City directories are similar to telephone books but better. They include names and contact information for individuals and businesses. Miscellaneous information about the city, churches, schools, governmental bodies, transportation options is often included.

The directory canvassers went from house to house and business to business. Since they were paid by the name, they tried to collect every name. When there was no one at home when they called, they asked the neighbors. They asked employers for the names of their employees. They asked boarding-house operators for names of the boarders. 

Two typical listings from city directories:

• 1893 Denver, Colorado: Tirney, James C Mgr New Home Sewing Machine Co, 1753 Lawrence, R 1223 17th
• 1893 Kansas City, Kansas: Tirney, Mrs. Anna, Res 413 Nebraska av,

This tells us that James C. Tirney was the manager of the New Home Sewing Machine Company, which was located at 1753 Lawrence in Denver. He rented a home at 1223 17th. Mrs. Anna Tirney, his wife, was living at 413 Nebraska in Kansas City, Kansas.

Finding the occupation of an ancestor provides good biographical information.

Often, the city directory will have a map. So, you can get a visual of where they lived.

The ads in the city directories are great fun to read. Some of them even have pictures of the buildings and the equipment that they sold in the shops. There was a picture of the New Home Sewing Machine in several of the directories that I read. Yes, they were treadle machines.

The street guide in the back of the book is almost as interesting as the name directory in the front of the book because you can see who were the neighbors.

City directories have some limitations.

1. They are a directory of people who lived or worked within the city limits. Many current-day neighborhoods were once small towns or unincorporated areas and not listed in directories.
2. Wives were not listed until the beginning of the twentieth century when they received the right to vote.

Example: William Murchison Carrie B. Hall were married in 1909 in Portland. The 1914 Portland directory is the first year wives were listed. Their 1914 listing is simple: Murchison Wm (Carrie) lab[orer] h 510 Rodney. In 1913, there is no listing for William or Carrie. William is listed in the 1911 directory: Murchison Wm H trucker S P & S Ry h Multnomah sta. In 1911, Multnomah Station, now known as Multnomah Village in Portland, was outside of the city limits. Murchison’s employer probably provided his information to a directory canvasser.

If you visit any public library you will find the most recent city directory for that town.

You can request copies of city directories on microfilm at local Family History Centers.

State libraries usually have copies of city directories for their states and will make copies of pages.

To see the list of Portland directories in my office library, click here.

© 2000–2009

Connie Lenzen, CG^SM

CG, Certified Genealogist, is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certified genealogists after periodic evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.