What is SOUNDEX and how does one use it?
A soundex code is a four character representation based on the way a name sounds rather than the way it is spelled. Theoretically, using this system, you should be able to index a name so that it can be found no matter how it was spelled. The system was developed by Margaret K. Odell and Robert C. Russell (see U.S. Patents 1261167 <1918> and 1435663 <1922>). The WPA used the soundex coding system in the 1930s to do a partial indexing on 3×5 cards of the 1880 (all households with a child age 10 or younger) and 1900 censuses and a nearly full indexing of the 1910 (not all states completed) and 1920 (not yet released to the public) censuses. The soundex indexes of the 1880, 1900 and 1910 census records are available on microfilm at the National Archives (and its branches) and many libraries or other archives. These microfilms also can be purchased from the National Archives. The names are arranged on the soundex indexes by first letter, then numerically within that letter, then alphabetic
