Where can I find old city directories?
Six Free Places to Look for Old City Directories
- The public library in the city or county of interest. Public libraries often collect directories for their own city and county.
- MyHeritage.
- Internet Archive.
- Google Books.
- Online Historical Directories Website.
- WorldCat.
What information is contained in a city directory?
A city directory is a listing of residents, streets, businesses, organizations or institutions, giving their location in a city. It may be arranged alphabetically or geographically or in other ways. Antedating telephone directories, they were in use for centuries.
What does do mean in old city directories?
City Directory Abbreviations
| ab | above |
|---|---|
| do | ditto (or the same as above) |
| dom | domestic |
| drugst | drugstore |
| e, E | east |
How do I find my ancestors address?
One of the easiest ways to find an old ancestral home is to look at the ancestor in question’s death certificate and/or obituary. If the person died at home, their address will be listed on the death certificate.
Where can I find old phone books?
How to Find Old Telephone Directories
- Check your local library. Check your local library to see if it houses old phone directories.
- Library of Congress.
- Call a phone company.
- Contact the Telecommunications History Group.
- Look online.
Do libraries keep old phone books?
The Library of Congress houses old U.S. telephone directories on microfiche, microfilm and paper in its Microform Reading Room in Washington, DC.
Who published city directories?
City Directories of the United States , published by Primary Source Microfilm part of Gale Group, is a large self-service collection of city directories on microfilm. More than 1200 cities, towns, and counties are represented; the years of coverage are primarily 1861 through 1960.
What were city directories used for?
City Directories were created for salesmen, merchants, and other interested in contacting residents of an area. They are arranged alphabetically giving lists of names and addresses. These often list the adult residents of a city or area.
What does REM stand for in city directory?
Another abbreviation that I’ve seen in my research which has helped me immeasurably is the term “rem” or ‘removed. ‘ This simply means that a person has moved away (i.e., removed themselves) from their previous residence. This has come in handy for tracking down mysterious ancestors.
How do I find a deceased person’s previous address?
Visit your local library to check phone books. Search for the deceased person’s name. If the name is listed, the last known address will also be there. Contact people with the same surname as the deceased.
When did the Chicago City Directory come out?
Chicago, Illinois, City Directory, 1873 (in U.S. City Directories collection) Ancestry Chicago, Illinois, City Directory, 1874 (in U.S. City Directories collection) Ancestry Chicago, Illinois, City Directory, 1875 (in U.S. City Directories collection) Ancestry Chicago, Illinois, City Directory, 1876 (in U.S. City Directories collection) Ancestry
When did the Chicago Telephone directories come out?
Chicago Office Builiding Directories, 1902-1930 City Directories Allen County Public Library Chicago South-West Street Guide 1947 (in U.S. City Directories collection) Ancestry Chicago Telephone Directories 1930 (in U.S. City Directories collection) Ancestry
When did Chicago south west street guide come out?
Chicago South-West Street Guide 1947 (in U.S. City Directories collection) Ancestry Chicago Telephone Directories 1930 (in U.S. City Directories collection) Ancestry Chicago and Cook County official Republican directory and sketch book, 1900 Internet Archive
Where can I find Chicago City Directories for free?
You can use the site for free at Family History Centers or you can subscribe for home use. The path to the directories is Fold3 > Browse Records > Non-military Records > City Directories > Illinois > Chicago. Ancestry.com also has a collection of Chicago directories in a database titled U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989.