In the 19th century, a variety of directories were published. These include mercantile serials, city directories, state gazetteers, newspaper directories, and volumes for the professions, such as doctors and lawyers. These publications are valuable sources when doing local and family history research.
Fortunately for researchers many of the older volumes are available from online, as library holdings are limited and scattered, except at some of the largest special collections institutions.
Here are links to two volumes I was working with today.
The Thomson’s Mercantile and Professional Directory 1851-52 was a specialty publication, designed to help merchants reach a wider customer base. It informed a person where they might “obtain the goods he wants to the best advantage.” This is a quality scan of a volume in the University of Virginia Library.
The other was the Delaware State Directory and Gazetteer for 1874-75, compiled by Wm. H. Boyd Directory Publisher. The Gazetteer contains descriptions of most towns, villages, and hundreds in the State, while also providing a list of the professions, trades, and occupations in that town, along with the farmers and fruit growers. This is a quality scan from the New York State Library.
