WN
William Nelson — 1920 US Census Record
Model Tree available1920 United States Federal Census · Spartanburg, South Carolina
Our Model Tree links this William Nelson across the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Censuses in Spartanburg, South Carolina (XGBoost, ~Confirmed), with identified parents John & Eula — first a son (b.~1904), then head of a 7-person household.
Age 16
b. ~1904
Male
Son
Born: Tennessee
Single
1920 Census Record Details
| Census Year | 1920 |
| Location | Spartanburg, South Carolina |
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Son |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 16 |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Father's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Additional Details | |
| Occupation | Spinner |
| Industry | Cotton mill |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read | No |
| Can Write | No |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
| Occupation | Spinner |
| Township / Ward | Glendale Town Not Incorporated |
| Est. Birth Year | ~1904 |
Household Members
Census records only state relationship to the household head.
Pairwise kinship is derived (~90–95% accurate), not recorded.
Step/blended families and boarders can break it.
7 people recorded at the same address in the 1920 census.
| Name | Relation to head | Relative to William | Age | Birth yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Nelson | Head | — | 50 | ~1870 |
| Sunley Nelson | Son | — | 7 | ~1913 |
| Howard Nelson | Son | — | 9 | ~1911 |
| William Nelson | Son | — | 16 | ~1904 |
| Woodrow Nelson | Son | — | 4 | ~1916 |
| Joe Nelson | Son | — | 20 | ~1900 |
| Eula Nelson | Spouse | — | 43 | ~1877 |
Census Appearances
1920
Spartanburg, South …
Son, age 16
Spartanburg, South Carolina · implied b. ~1904 — 7 household members
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | William |
| Relationship to Head | Son |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 16 |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Father's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Occupation | Spinner |
| Industry | Cotton mill |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read | No |
| Can Write | No |
| Speaks English | Yes |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
Head, age 25
Spartanburg, South Carolina · implied b. ~1905 — 8 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | Willie D |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 25 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Age at First Marriage | 20 |
| Father's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Mother's Birthplace | Tennessee |
| Occupation | Runner |
| Industry | Knitting Mill |
| Class of Worker | W |
| Can Read/Write | Yes |
| Home Owned/Rented | R |
| Home Value / Rent | 8 |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
1940
Spartanburg-County, South …
Head, age 35
Spartanburg-County, South Carolina · implied b. ~1905 — 9 household members
●
Primary link
· ~Confirmed · 2 sources
XGBoost
Household
| Surname | Nelson |
| Given Name | Will |
| Relationship to Head | Head |
| Sex | M |
| Color / Race | White |
| Age | 35 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Birthplace | Tennessee |
| 1935 Residence (City) | Hayne Saxon Mill |
| 1935 Residence (County) | Spartanburg |
| Occupation | Finisher |
| Industry | Hosiery mill |
| Class of Worker | PW |
| Hours Worked | 40 |
| Income (1939) | 725 |
| Highest Grade | No 3 |
| 1935 Residence | Same house |
| Birth State | Tennessee |
| Birth Country | United States |
| Birthplace (normalized) | tennessee |
Model Tree
An inferred pedigree reconstructed from census links — up to 4 generations within the 1900–1950 window. Closer generations are built from household co-residence; deeper ones are bridged by following a relative to their own childhood census. Confidence compounds and weakens with each generation.
Our Model Tree links William Nelson across 3 US Census years (1920, 1930 and 1940) in 2 locations, using XGBoost record linkage. Identified parents: father John Nelson (~0.92 confidence) and mother Eula Nelson (~0.92 confidence). The pedigree spans 1 generation with 2 identified ancestors.
Show:
Gen 1
Parents
confidence ≈ 0.92
Father
John Nelson
b. ~1870
Source father
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
Mother
Eula Nelson
b. ~1877
Source mother
● Household
· direct · ~0.92
This person
Anchor record
William Nelson
Son · 1920 · age 16 · b. ~1904 · South Carolina
★ You are viewing this record
Sibling
Sunley Nelson
Sibling · 1920 · age 7
Source co-child of head (derived)
● Co-child · derived · ~0.88
Sibling
Joe Nelson
Sibling · 1920 · age 20
Source co-child of head (derived)
● Co-child · derived · ~0.88
Sibling
Woodrow Nelson
Sibling · 1920 · age 4
Source co-child of head (derived)
● Co-child · derived · ~0.88
Sibling
Howard Nelson
Sibling · 1920 · age 9
Source co-child of head (derived)
● Co-child · derived · ~0.88
Confirmed / household (~0.90+)
Probable / derived (~0.65–0.89)
Candidate (<0.65, unverified)
Original Census Page
1920 US Federal Census — Spartanburg, South Carolina
Open full size
1920 US Federal Census — Spartanburg, South Carolina
Page Contents
50 people indexed on this census page (ia:1920:14thcensusofpopu1710unit:1048)
| Line | Name | Age | Relation | Occupation | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glennie Harpper | 49 | Head | None | South Carolina |
| 2 | Elbert Harpper | 15 | Step son | Card Room | South Carolina |
| 3 | Walter D. Crocker | 43 | Boarder | Carpenter | South Carolina |
| 4 | Clara Crocker | 17 | Daughter | Spooler | South Carolina |
| 5 | Ebert Crocker | 18 | Son | Card Room | South Carolina |
| 6 | Jessie Gosnell | 29 | Head | Farmer | North Carolina |
| 7 | Alder Gosnell | 24 | Wife | None | North Carolina |
| 8 | Mable Gosnell | 8 | Daughter | None | South Carolina |
| 9 | Elsie Gosnell | 6 | Daughter | None | South Carolina |
| 10 | Ralph Gosnell | 3 | Son | None | South Carolina |
| 11 | Wilford Gosnell | 0 | Son | None | South Carolina |
| 12 | Edward Bishop | 34 | Head | Weaver | South Carolina |
| 13 | Annie Bishop | 34 | Wife | None | North Carolina |
| 14 | Neoma Bishop | 5 | Daughter | None | South Carolina |
| 15 | Alsie Bishop | 3 | Daughter | None | South Carolina |
| 16 | William Burress | 63 | Head | Watchman | South Carolina |
| 17 | Catherine Burress | 67 | Wife | None | North Carolina |
| 18 | Cleveland Burress | 7 | Grand son | None | South Carolina |
| 19 | John Nelson | 50 | Head | Picker Room | North Carolina |
| 20 | Eula Nelson | 43 | Wife | None | Tennessee |
| 21 | Joe Nelson | 20 | Son | Spinner | Tennessee |
| 22 | William Nelson THIS PERSON | 16 | Son | Spinner | Tennessee |
| 23 | Howard Nelson | 9 | Son | None | South Carolina |
| 24 | Sunley Nelson | 7 | Son | None | South Carolina |
| 25 | Woodrow Nelson | 4 | Son | None | South Carolina |
| 26 | Archie Freeman | 25 | Head | Weaver | Tennessee |
| 27 | Zora Freeman | 24 | Wife | None | Tennessee |
| 28 | Kathryne Freeman | 2 | Daughter | None | South Carolina |
| 29 | Joe Golihely | 28 | Head | Section Hand | South Carolina |
| 30 | Hester Golihely | 28 | Wife | None | North Carolina |
| 31 | James Golihely | 11 | Son | None | South Carolina |
| 32 | May Golihely | 6 | Daughter | None | South Carolina |
| 33 | Sudie Golihely | 4 | Daughter | None | South Carolina |
| 34 | John Edwards | 22 | Boarder | Weaver | Virginia |
| 35 | Ida Edwards | 25 | Boarder | Spooler | Virginia |
| 36 | Gabriel M. Coats | 69 | Head | Laborer | North Carolina |
| 37 | Elizabeth Coats | 69 | Wife | None | North Carolina |
| 38 | Billy West | 32 | Daughter | Weaver | North Carolina |
| 39 | Joel J. West | 23 | Son in law | Weaver | Georgia |
| 40 | William M. West | 0 | Grandson | None | South Carolina |
| 41 | Herbert P. Tilman | 47 | Head | Section Hand | South Carolina |
| 42 | Sallie Tilman | 33 | Wife | None | South Carolina |
| 43 | Ila Tilman | 16 | Daughter | Cloth Room | South Carolina |
| 44 | Lottie Tilman | 14 | Daughter | None | South Carolina |
| 45 | Robert Tilman | 9 | Son | None | South Carolina |
| 46 | Ella Tilman | 7 | Daughter | None | South Carolina |
| 47 | Andy Tilman | 4 | Son | None | South Carolina |
| 48 | Tillman Millwood | 25 | Head | Slasher | South Carolina |
| 49 | Lottie Millwood | 20 | Wife | Spooler | South Carolina |
| 50 | Ida Lee Millwood | 5 | Daughter | None | South Carolina |
Related Census Records
Pedigree Summary
William + 4 siblings
Gen 1 · 2 parents
~0.92
Max depth 4 (1900–1950 window)
About This Record & Model Tree
This record was independently indexed by YourRoots from the 1920 United States Federal Census (NARA). Our Model Tree links this person across census decades using XGBoost-based record linkage, with per-link confidence scores. Household corroboration strengthens the signal when co-residents appear on the same census pages in multiple years.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)