attach to my family tree, I sometimes get the following message: "We're unable to show this record to you. This record can only be displayed on certain accounts. FamilySearch must honor the agreements we have with our partners, record owners, and internal policies." I don't get this message for all 1950 census records, just some. Does anybody know why this would happen and what I can do to access these records?

5

Answers

  • LINCOLN LOWERY
    LINCOLN LOWERY ✭
    October 7, 2022 edited October 7, 2022

    I am getting this too. I wonder why. I have a few guesses, but I really am just speculating. EDIT: The one person's record I tried accessing lived from 1892-1961. He, his wife, and their children are all deceased.https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F9R-ZD8Q

    1
  • Lynne Colson
    Lynne Colson ✭
    October 8, 2022 edited October 8, 2022

    I am also getting this message relating to my maternal aunt and uncle. Screen shot is attached

    Screenshot_20221008-164519_Chrome.jpg


    0
  • staarLee
    staarLee ✭
    October 11, 2022

    Getting the same error. I guess no one has an answer yet?

    1
  • Lynne Colson
    Lynne Colson ✭
    October 12, 2022

    I'm now getting an error code 403 on the same records.

    It's unfortunate we can't ask FamilySearch what the issue is; at least I am not aware of how to do so.

    0
  • genthusiast
    genthusiast ✭✭✭✭✭
    October 12, 2022 edited October 12, 2022

    I believe that is the answer - the 1950 U.S. Census Project is a rather newly completed one. It was completed in conjunction with Ancestry. If their AI (computer index) generated the index - I suspect that record is not viewable on FamilySearch. Thus the reference to abiding by agreements with partners, etc. Therefore a FamilySearch representative would probably say the exact same thing...'abide by agreements' ...since agreements are not generally publicly available there is little else to say - I think.

    https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/1950-census-timeline-update states: "As it is completed, the census will continue to be released state by state until it is fully searchable by name, for free, at FamilySearch.org/1950census."

    NOTE: this says freely searchable - at this page - not that images or attachment of the record will be available.

    https://www.familysearch.org/1950census/ also shows which states are currently searchable.

    Taking Hannah Elizabeth McIsaac Huff, above for example - the Census is indeed searchable:

    image.png

    But when you attempt to View record details or View possible tree matches - you will indeed get these Unexpected or Unable to show results. Thus FamilySearch allows you to Search but not much else - as apparently stated in the agreements - or if read another way 'until completed'. You will probably have better luck with viewing/attaching at Ancestry - the owner of the resulting index or at a FamilySearch History Center or Affiliate Library possibly (I haven't tried that but maybe that's also what the agreement entailed)?

    In the larger picture this was an opportunity to evaluate crowdsourced indexing versus AI indexing and partnership between industry leaders. I would suppose a review of this evaluation will be forthcoming.

    0
  • Áine Ní Donnghaile
    Áine Ní Donnghaile ✭✭✭✭✭
    October 12, 2022

    In my experience, image availability varies by location. I was able to view and attach some 1950 census images but not all. For example, my parents, in Georgia: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6FQT-7QDX

    0
  • ChristineAnderson86
    ChristineAnderson86 ✭
    November 23, 2022

    I am having the same result as in the first post. I am being notified by FamilySearch that I have a record to review and attach, which is identified as the 1950 census. When I click on the link, I get a message that FamilySearch is unable to find the page I am looking for, because they need to "honor agreements we have with our partners, record owners, and internal policies." I was able to review and attach 1950 census record with other siblings in this family, and with others in the family tree, when I have been notified. If the source is not available, why give me a notification that I have a record to review and attach? https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KH1N-7WT

    0
  • Maile L
    Maile L ✭✭✭✭✭
    November 23, 2022

    The 1950 census has a known bug that is being addressed. Please see Sam Sulser's comment at https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/481523#Comment_481523

    0
  • MinnWisRoots
    MinnWisRoots ✭✭✭✭
    November 25, 2022

    They posted a note under Announcements

    https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/133029/1950-us-census-hint-error


    0
This discussion has been closed.
Clear
No Groups Found

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 42.8K Ask a Question
  • 3.3K General Questions
  • 570 FamilySearch Center
  • 6.7K Get Involved/Indexing
  • 640 FamilySearch Account
  • 6.5K Family Tree
  • 5.2K Search
  • 1K Memories
  • 2 Suggest an Idea
  • 473 Other Languages
  • 62 Community News
  • Groups