So, You Think You Know All About City Directories?

Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA
Free

Most are thick books listing the heads of household with address and occupation; later the spouse and adult children appear. Add business listings and ads plus government agencies, relief agencies, civic and religious organizations, and other listings and you have a goldmine of information. Do you know how and when the material was collected? The differences in the early ones? How to use them for the history of businesses, owners, and other entities. What about the unique directories that serve as a census, tell of military service, where someone moved to, include fake names, and provide clues to vital records. The problems with some digitized directories, issues with the canvassing for listings, and the sales pushed that occurred will be covered. I’ll share the rewards of in-depth sleuthing about the directories, their compilation, some surprises, and obvious and hidden places to find them today.

Fri, September 15 2023: 15:30 UTC

About the speaker

About the speaker

Paula considers herself fortunate to be an internationally recognized genealogical educator, researcher and consultant focusing on unusual resources, manuscripts, methodology, and analyzing records. She also specializes in Native American research
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Related Webinars

Tue, July 25 2023: 18:00 UTC
A Deep Dive into U.S. City Directories at MyHeritage
Tue, July 25 2023: 18:00 UTC
U.S. City Directories are useful for finding a person's residence at a given place and time, but we can glean many more facts from City Directories. Discover how to use MyHeritage's U.S. City Directories collection to find not only residential information about your ancestors but much more. Learn how to use MyHeritage's unique features and search capabilities.
U.S. City Directories are useful for finding a person's residence at a given place and time, but we can glean many more facts from City Directories. Discover how to use MyHeritage's U.S. City Directories collection to find not only residential information about your ancestors but much more. Learn how to use MyHeritage's unique features and search capabilities.
Tue, July 25 2023: 18:00 UTC