City and business directories are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another important set of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
This activity of presenting links is a collaborative effort between The Ancestor Hunt and Miriam Robbins, who for years has made available the Online Historical Directories website, which presents links to directories of all types that are available online, including free collections as well as those available only via subscription. I wish to thank Miriam for her help in launching this category of records at The Ancestor Hunt.
So, what kinds of directories are available to the researcher? Naturally city and business directories, but also telephone directories, and alumni, farm, lodge, rural, and social directories.
What can you find in these records? How about:
- Full names, including middle names
- Spouse name
- Occupation
- Widows, working women, and adult children at home.
- Maps
- Businesses (and index to advertisers).
- Addresses and maps of churches, schools, funeral homes, cemeteries, post offices, courts, hospitals, benevolent associations, newspapers.
- Whether a woman is a widow (including name of husband).
- List of marriages and deaths of previous year.
- Death date.
- etc.
Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching historical city and other directories:
- FamilySearch - United States Directories
- How to Use City Directories In Your Genealogy Research
- What's In A City Directory? (a 10 article series about City Directories)
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated August, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
Links to these free collections are presented initially with statewide collections, followed in alphabetical order by city or county. Generally, the publishing company is included in the reference to the collection, along with the collection title, and the date(s) of the directory:
Statewide
- Great Lakes Marine Directory, Polk, 1884
- Midwest Musicians' and Allied Artists' Directory, Mid-West Concert Management, 1925-6
- Minnesota state gazetteer and business directory, 1920 Part 1
- Minnesota state gazetteer and business directory, 1920 Part 2
- Minnesota state gazetteer and business directory, 1920 Part 3
- Minnesota State Photographers Directory, Minnesota Historical Society, 1850-1920's
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1880-81 Part 1
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1880-81 Part 2
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1880-81 Part 2
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1882-83 Part 1
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1882-83 Part 2
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1888-89 Part 1
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1888-89 Part 2
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1888-89 Part 3
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1888-89 Part 4
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1906-07 Part 1
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1906-07 Part 2
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1906-07 Part 3
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1906-07 Part 4
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1906-07 Part 5
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1906-07 Part 6
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory, 1906-07 Part 7
- Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana gazetteer and business directory. 1882-83 Part 3
Clay County
- Moorhead City Directory, 1885
- Moorhead City Directory, 1891
- Moorhead City Directory, 1915
- The Clay County Atlas and Directory – 1933, Rural Residents
- The Clay County Atlas and Directory – 1933, Village Residents
- Edina City Directory 1941
- Edina City Directory 1942
- Edina City Directory 1943
- Edina City Directory 1945
- Edina City Directory 1947
- Edina City Directory 1948
- Edina City Directory 1949
- Edina City Directory 1950
- Edina City Directory 1951
- Edina City Directory 1952
- Edina City Directory 1954
- Edina City Directory 1955
- Edina City Directory 1956
- Edina City Directory 1957
- Edina City Directory 1958
- Edina City Directory 1959
- Edina City Directory 1960
- Edina City Directory 1961
- Edina City Directory 1962
- Edina City Directory 1963
- Edina City Directory 1964
- Edina City Directory 1965
- Edina City Directory 1966
- Edina City Directory 1967
- Edina City Directory 1968
- Edina City Directory 1969
- Edina City Directory 1970
- Edina City Directory 1971
- Edina City Directory 1972
- Edina City Directory 1973
- Edina City Directory 1974
- Edina City Directory 1975
- Edina City Directory 1976
- Edina City Directory 1977
- Davison's Minneapolis City Directory, 1880-1881
- Minneapolis City Directory 1859-60
- Minneapolis City Directory 1865-66
- Minneapolis City Directory 1867
- Minneapolis City Directory 1869
- Minneapolis City Directory 1871-72
- Minneapolis City Directory 1873-74
- Minneapolis City Directory 1874
- Minneapolis City Directory 1875
- Minneapolis City Directory 1876
- Minneapolis City Directory 1877-78
- Minneapolis City Directory 1878-79
- Minneapolis City Directory 1879-80
- Minneapolis City Directory 1880-81
- Minneapolis City Directory 1881-82
- Minneapolis City Directory 1882-83
- Minneapolis City Directory 1883-84
- Minneapolis City Directory 1884-85
- Minneapolis City Directory 1885-86
- Minneapolis City Directory 1886-87
- Minneapolis City Directory 1887-88
- Minneapolis City Directory 1888-89
- Minneapolis City Directory 1889-90
- Minneapolis City Directory 1890-91
- Minneapolis City Directory 1891-92
- Minneapolis City Directory 1892-93
- Minneapolis City Directory 1893-94
- Minneapolis City Directory 1894-95
- Minneapolis City Directory 1895
- Minneapolis City Directory 1896
- Minneapolis City Directory 1897
- Minneapolis City Directory 1898
- Minneapolis City Directory 1899
- Minneapolis City Directory 1900
- Minneapolis City Directory 1901
- Minneapolis City Directory 1902
- Minneapolis City Directory 1903
- Minneapolis City Directory 1904
- Minneapolis City Directory 1905
- Minneapolis City Directory 1906
- Minneapolis City Directory 1907
- Minneapolis City Directory 1908
- Minneapolis City Directory 1909
- Minneapolis City Directory 1910
- Minneapolis City Directory 1911
- Minneapolis City Directory 1912
- Minneapolis City Directory 1913
- Minneapolis City Directory 1914
- Minneapolis City Directory 1915
- Minneapolis City Directory 1916
- Minneapolis City Directory 1917
- Minneapolis City Directory 1918
- Minneapolis City Directory 1919
- Minneapolis City Directory 1920
- Minneapolis City Directory 1921
- Minneapolis City Directory 1922
- Minneapolis City Directory 1923
- Minneapolis City Directory 1924
- Minneapolis City Directory 1925
- Minneapolis City Directory 1926
- Minneapolis City Directory 1927
- Minneapolis City Directory 1928
- Minneapolis City Directory 1929
- Minneapolis City Directory 1930
- Minneapolis City Directory 1931
- Minneapolis City Directory 1932
- Minneapolis City Directory 1933
- Minneapolis City Directory 1934
- Minneapolis City Directory 1935
- Minneapolis City Directory 1936
- Minneapolis City Directory 1937
- Minneapolis City Directory 1938
- Minneapolis City Directory 1939
- Minneapolis City Directory 1940
- Minneapolis City Directory 1941
- Minneapolis City Directory 1942
- Minneapolis City Directory 1944
- Minneapolis City Directory 1946
- Minneapolis City Directory 1948
- Minneapolis City Directory 1950
- Minneapolis City Directory, 1881-1892
- Minneapolis City Directory, 1885-6
- Minneapolis City Directory, Campbell & Davison, 1874
- Minneapolis City Directory, Davison, 1913
- Minneapolis City Directory, Davison, 1914
- Minneapolis and St. Anthony City Directories, Chamberlain, 1859-60
- Minneapolis and St. Anthony City Directories, Chamberlain, 1859-60
- St. Cloud City Directory 1888-89, St. Cloud, Minnesota
- St. Cloud City Directory, 1892, St. Cloud, Minnesota
- St. Cloud City Directory, 1894-95, St. Cloud, Minnesota
- St. Cloud City Directory, 1896-97, including Sauk Rapids and Waite Park, St. Cloud, Minnesota
- St. Cloud City Directory, 1897-98, St. Cloud, Minnesota
- St. Cloud City Directory, 1899-1900, including Sauk Rapids and Waite Park, St. Cloud, Minnesota
- St. Cloud City Directory, 1901, including Sauk Rapids and Waite Park, St. Cloud, Minnesota
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1933-34
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1934-35
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1935-36
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1937
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1938
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1939
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1940
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1941
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1942
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1944
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1945
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1947
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1949
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1951
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1952
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1954
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1956
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1958
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1960
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1961
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1962
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1963
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1964
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1965
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1966
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1967
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1968
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1969
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1970
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1971
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1972
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1973
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1974
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1975
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1976
- St. Louis Park City Directory 1977
- St. Paul, Logan's Classified Business Directory, 1874
- Business Directory for the city of St. Paul City, v. 1856
- Classified Directory and Blue Book of the Twin Cities, v. 1918/1919
- Hamline University, Alumni Directory, 1854-1966
- Saint Paul City Directory, Polk & Danser, 1879-80
- Saint Paul, Minnesota, Polk city directory collection, 1913
- Saint Paul, Minnesota, Polk city directory collection, 1914
- St. Paul (Ramsey County) City Directory - 1879-1880
- St. Paul City Directory 1912, v. 1912
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1857
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1859
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1863
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1864
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1866
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1867
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1869
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1869 Black
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1869 Green
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1871
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1873
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1874
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1875
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1876
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1877
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1878
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1879
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1880
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1881
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1882
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1883
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1884
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1885
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1886
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1887
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1888
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1889
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1890
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1891
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1892
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1893
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1894
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1895
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1896
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1897
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1898
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1899
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1900
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1901
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1902
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1903
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1904
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1905
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1906
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1907
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1908
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1909
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1910
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1911
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1913
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1914
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1915
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1916
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1917
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1918
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1919
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1920
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1921
- St. Paul City Directory, v. 1922
- St. Paul Classified Business and Professional Directory, v. 1920
- St. Paul History and Area Business Index, v. 1981
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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