General Resource Sites

• Analyzing City Directories 
  From the Board for Certification of Genealogists - Skill Building - May 1996.
• Ancestry.com - City Directories 
  Article from "Along Those Lines..." by George Morgan.
• Ancestry.com - City Directories: Windows on the Past 
  Article from Shaking Your Family Tree, by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, C.G.
• Circa 1930 City Directories Available at NARA 
  Listing of microfilmed city directories organized by state. These directories are intended to be finding aids for using the 1930 census.
• CITY-DIRECTORIES Mailing List 
  For those who desire lookups in city directories such as the old directories found in many local and state public libraries, and for volunteers who are willing to undertake requested lookups in these directories. Archives: browse or search.
• City Directories of the United States of America 
  A register of known city directories, their years, and repositories for the United States.
• Do You Have an "Urban" Ancestor? Check out that City Directory! 
  Article by Trevia Wooster Beverly.
• Family Tree Connection - City and Farm Directories 
  Search the listings for free, view full details with a fee-based subscription.
• Footnote.com - City Directories 
  City Directories for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island. Footnote is an online repository for original historicaldocuments, combined with the ability for users to make comments, annotations, and upload their own documents. Some areas of Footnote are free to use, while others can be freely searched and then viewed with a paid subscription.
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• NSBJD'S Genealogy & More - Directories, Vital Records & Other Books 
  Scanned copies of Old City Directories on CD-ROM for sale.
• Old Directory Search 
  Free collection of digitally scanned old city directories.
• Primary Source Microfilm: City Directories of the United States 
• Primary Sources - Directories 
  From the Toronto Public Library with excellent general information about using directories. Includes search strategies and what pitfalls to avoid in directory research.
• RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees - Lesson 20: City Directories and Newspapers 

Libraries, Archives & Museums

• Alabama Archives: Alabama City Directories 
• City Directories 
  Held by the Wyoming State Archives.
• City Directories at the Colorado State Archives 
• City Directories at the FHL 
  A list of some of the 1930 City directories available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Filmed Directories can be ordered and viewed at your Local Family History Center. Photocopies of pages from printed directories can also be requested.
• City Directories at the Tennessee State Library & Archives 
• City Directories Available at the City of Victoria Archives  ~ British Columbia, Canada
• City Directories Available in the State Archives 
  Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
• City Directories: Duke University Libraries 
  Perkins Library Subject Guides, City directories from the 1700-1900s from the United States and Europe housed in the Perkins Library, Duke University in either bound volumes or mircoform.
• City Directories of the United States 
  Microform Collections from the University of Maryland Libraries.
• Library of Congress 
  • Telephone and City Directories in the Library of Congress: A Finding Guide 
    By Barbara B. Walsh, Reference Specialist, November 1994.
  • U.S. City Directories on Microfilm in the Microform Reading Room 
    At the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
• Minnesota Historical Society Library & Collections 
  • City Directories 
    Online searchable index to city directories held by the Minnesota Historical Society.
• New York State Library 
  • City Directories and Selected Telephone Directories on Microfilm and Microfiche 
• Schenectady City Directories  ~ New York
  Found at the Schenectady County Public Library. Includes an online version of the Schenectady Directory and City Register for the years 1841-2.
• South Dakota County and City Directories 
  A list of the directories found in the South Dakota State Archives in Pierre.
• Trade Directory Holdings in Northern Libraries 
  A list of Trade Directories held by libraries in the northern counties of England.

Locality Specific

• 1787 Nathaniel Jones Directory of Glasgow - The First Glasgow Directory (1787) 
  An alphabetical list of the names and places of abode of the merchants, manufacturers, traders and shop-keepers in and about Glasgow, Scotland, in 1787.
• 1828 Buffalo City Directory  ~ New York
• 1837 Toronto and Home District Directory  ~ Ontario
• 1848 Bradford Directory  ~ Bradford On Avon, Somerset, England
• 1857 Auburn, NY Directory Index - French's 1857 Auburn, NY City Directory Index 
• The 1864 Baltimore City Directory Project  ~ Baltimore, Maryland
  Free, web-based version of the 1864 Baltimore City directory.
• 1890 Cincinnati City Directory Online  ~ Ohio
• 1903 Clark County Ohio Rural Directory 
  Names listed in the directory include the head of household and all family members.
• 1907 Directory of Chilmark and Gay Head, Mass. 
• 1920 Mansfield City Directory  ~ Ohio
  Scanned images.
• 1929 Polish Business Directory 
  Online searchable index of 20th century genealogical data for more than 34,000 locations using Ksiega Adresowa Polski (Wraz z w.m. Gdanskiem dla Handlu, Przemyslu Rzemiosl I Rolnictwa) Directory of Poland, including Gdansk, for trade, industry, handicraft and agriculture (1929).
• 1933 Rural Directory  ~ Clay County, Minnesota
• 1933 Village Residents  ~ Clay County, Minnesota
• Alabama Archives: Alabama City Directories 
• Annapolis City Directory, 1924 
  The five hundred and thirty-eighth volume of the Archives of Maryland series was originally published in 1924. The Archives of Maryland edition was published in 2003 by the Maryland State Archives. This volume covers the Annapolis City Directory for 1924.
• Archive: Directories  ~ Finmere, Oxfordshire, England
• AwesomeGenealogy.com - Douglas City Directory, Wellington Co., Ontario 1871-72 
• Baltimore City Directories 1796-1964  ~ Maryland
• Baltimore City Directory 1871 - Maryland State Archives 
  This is a listing of African Americans in Baltimore in 1871 taken from Woods's Baltimore City Directory, containing a corrected Engraved Map of the City, a Business Directory, a Street Directory and an Appendix of much Useful Information, pp. 667-757. This city directory is particularly useful for helping locate Baltimore City African Americans in the 1870 Census since the Directory was compiled at the same time the Census was taken, but published the next year.
• Baltimore City Directory 1881 - Maryland State Archives 
  This is a listing of African Americans in Baltimore in 1881 taken from Woods's Baltimore City Directory, containing a corrected Engraved Map of the City, a Business Directory, a Street Directory and an Appendix of much Useful Information, pp. 933-1066. This city directory is particularly useful for helping locate Baltimore City African Americans in the 1880 Census since the Directory was compiled at the same time as the Census was taken, but published the next year.
• Boston Streets: Mapping Directory Data  ~ Massachusetts
  Combines photographs, maps, & city directories into a variety of interactive tools for exploring Boston past & present.
  • Cowpaths 
    Interactive orthographic maps for 1844, 1867, 1874, 1898, 1928, 1950 & 2001.
  • Moments: Photographs and Images 
    Photographic collection complete with detailed descriptions.
  • The People: City directories 
    City directories for 1845, 1855, 1865, 1870, 1872, 1875, 1885, 1905 & 1925.
    • Search Boston city directories 
    • Browse all Boston city directories 
      • Stimpson's Boston Directory, 1845 
      • The Boston Directory, 1855 
      • The Boston Directory, 1865 
      • The Boston Directory, 1870 
      • The Boston Directory, 1872 
      • The Boston Directrory, 1875 
      • The Boston Directory, 1885 
      • The Boston Directory, 1905 
      • The Boston Directory for the year commencing July 1, 1925 
  • Places: Atlases, Maps, and Geospatial material 
    Atlases from 1874, 1898, and 1928 are available for browsing and searching.
    • Browse all Boston city atlases 
    • Browse a specific Boston city atlas 
      • Atlas of the county of Suffolk, Massachusetts. Volume 1. Boston proper 
        Published by G.M. Hopkins of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania G.M.Hopkins & Co.1873-1875. This atlas contains 26 hand colored plates plus an index map covering the Shawmut peninsula and extending into the Back Bay.
      • Atlas of the City of Boston. from actual surveys and official plans. Boston proper and Back Bay 
        Published by G. W. Bromley & Co., 1898. Thirty two hand colored plates extending as far as the Back Bay Fens.
      • Atlas of the city of Boston. Boston Proper and Back Bay from actual surveys and official plans. Atlas of the City of Boston 
        Published by G. W. Bromley & Co., 1928. Thirty six hand colored plates, plus title page, street index, and overview map.
• Buckinghamshire Historic Trade Directories  ~ England
  Online searchable database of over 5,000 entries from Trade Directories published in 1792, 1798, 1811, 1824 & 1832. From the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies.
• BuffaloResearch.com: City Directories in Buffalo & Erie County, NY 
  A guide to the earliest known city directories and online directories for the city of Buffalo and the towns of Erie County, NY.
• CCFGPW - Cambridge Blue Book 
  City and street directory for Cambridge, Massachusetts for 1910.
• Chataigne's Fredericksburg and Falmouth City Directories 1888-1889  ~ Virginia
• City and Phone Directories for Prescott and Yavapai county  ~ Arizona
• City Directories  ~ Georgia
  Held by the Statesboro Regional Library System.
• CompuGen Systems : Indiana & Ohio City Directories Available 
  Pay-for-search service of Indiana city directories, county directories, telephone directories & plat books.
• A Directory and Handbook of the City of Williamsburg and the County of James City, Virginia (1898) 
  High resolution scanned images of this entire historic directory including advertising. Blue link buttons next to individual names provide hyperlink connections to pages where that individual is mentioned in the text or an advertisement.
• Directory of Oxford County 1857-1858  ~ Canada
  Online searchable directory of residents and businesses of Oxford County, Ontario 1857-1858.
• Directory of the City of Chicago Illinois for 1843 
  The 1896 version contained additional information about the 1843 residents, including information about the death of 1843 residents who had died.
• Direct resources  ~ United Kingdom
  Database of 19th century trades directories and their contents.
• Douglas County Business and Government Directory 1886-1888 by Name from the Castle Rock Journal  ~ Colorado
• Douglas County Business and Government Directory 1886-1888 by Town from the Castle Rock Journal  ~ Colorado
• Ferrar's Limerick Directory of 1769  ~ Ireland
• Footnote.com 
  Footnote is an online repository for original historical documents, combined with the ability for users to make comments, annotations, and upload their own documents. Some areas of Footnote are free to use, while others can be freely searched and then viewed with a paid subscription.
  • City Directories 
    Directories for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island.
  • City Directories for Boston, Massachusetts 
    Directories for 1861-1878, 1923-1926.
  • City Directories for Chicago, Illinois 
    Directories for 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1902, 1903, 1908, 1909.
  • City Directories - New York NY 
  • City Directories - Philadelphia PA 
• Francis Guy's Directory of Munster 1886-Ardnacrusha, Co. Clare  ~ Ireland
• Francis Guy's Directory of Munster 1886-Clonlara, Co. Clare  ~ Ireland
• Francis Guy's County and City of Cork Directory For the Years 1875--1876  ~ Ireland
• Fredericksburg, Virginia City Directory, 1892 
• Fredericksburg, Virginia City Directory Vol. 1, 1910-11 
• Fredericksburg, Virginia City Directory 1921 
• Fredericksburg, Virginia City Directory 1938 
• General Directory of the Kingdom of Ireland, 1788 
  Directory of Limerick, County of Limerick.
• Gogebic Range City Directories 1892-1947 
  Searchable online transcriptios for Gobebic county, Michigan and Iron & Vilas counties, Wisconsin.
• Heritage Trail Press | Genealogy and Historical Family Research Records 
  Pay-for-use databases for Oregon and Utah. Including: Old Historic Oregon and Utah Newspaper; Oregon Catholic Church Records; Cumulative Indexes to Munnicks Catholic Church Records of the Pacific Northwest; Portland City Directories; Oregon BLM Maps; Oregon Metsker Atlases; Oregon Cemetery Survey (free); Oregon Death Index (free).
• Highlights of the 1866 City of Denver Business Directory 
  Including advertisements, business directory and residential directory.
• Historical Directories 
  Digital library of eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth century local and trade directories from England and Wales. Includes text search and images.
• Historical Trade Directories  ~ Waterford, Ireland
  Online searchable database.
• Kansas Telephone and City Directories 
• Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire For 1901 
  A complete 1901 edition of the Kelly's Trade Directory of Monmouthshire,Wales. Fully indexed, and containing a detailed descriptions of each location, including in each case a list of prominent citizens and tradespeople.
• Kelly's Directories On-line  ~ Kent, England
  Directories for the Bexley area from 1870 to 1938. From the Bexley Local Studies and Archive Centre.
• Kentucky City Directories Online 
• Lexington, Kentucky 1859 City Directory 
• Long Island Directories  ~ New York
• Ancestry.com - Search Directories & Member Lists 
  Searchable indexes; database results and some digitized images available with fee-based subscription.
  • Massachusetts Directories from Ancestry.com
    • Abington, Massachusetts Directories, 1889, 1892 
    • Adams and North Adams, Massachusetts Directories, 1887, 1889-90, 1890-93 
    • Amesbury, Massachusetts Directory, 1891 
    • Amherst, Massachusetts Directories, 1886-87, 1895 
    • Arlington, Massachusetts Directory, 1896-97 
    • Ashland, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Athol, Massachusetts Directories, 1885, 1897 
    • Baldwinville, Massachusetts Directory, 1885 
    • Bedford, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Belmont, Massachusetts Directory, 1896-97 
    • Boston, Massachusetts City Directory, 1789 
    • Boston, Massachusetts Directory, 1805 
    • Boston, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Bradford, Massachusetts Directory 1889 
    • Braintree, Massachusetts Directories, 1888, 1892 
    • Brockton, Massachusetts City Directory, 1887-90 
    • Cambridge, Massachusetts Directories, 1887-90 
    • Canton, Massachusetts Directory 1887 
    • Chelsea, Massachusetts Directories, 1890-92 
    • Concord, Massachusetts Directory, 1892 
    • Cohasset, Massachusetts Directory, 1894 
    • Dedham, Massachusetts Directory, 1893 
    • Dennis, Massachusetts Directory 1895 
    • Dover, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Duxbury, Massachusetts Directory, 1894 
    • Easton, Massachusetts Directory, 1889 
    • Erving, Massachusetts Directory 1885 
    • Essex, Massachusetts Directory 1888-89 
    • Everett, Massachusetts Directory 1889 
    • Fall River, Massachusetts City Directories, 1889-91 
    • Fitchburg, Massachusetts Directories, 1887-90 
    • Foxborough, Massachusetts Directories, 1887, 1890 
    • Franklin, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Gloucester, Massachusetts Directories, 1888-91 
    • Georgetown, Massachusetts Directory 1885-86 
    • Great Barrington, Massachusetts Directory, 1894 
    • Greenfield, Massachusetts Directory 1892 
    • Groveland, Massachusetts Directory 1885-86, 1894 
    • Hamilton, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Haverhill, Massachusetts Directory 1894 
    • Holbrook, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Holyoke, Massachusetts Directories, 1888-90, 1892 
    • Hopkinton, Massachusetts Directory 1886 
    • Hudson, Massachusetts Directory 1887-88 
    • Ipswich, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Lakeville, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Lawrence, Massachusetts Directories, 1888-92 
    • Lee, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Leominster, Massachusetts Directories, 1883-95 
    • Lexington, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Lowell, Massachusetts Directories, 1889-90 
    • Lynn, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Malden, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Mansfield, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Marlborough, Massachusetts Directory, 1887-88 
    • Marshfield, Massachusetts Directory, 1894 
    • Medford, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Medway, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Melrose, Massachusetts Directory, 1885 
    • Middleboro, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Millbury, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Milton, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Needham, Massachusetts Directories, 1888-89, 1893 
    • New Bedford, Massachusetts Directories, 1887, 1889-90 
    • Newburyport, Massachusetts Directory, 1891 
    • Newton, Massachusetts Directory 1929 
    • North Adams, Massachusetts Directories, 1887, 1890-93 
    • Norwell, Massachusetts Directory, 1894 
    • Norwood, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Orange, Massachusetts Directories, 1885, 1896 
    • Otter River, Massachusetts Directory 1885 
    • Palmer, Massachusetts Directory, 1892 
    • Peabody, Massachusetts Directory, 1886 
    • Pepperell and Groton, Massachusetts Directory 1895-96 
    • Petersham, Massachusetts Directory 1885 
    • Phillipston, Massachusetts Directory 1885 
    • Pittsfield, Massachusetts Directories, 1889-93 
    • Plymouth, Massachusetts Directories, 1890, 1893 
    • Randolph, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Rowley, Massachusetts Directory, 1890 
    • Royalston, Massachusetts Directory, 1885 
    • Salem, Massachusetts Directories, 1888-89, 1890-91, 1893-94 
    • Scituate, Massachusetts Directory, 1894 
    • Somerville, Massachusetts Directories, 1889-90, 1892 
    • South Hadley Falls, Massachusetts Directory 1892 
    • Springfield, Massachusetts Directories, 1890-91 
    • Suffolk County, Boston City Massachusetts 1810 City Directory 
    • Swampscott, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Taunton, Massachusetts Directories, 1890-93 
    • Templeton, Massachusetts Directory, 1885 
    • Wendall, Massachusetts Directory, 1885 
    • Whitman, Massachusetts Directories, 1889, 1892 
    • Worcester, Massachusetts Directories, 1888-90 
    • Wrentham and Norfolk, Massachusetts Directory 1890 
    • Yarmouth, Massachusetts Directory 1895 
• Nashville 1859 City Directory 
• Nevada County California Business and Residential Directory - 1856 
• Newfoundland's Grand Banks Directory Material 
  Transcribed directories from the 1860s to the 1930s.
• New Orleans City Directory 1805 
• New York State Genealogy - Utica, New York, USA - City Directory - 1854 
• Norfolk, Virginia 1859 City Directory 
• Oberlin City Directory Database  ~ Oberlin, Ohio
  Online searchable index.
• OK-CITY-DIRECTORIES Mailing List 
  For those who desire lookups in Oklahoma city directories such as the old directories found in many local and state public libraries, and for volunteers who are willing to undertake requested lookups in these directories. Archives: browse or search.
• Old Huntsville Magazine: Huntsville City Directory 1859-1860  ~ Alabama
• Phillips Neighborhood History Page  ~ Minnesota
  The 1859-1860 Dual City Directory for St. Anthony and Minneapolis lists many of the cities' earliest residents, their occupations and their addresses.
• Pigot's Commercial Directory of Derbyshire 1835 
• Pigots Index Nottinghamshire 1830 
  Transcription of the complete listing of the Nottinghamshire, England Pigots Commercial Directory 1830.
• Post Office Directory 1852  ~ Longford, Kent, England
• Post Office Directory 1878  ~ Longford, Kent, England
• Poughkeepsie, NY City Directory, 1856 
  Browseable surname list of households and businesses in this Dutchess Co. community, posted by the Town of Carmel Historical Society.
• Raleigh City Directory 1899-1900  ~ North Carolina
  Lists individuals found in Maloney's 1899-1900 Raleigh, N. C. City Directory.
• Resident Directory of Vineyard Haven, Mass. 1907 
• Ringmer Directories and Lists of People who Lived in Ringmer  ~ Sussex, England
• San Francisco City Directories  ~ California
  • 1852 San Francisco City Directory 
  • 1852-53 San Francisco City Directory 
  • San Francisco 1846 City Directory 
  • San Francisco City Directory - 1852-53 
  • San Francisco History - 1850 City Directory 
  • San Francisco History - 1852 City Directory 
• Schenectady, New York City Directories  ~ New York
  Found at the Schenectady County Public Library. Includes an online version of the Schenectady Directory and City Register for the years 1841-2.
• Shaw's Dublin City Directory 1850  ~ Ireland
  Surnames extracted from the Directory plus links to some transcriptions of the original entries.
• St. Louis City & Kansas City Directories Index 
  Shows all KASSELL, CASSELL, CAMPBELL & MARTIN surnames from various years & various directories.
• Street Directories in Memorial Hall Library  ~ Massachusetts
• Thackers - and other - Directories 
  Directories of interest to those researching family history in India.
• Trenton Historical Society, New Jersey - Trenton City Directories 
  City directories for Trenton, New Jersey: 1857, 1881, 1882, 1900 & 1920.

Publications, Software & Supplies

• Cyndi's List Genealogy Bookstore 
  A categorized list of genealogy research books that looks a lot like my bookshelf at home.

• Amazon.com Genealogy Bookstore - City Directories 
  The following are individual book titles of interest for this topic. The book links below point to the Amazon.com bookstore online where you may purchase the book if you wish. These links are provided to bring these published resources to your attention as an aid to your research. Follow the links to books of interest to make note of their title, author, publisher, and ISBN. You might then use this information to obtain the book from your local library or your favorite corner book shop.
  • Catalog of the Augusta (Georgia) City Directories, 1841-1939 
    A book by Alice O. Walker.
  • City Directories for 1816-1829 (Directories for the City of Charleston, South Carolina) 
    A book by James W. Hagy.
  • City Directories for 1849, 1852 & 1855 (Directories for the City of Charleston, South Carolina) 
    A book by James W. Hagy.
  • City Directories: New England States 1881-1902 
    A CD-ROM by Ancestry.
  • Directories for the City of Charleston South Carolina: For the Years 1830-31, 1835-36, 1836, 1837-38, and 1840-41 
    A book by James W. Hagy.
  • Directory of the Province of Ontario 1857 
    A book by Thomas B. Wilson.
• Archived Books 
  Books and trade directories for the UK on CD-ROM.
• eBay Listings: City Directories 
  Online auction service for buying & selling.
• R.G. Fray Publishing 
  CD-ROMs for sale of scanned city directories from Pennsylvania.

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