Montana Directories

Montana Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

Record Types

Adoption Bible Records Biography Business Records Cemeteries Census Church Records Correctional Institutions Court Records Crime & Punishment Directories Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Online Collections Periodicals Probate Records Taxation Vital Records Voter Records

Montana Background

Biography Further Reading Gazetteers History Law & Legislation Maps Migration

Cultural Groups

African Americans Indigenous Peoples Cultural Groups Swedish American

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Find a FamilySearch center

United States

U.S. Directories

Montana

Directories

Online Resources

• US City Directories Montana

History

A directory is defined as a “book containing names, addresses, and occupations of inhabitants. Several types of directories have been published in the United States over the last two hundred years including: city directories, telephone directories, county and regional business directories, professional, organizational, and religious directories, post office directories, and street directories. Directories have tremendous value to genealogists as both an original record and as a reference aid.

For further information about directories in general, see United States Directories.

Resources for Montana Directories

Libraries and Archives

The Montana Historical Society, Montana State University, and the University of Montana have some of the finest collections of Montana directories in the state.

Business Directories

• 1868. Maguire, H.N. Historical Sketch and Essay on the Resources of Montana: Including a Business Directory of the Metropolis. Helena: Herald Book and Job Printing office, 1868. FS Library film 1377090. Digital version at Google Books.

• 1867, 1871-73, 1876-78. Langley, Henry G. comp. The Pacific Coast Business Directory: Containing the Name and Post Office Address of Each Merchant, Manufacturer and Professional Residing in the States of California, Oregon, and Nevada; the Territories of Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Arizona and Alaska; and the Colony of British Columbia. Also, a Gazetteer of the Counties, Cities and Towns, and an Exhibit of the Resources of the Pacific Coast. San Francisco: Henry G. Langley, 1871. FS Library film 1004513 item 3. Digital version at Internet Archive.

• 1879. Warner, Frank W. Montana Territory: History and business directory, 1879 ... Distances, fares, and altitudes, counties, towns, mining camps, commercial, mineral and agricultural interests, with a sketch of the Vigilantes. Helena: Fisk Bros., printers, [1879]. FS Library film 1377090.

• 1880-81 1883-84, 1886-87. McKenney, L.M. Pacific Coast Directory. Containing names, business and address of merchants, manufacturers and professional men; county, city, state, territorial and federal officers, and notaries public, of California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, and British Columbia. Together with a sketch of the different cities and towns, giving description, means of support, population, Etc. San Francisco, California: L.M. McKenney & Co., 1880. FS Library film 1004517. Digital version at Internet Archive.

• 1883. Steel & Co. 1883-4 Montana Advertising Directory, containing a complete list of the tax-payers of Montana, showing their address and occupation, arranged alphabetically according to counties; with a directory of federal, territorial and county officers compiled from the returns of 1883. Helena: Geo. E. Boos & Co., 1883. FS Library film 1697991 item 4. Digital version at Internet Archive.

• 1914. R.L. Polk and Company. Northwestern Gazetteer: Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana--Gazetteer and Business Directory. St. Paul: R.L. Polk, 1914. FS Library films 1321220-221.

Directories Online

• Ancestry.com ($) has Montana directories in their U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 collection. The following cities are currently included: Anaconda, Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Dillion, Fort Benton, Great Falls, Havre, Helena, Kalispell, Lewistown, Livingston, Miles City, Missoula, and Whitefish.
• Distant Cousin.com has a 1928 Butte, Montana city directory.
• US City Directories identifies printed, microfilmed, and online directories and their repositories.
• U.S. City Directories on Microfilm in the Microform Reading Room - Montana (Library of Congress)

FamilySearch Library

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

Billings

1901-1935 FamilySearch Library microfilm 1843771-1843775

1955, 1961, 1978 etc. FamilySearch Library book 978.639 E4p

Helena

1889-1901 FamilySearch Library microfilm 2156797-2156800

1902-1935 FamilySearch Library microfilm 2309341-2309347

1929, 1937, 1961 etc. FamilySearch Library book 978.66 E4p

Kalispell

1903-1934 FamilySearch Library microfilm 2309348-2309350

1955, 1961, 1980 etc. FamilySearch Library book 978.682 E4p

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

MONTANA, [COUNTY] — DIRECTORIES

MONTANA, [COUNTY], [TOWN] — DIRECTORIES