How to Use Directories for Ancestry Research

Use directories for ancestry and genealogy research.

What are directories?

Directories and member lists are the predecessors of the modern-day phone book. They listed the inhabitants of a locality with their addresses and occupation (and sometimes business
address).

Research Insights for Directories

What are some research insights for directories?

The types of directories you will find and their value to you as a writer, historian and genealogist include the following:

  • Alumni Directory. Alumni directories contain a listing of individuals who attended a particular university, the year they graduated, and their degree. Suppose you can find information about an individual in one of these directories. In that case, you may locate other organizational records that can provide insight into the individual’s life.
  • Business Directory. Business directories are listings of businesses in the community and usually contain personal information about the owner such as dates and places of birth, dates of marriage, children’s names, length of residence in the town, and other valuable information. They are usually organized by county and, depending on the period as well as advertisements for certain businesses in these directories.
  • Professional Directories. Includes directories for doctors and lawyers, and they will most often include information relating to their history in the profession and other biographical information.
  • City Directory. City directories help you locate where and when a person lives. You will also find a publisher’s introduction, history of the city, a street directory, ward boundaries, a map of the city, abbreviations, a directory of churches, a directory of cemeteries, a list of city officials, classified lists of businesses, a list of fraternal and social organizations, city laws or ordinances, a calendar of events, and more. A city directory can often guide you to other records such as censuses, death and probate records, naturalization records, land records, and church records.
  • Telephone Directory. A typical telephone directory will contain addresses and phone numbers. These directories can be helpful in assisting you to locate living relatives or possible or possible relatives who share the same surname or similar surname. The phone company in every city in the United States was responsible for publishing a directory of everyone in that area who has a phone number.

Where will you find directories?

The first place to look for a book or microfilm copy of directories is the town’s public library you are researching. State and more extensive regional libraries may also have city directories for towns in that state or area. State and academic libraries also have city directories followed by genealogical and historical societies.

Other Resources to Help Search Individuals

Where can I learn more about how to trace ancestry?

The following are important articles for learning about ancestry and historical research.

Where can I learn more about records to trace ancestry?

The following is an overview of 15 types of vital, government and historical records I have found constantly valuable in my individual, family, and narrative research. These records provide vital and biographical information on individuals and families. When I mastered researching these resources, I could quickly expand my research to other records to help me connect the pieces for writing narratives and other historical research.

For each record type, I have included what you will find, how to use the resource, and research insights for each record type. I would encourage you to use this article as a starting point from which you can search out and find other record tutorials guides and help to provide deeper insights.