J.C. Huntington
(20th Century)

J.C. Huntington's place of birth and life dates are unknown. Reportedly, he was a retired railroad worker who lived in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, in the 1920s. Huntington's daughter is believed to have been the model for some of the children he painted in his lively School Scene. His fascination with farm machinery and automobiles also plays an important role in this artwork. The depictions, however, are not necessarily accurate. School Scene, the artwork selected for the Census 2000 poster, was created using enamel paint and pencil on paper. The National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, obtained School Scene through a gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr., and a museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson.

Census 2000 will provide more information to rural areas than ever before. Unlike previous censuses, local officials will be able to define unincorporated communities regardless of their population size. And for the first time, rural areas will be divided into census tracts, just like urban areas are.