Iowa Directories: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 15:04, 18 April 2024

Iowa Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Record Types

Iowa Background

Cultural Groups

Local Research Resources

Online Resources[edit | edit source]

United States Online Census, 1790-1940
Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage; index & images ($)

History[edit | edit source]

City and county directories are similar to present-day telephone books and are useful records for locating people. They were often published annually, listing heads of households and employed household members, their occupations, and their addresses. They can be used with census records or as substitutes for them.

Directories are particularly helpful for research in large cities, where a high percentage of the people were renters, new arrivals, or temporary residents. In fact, a directory may be the only source to list an ancestor if he or she was not registered to vote and did not own property. Most households were included because the directories were created for salesmen, merchants, and others interested in contacting residents of an area.

Directories have other clues that may require careful study to discover. For example, people in similar or related occupations were often relatives, in-laws, or friends. A year-by-year study of directories may reveal the movements of ancestors and relatives within the city and sometimes to or from other cities.

Directories have been published for various Iowa cities and counties since the early 1800s, though they may not exist for every year. Some directories focus on the businesses or occupations of an area, while others include heads of households, landowners, and voters.

Resources for Iowa Directories[edit | edit source]

Libraries and Archives[edit | edit source]

Directories Online[edit | edit source]

City Directories list for the years 1861 to 1960 on microfilm.

Fold3.com ($) has Des Moines City Directories 1881-1913 (2 yrs. missing) and miscellaneous years going back to 1866 available online.

Ancestry.com ($) has Iowa directories available online in its U.S. City Directories collection.

FamilySearch Library[edit | edit source]

The FamilySearch Library has city directories for various years from throughout the state of Iowa including:

Des Moines

1866-1901	films 1,376,808-817
1942, 1960, 1965, etc	book 977.758 E4pd

Some statewide directories also list names:

Farmers of Iowa: A List of Farmers of Each County with Postoffice (n.p.:1892); FS Library film 1024846 item 4

The seven metropolitan areas of Iowa published name directories in 1856. An index for them is:

Elsie L. Sopp, Personal Name Index to the 1856 City Directories of Iowa (Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1980; FamilySearch Library FS Catalog book 977.7 D42s.
Iowa (state) Directories Woodridge, Connecticut; Research Publications, c1980-1984. FS Library Film

Current telephone directories can also be found on the Internet and may help you find living relatives. The FamilySearch Library has compact discs that incorporate telephone directories for most of the United States. See the "Directories" page for more detailed information on these directories.

To find directories, consult the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

IOWA, [COUNTY] — DIRECTORIES

IOWA, [COUNTY], [TOWN] — DIRECTORIES

Websites[edit | edit source]

Distantcousin Iowa Cities
US City Directories This web site identifies printed, microfilmed, and online directories and their repositories.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Iowa court records have been kept since 1827. The names of many Iowa residents are listed in civil court records, where information exists about property disputes, divorce, estate settlements and other disputes. These courts also handled criminal matters. Court order books and case files may list a person's age, residence, occupation, and family relationships. Sometimes friends and neighbors gave depositions as witnesses of events that occurred.
+{{IA-sidebar}}
+{{breadcrumb
+| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
+| link2=[[United States Directories|U.S. Directories]]
+| link3=[[Iowa, United States Genealogy|Iowa]]
+| link4=
+| link5=[[Iowa Directories|Directories]]
+}}
-'''Major Iowa courts that kept records of genealogical value were:'''
+==Online Resources==
-County courts, 1851–1868:&nbsp; These county–wide courts had jurisdiction over lesser civil and criminal matters, such as probates, marriage licenses, and liquor permits. In 1868 the circuit court took over the duties from the county court. Many of these records are on microfilm at the Family History Library.
+*[[United States Census Online Genealogy Records|United States Online Census, 1790-1940]]
+*[https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-20287/iowa-state-employees?s=275764761 Iowa, State Employees] at MyHeritage; index & images ($)
-Circuit courts, 1868–1887:&nbsp; These county–wide courts had jurisdiction over juvenile, criminal, and civil cases. From about 1869 to 1887 this court handled probate cases. Circuit courts were abolished in 1887 and their jurisdiction was given to district courts. Many circuit court records are on microfilm at the Family History Library.
+== History ==
+City and county directories are similar to present-day telephone books and are useful records for locating people. They were often published annually, listing heads of households and employed household members, their occupations, and their addresses. They can be used with census records or as substitutes for them.
-District courts, 1836–present:&nbsp; These courts have district–wide jurisdiction over probate, criminal, and civil cases. The records include chancery, trespass, debt, and assault cases. Many district court records are on microfilm at the Family History Library.
+Directories are particularly helpful for research in large cities, where a high percentage of the people were renters, new arrivals, or temporary residents. In fact, a directory may be the only source to list an ancestor if he or she was not registered to vote and did not own property. Most households were included because the directories were created for salesmen, merchants, and others interested in contacting residents of an area.
-Municipal courts, primarily 1900s:&nbsp; These courts have city–wide jurisdiction, concurrent with district courts, over misdemeanors and minor civil matters. The Family History Library does not have these records.
+Directories have other clues that may require careful study to discover. For example, people in similar or related occupations were often relatives, in-laws, or friends. A year-by-year study of directories may reveal the movements of ancestors and relatives within the city and sometimes to or from other cities.
-Justice of the peace courts, 1839-present:&nbsp; These courts have district–wide jurisdiction over minor misdemeanors, search warrants, and town or city ordinance violations. Some of these records are on microfilm at the Family History Library.
+Directories have been published for various Iowa cities and counties since the early 1800s, though they may not exist for every year. Some directories focus on the businesses or occupations of an area, while others include heads of households, landowners, and voters.
-Supreme Court, 1838-present:&nbsp; This is Iowa’s highest court, and is also a court of appeals. The Family History Library does not have these records.
+== Resources for Iowa Directories ==
-You can also obtain copies of court records by contacting the appropriate clerk’s office.
+=== Libraries and Archives ===
-To learn more about courts and their records, study one of the Historical Records Survey county courthouse inventories, such as:
+=== Directories Online ===
-''Inventory of the County Archives of Iowa, No. 18, Cherokee County (Cherokee)''. Des Moines, Iowa: Historical Records Survey, 1939. (FHL book 977.717 A3h; film 897358 item 2)
+*City Directories list for the years 1861 to 1960 on [http://www.uscitydirectories.com/ia/desmoines.htm microfilm].
-Court records can be found in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:
+*Fold3.com ($) has [http://www.fold3.com/title_661/city_directories_des_moines Des Moines City Directories] 1881-1913 (2 yrs. missing) and miscellaneous years going back to 1866 available online.
-IOWA - COURT RECORDS
+*Ancestry.com ($) has Iowa directories available online in its [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1540 U.S. City Directories] collection.
-IOWA, [COUNTY] - COURT RECORDS
+===FamilySearch Library===
+The [https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/ FamilySearch Library] has city directories for various years from throughout the state of Iowa including:
-[[Category:Iowa]]
+'''Des Moines'''
+{| class="wikitable"
+|1866-1901
+|{{FSC|1376808|film|disp=films 1,376,808-817}}
+|-
+|1942, 1960, 1965, etc
+|{{FSC|977.758 E4pd|disp=book 977.758 E4pd}}
+|}
+Some statewide directories also list names:
+*''Farmers of Iowa: A List of Farmers of Each County with Postoffice (n.p.:1892); {{FSC|198058|item|disp=FS Library film 1024846 item 4}}''
+The seven metropolitan areas of Iowa published name directories in 1856. An index for them is:
+*Elsie L. Sopp, ''Personal Name Index to the 1856 City Directories of Iowa'' (Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1980; FamilySearch Library {{FSC|222123|item|disp=FS Catalog book 977.7 D42s.}}
+*''Iowa (state) Directories'' Woodridge, Connecticut; Research Publications, c1980-1984. {{FSC|527427|title-id|disp=FS Library Film}}
+Current telephone directories can also be found on the Internet and may help you find living relatives. The FamilySearch Library has compact discs that incorporate telephone directories for most of the United States. See the "[[United States Directories|Directories]]" page for more detailed information on these directories.
+To find directories, consult the [[FamilySearch Catalog Place Search|Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog]] under:
+:: IOWA, [COUNTY] — DIRECTORIES
+:: IOWA, [COUNTY], [TOWN] — DIRECTORIES
+==Websites==
+*[http://distantcousin.com/Directories/IA/ Distantcousin Iowa Cities]
+*[http://www.uscitydirectories.com/ia.htm US City Directories] This web site identifies printed, microfilmed, and online directories and their repositories.
+{{Iowa|Iowa}} {{U.S. Directories}}
+[[Category:Iowa, United States|Directories]]
+[[Category:United States Directories]]