Revelations of the 1900 census

It will take me a while to pick apart the 1900 census for all things Loustalot, but here's a start with heads of household, their occupations and locations --

James, married to Mary, born 1860, working as a laborer in San Jose, Santa Clara county

Frank, unmarried, born 1871, working as a shepherd in Santa Barbara county, immigrated 1885, naturalized
Jacob, married to Rosa, born 1866, owned gen' merchandise store in Santa Barbara county, no citizenship listed
Pierre, married to Felicia, born 1858, saloonkeeper in Santa Barbara county, immigrated 1884, naturalized

John, married to Jessie, born 1864, working as a day laborer in Merced county, immigrated 1881, citizenship applied for

Myra, widowed, born 1832, working as landlady in Greeley, Colorado, immigrated 1858, no citizenship listed
Frank C, s/o Myra, born 1866 in Colorado, working as landlord in Greeley, Colorado

George, married Alphonsine, born 1870, working as farmer in Alpine, San Diego county

James or Jean, working as laborer in San Francisco, other data illigible
Zacharie, married to Marie, born 1860, working in laundry in San Francisco, immigrated 1887, citizenship applied for

Marie, unmarried, born 1875, working as maid to Wheelock family, Manhatten, New York City, immigrated 1895
Louisa, unmarried, born 1868, working as maid to Cryder family in Manhatten, New York, immigrated 1889

Jean, unmarried, born 1875, working as laborer, New Orleans, Louisiana

aftermath of the fire that destroyed much of the 1890 census

The morning after was an archivist's nightmare, with ankle-deep water covering records in many areas. Although the basement vault was considered fireproof and watertight, water seeped through a broken wired-glass panel in the door and under the floor, damaging some earlier and later census schedules on the lower tiers. The 1890 census, however, was stacked outside the vault and was, according to one source, "first in the path of the firemen."(11) That morning, Census Director Sam Rogers reported the extensive damage to the 1890 schedules, estimating 25 percent destroyed, with 50 percent of the remainder damaged by water, smoke, and fire.(12) Salvage of the watersoaked and charred documents might be possible, reported the bureau, but saving even a small part would take a month, and it would take two to three years to copy off and save all the records damaged in the fire. The preliminary assessment of Census Bureau Clerk T. J. Fitzgerald was far more sobering. Fitzgerald told reporters that the priceless 1890 records were "certain to be absolutely ruined. There is no method of restoring the legibility of a water-soaked volume."(13)

from www.archives.gov