WOW: City Directories - Tweeners for the1880-1900 Gap

The vast majority of the 1890 US Federal census is forever lost. How do you track your family from 1880 through 1900? If your ancestors lived in an urban area or in a county that published a suburban or rural directory, you have a way! The city directory and its rarer suburban/rural counterpart allows you to follow your family in lieu of the 1890 census. Many directories began in the 1860s [often earlier] continued well into the age of telephone books. If your family lived in a metropolitan area for 30-40 years, you could learn a lot about your city dwellers.

What can you find in the directory?

• name of resident
• occupation - could be general [mechanic*] or specific [blacksmith]
• residential address and, in some cases, employment address
• if the home was rented or owned
• if a widow, the late spouse's name is given - Ann [wid. Henry]

What clues can you find in the directory?

• when your ancestor arrived in town [1st entry]
• when the ancestor moved on [last entry]
• when the ancestor died [wife appears as 'wid.'; final entry if unmarried or widowed] (allow for widow remarrying!)
• siblings or relatives - folks living at same address
• movement - multiple residences over 5-6 period may mean rent was cheaper at new houses

Neat features:

• street maps
• advertisements - you might find one for your ancestor's business
• street listings - with family residing at each address [might help with finding married daughters]
•  other lists for government offices, organizations, professions, etc.

Advisories:

• Once you find your person, backtrack a few years in case they were missed
• After the ancestor vanishes from the directory, check ahead a few years in case the person was missed
• You may find the entire family listed! [Rare, but possible.]
• Tidbits of info may be offered. I found one entry that said so-and-so returned to Ireland. Another stated the person died about the time of publication.
• Just like in the census, people were missed every now and then. Widen your search a few years to be sure they weren't overlooked.
• Occupational terms may fluctuate a bit. If your guy was a carpenter, he could be listed as a mechanic, laborer or some other general term for the job.

*mechanic = person who works with his/her hands [carpenter, smith, sawyer, etc.]