Unemployed Relief Census of 1933
About the Unemployed Relief Census of 1933
These records offer insight into the economic status of Oklahomans during the 1930s. The manuscript archive includes information for several counties, and there are more than 100,000 names included in this database. These records are located in the William H. Murray Collection [1982.294]. The records are fairly uniform and consist of typed pages (see example below).
Information is available for the following counties:
- Beaver County
- Blaine County
- Bryan County
- Caddo County
- Canadian County
- Cotton County
- Craig County
- Creek County
- Logan County
- McCurtain County
- McIntosh County
- Muskogee County
- Noble County
- Nowata County
- Okfuskee County
- Oklahoma County
- Okmulgee County
- Ottawa County
- Pawnee County
- Payne County
- Pottawatomie County
- Sequoyah County
- Texas County
- Tillman County
- Tulsa County
- Wagoner County
- Woodward County
Information Included on the Census
Individuals were considered to be employed if they owned a farm, drew a pension or were supported by an institution, or owned their own business and drew wages or a salary. The records typically include the following information:
- Name
- Age
- Address/nearest post office
- Marital status
- Number of dependents
- Occupation
- Family status
- Status of relief
Some records include the individual's city of residence, race, and marital status. Records for Logan County also list the person's physical condition, property owned, income, and their spouse's health status.
Family Status
The following abbreviations are used to denote family status:
- L.F.- Local Family
- T.F.- Transient Family
- L.N.F.-Local Non-Family Person
- T.N.F.- Transient Non-Family Person
Status of Relief
There are three categories of relief status on the census:
- The employed person who does not need relief
- The unemployed person who does not need relief
- The unemployed person who comes under Senate Bill No. 28 (needs relief)
