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Using City Directories
By Cheri Mello
Although you may not find many city directories in your local FHC, it seems appropriate to mention them now, after the U.S. Census. If for some reason you cannot find your ancestor on a particular census, and you are fairly certain of the locality, you may want to find them in a city directory. A city directory is like our telephone directories of today, but theirs was more of an address book, used mainly for advertising purposes.
The earliest directory was 1665 in NY. City directories are good, especially for large cities. One problem though, is jurisdiction. Suburbs are not usually included. (A historical society for that area may be of help in that case.) The purpose for using a city directory is that it will put your ancestor in a particular place at a particular time. When using a city directory, copy down the title page as well as the page that you find your ancestor on (or photocopy). Check to see if a map is in that particular directory (some have them.) Read the forward in the front and read the first few pages in the front and in the back. You never know what you might find there. If you see an "H" after your ancestor, it means head of house. "B" means boarder. If you are looking in the 1910 U.S. Census in New England, you will have to use the city directory to get your ancestors' address. You will then look up the address on the fiche which will in turn tell you the enumeration district to look in. From there you should be able to find them.
Some Other Sources to Try
It may be helpful to try to locate your ancestor through probate records and wills, land, and tax records. These things will put your ancestor in a particular place at a particular time, list heirs (although they are not necessarily the children of the deceased), and give you inventories of their possessions. I will not go into great detail on them here.
Sources:
Unpuzzling Your Past: A Basic Guide to Genealogy, by Emily Anne Croom
© 2003 Cheri Mello
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