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

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

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.

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

Libraries and Archives

Directories Online

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

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

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

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-''[[United States|United States]][[Image:Gotoarrow.png]][[United States Directories|United States Directories]][[Image:Gotoarrow.png]][[Iowa|Iowa]][[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]'''''Iowa Directories'''
+{{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]]
+}}
-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.
+==Online Resources==
-=== City Directories  ===
+*[[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 ($)
+== History ==
 City and county directories are similar to present-day telephone books and are useful records for locating people. They were often published annually, listing heads of households and employed household members, their occupations, and their addresses. They can be used with census records or as substitutes for them.
@@ Line 10: / Line 19: @@
 Directories have other clues that may require careful study to discover. For example, people in similar or related occupations were often relatives, in-laws, or friends. A year-by-year study of directories may reveal the movements of ancestors and relatives within the city and sometimes to or from other cities.
+Directories have been published for various Iowa cities and counties since the early 1800s, though they may not exist for every year. Some directories focus on the businesses or occupations of an area, while others include heads of households, landowners, and voters.
+== Resources for Iowa Directories ==
+=== Libraries and Archives ===
+=== Directories Online ===
 *City Directories list for the years 1861 to 1960 on [http://www.uscitydirectories.com/ia/desmoines.htm microfilm].
@@ Line 17: / Line 34: @@
 *Ancestry.com ($) has Iowa directories available online in its [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1540 U.S. City Directories] collection.
-=== State Directories  ===
+===FamilySearch Library===
+The [https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/ FamilySearch Library] has city directories for various years from throughout the state of Iowa including:
+'''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'' <ref>''Farmers of Iowa: A List of Farmers of Each County with Postoffice'' (n.p.:1892; Family History Library {{FHL|1024846|film|disp=film 1,024,846}}) </ref>
+*''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:
-*''Personal Name Index to the 1856 City Directories of Iowa'' <ref>Elsie L. Sopp, ''Personal Name Index to the 1856 City Directories of Iowa'' (Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1980; Family History Library {{FHL|222123|title-id|disp= book 977.7 D42s).}}</ref>
+*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'' <ref>Woodridge, Connecticut : Research Publications, c1980-1984 ,''Iowa (state) directories'' {{FHL|527427|title-id|disp=Family History Library Film}}</ref>
+*''Iowa (state) Directories'' Woodridge, Connecticut; Research Publications, c1980-1984. {{FSC|527427|title-id|disp=FS Library Film}}
-==== Heads of Households  ====
-Directories of heads of households have been published for major cities in [[Iowa]]. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of Des Moines City direcotries for:
-*1866 to 1901 (Family History Library {{FHL|1376808|film|disp=films 1,376,808-817}})
-*1942, 1960, 1965, etc. (Family History Library {{FHL|977.758 E4pd|disp=book 977.758 E4pd}})
-Many groups have created directories of their organizational structure and members or personnel. Companies may create directories of their subscribers. The directories that were published for public distribution are the ones most likely to find their way into libraries and archives. Typical examples of directories that may be found in an archive are city directories, telephone directories, church directories, occupational directories, farmers directories, or rosters of society members. These directories may range in scope from local to international. Often the most recent edition of a directory is the only one an archive will have available.
-Current telephone directories can also be found on the Internet and may help you find living relatives. The Family History 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.
+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.
-=== Family History Library  ===
+To find directories, consult the [[FamilySearch Catalog Place Search|Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog]] under:
-To find directories, consult the Keyword Search feature on catalog drop down menu of the [https://familysearch.org/#form=catalog| Family History Library Catalog] to find more records under:
+:: IOWA, [COUNTY] — DIRECTORIES
+:: IOWA, [COUNTY], [TOWN] — DIRECTORIES
-::*IOWA- DIRECTORIES
+==Websites==
-::*IOWA, [COUNTY]- DIRECTORIES
-::*IOWA, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- DIRECTORIES
-=== Web Sites  ===
+*[http://distantcousin.com/Directories/IA/ Distantcousin Iowa Cities]
-*[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}}
-=== Sources and Footnotes  ===
+[[Category:Iowa, United States|Directories]]
+[[Category:United States Directories]]
-<references />
-{{Iowa|Iowa}} {{U.S. Directories}}
-[[Category:Iowa|Directories]] [[Category:Record_Types_of_the_United_States]]