By law, the U. S. government takes a census count every 10 years. The first one was in 1790 and the last one to be released to the public was in 1940. Learn how to search these records and understand how that information may lead to additional records. City directories were published in-between census years. These records provide information on your ancestors. Learn how to find and use these unique resources in your ancestor hunt. Registration is required for this class.