City Directories and Genealogy
We often use city directories to quickly locate a person, or family in a town or to confirm their occupation. But, for every quick research endeavor, there are issues.
City directories are a great resource, as long as you know that they may not have been created for the year you are researching. It took months to even a year to create a city directory. So you must adjust your City Directory research time frame. Searching for someone in 1918, check out the 1918 city directory and the 1919 directory.
This is to say, if the effort began Jan 1918, a city directory depending on the data collection process and size of the city, may have come off the press in Oct of 1918. Conversely, if the process for 1918 data collection began in June, after planting season, or at a time when the weather allowed for door to door collections of ads to support the directory, your 1918 person may really be in the 1919 city directory.
For our ancestors to produce a city directory, this was a labor-intensive process that typically took several months to a year, depending on the city's size and the publisher's people and printing resources. Here's a breakdown of the process and its timeline:
Data Collection (2–6 months):
- Field Surveys: Enumerators went door-to-door to gather information about residents, businesses, and organizations. This included names, addresses, occupations, and business details.
- Mail Surveys: In some cases, forms were mailed to residents and businesses for self-reporting.
- Verification: Collected data had to be cross-checked for accuracy, often requiring multiple visits or follow-ups.
Organization and Compilation (1–3 months):
- Data was sorted, organized, and written in a consistent format. Think old typewriters or the old small card catalog cards, handwritten.
- Information was categorized into residential listings, business directories, and special sections (e.g., government or civic organizations). Consider the size of the town.
Typesetting and Proofreading (1–3 months):
- The text was manually typeset using lead or wooden type.
- Proofreaders reviewed the typeset pages for errors, and corrections were made.
Printing and Binding (1–2 months):
- Printing was done using letterpress machines, which could be slow for large volumes.
- After printing, pages were bound into books, typically in hardcover for durability.
Distribution (Ongoing):
- Copies were sold or distributed to subscribers, businesses, libraries, and city offices.
Early City Directories and Veterans
Know that city directories are much more than names, addresses, and telephone numbers/exchanges. We also used them to do the following:
-- Confirm Occupations
-- Identify Early War Veterans. Read City Directories and Early Veterans of War
So just be mindful. The creation of a city directory in this period typically spanned 6–12 months from start to finish. Here are other things to consider:
- City Size: Larger cities require more time for data collection and verification.
- Publisher Resources: Well-established publishers with larger teams or advanced equipment could work faster.
- War Impact: During World War I (1915 - 1918), material shortages or workforce disruptions could have slowed the process.
Some directories make a notation like "Data compiled
Mar 1 - Jun 30, 1918. You may also see the print date: Printed Jan 1919. In this case you know the data was actually from 1918 or 1917-1918.
My Practices?
I check the local newspapers to narrow my dates. They often announce:
1) when the data collectors will begin,
2) when advertising will begin, and
3) expected delivery dates
Here's an example for Freeport, Illinois 6 May 1919.
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