City and business directories are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another important set of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
This activity of presenting links is a collaborative effort between The Ancestor Hunt and Miriam Robbins, who for years has made available the Online Historical Directories website, which presents links to directories of all types that are available online, including free collections as well as those available only via subscription. I wish to thank Miriam for her help in launching this category of records at The Ancestor Hunt.
So, what kinds of directories are available to the researcher? Naturally city and business directories, but also telephone directories, and alumni, farm, lodge, rural, and social directories.
What can you find in these records? How about:
- Full names, including middle names
- Spouse name
- Occupation
- Widows, working women, and adult children at home.
- Maps
- Businesses (and index to advertisers).
- Addresses and maps of churches, schools, funeral homes, cemeteries, post offices, courts, hospitals, benevolent associations, and newspapers.
- Whether a woman is a widow (including the name of her husband).
- List of marriages and deaths of the previous year.
- Death date.
- etc.
Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching historical city and other directories:
- FamilySearch – United States Directories
- How to Use City Directories In Your Genealogy Research
- What’s In A City Directory? (a 10-article series about City Directories)
And here are various places where you can find other city directories online:
Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
(Updated October 2022)
Links to these free collections are presented initially with statewide collections, followed in alphabetical order by city or county. Generally, the publishing company is included in the reference to the collection, along with the collection title, and the date(s) of the directory:
Statewide
- East Kansas and North Missouri Business Directory, Wyckoff, 1867-8
- Farmers’ Educational and Co-operative Union of America Directory, Four States Press, 1913
- Gazetteer and directory of the state of Kansas, 1870
- Kansas state Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1878
- Kansas state Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1884-85
- Polk’s Kansas state Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1880
- Polk’s Kansas state Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1894
- Polk’s Kansas state Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1900
- Polk’s Kansas state Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1912
- R.L. Polk & Co.’s Kansas State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1904 (partial)
- R.L. Polk & Co.’s Kansas State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1904 (partial)
- R.L. Polk & Co.’s Kansas State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1904 (partial)
- R.L. Polk & Co.’s Kansas State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1908 (partial)
- R.L. Polk & Co.’s Kansas State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1908 (partial)
- R.L. Polk & Co.’s Kansas State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1908 (partial)
Abilene
Chase County
- Chase County, Kansas Farm & Ranch Directory – 1970
- Chase County, Kansas Farm & Ranch Directory, 1970
Coffeyville
Council Grove
- Council Grove, Kansas, Telephone Directory – 1961
- Council Grove, Kansas, Telephone Directory – 1962
- Council Grove, Kansas, Telephone Directory – 1969
- Council Grove, Kansas, Telephone Directory – 1971
- Council Grove, Kansas, Telephone Directory – 1972
Dodge City
- 1889 Business Directory, Dodge City, McKenney Directory Co.
- Dodge City, Kansas, Telephone Directory – 1941
Doniphan County
- Doniphan County County Directory, Smith, 1868-9
- Doniphan County, Kansas, History and Directory – 1868-1869
- Doniphan County, Kansas, History and Directory – 1868-1869
El Dorado
- Polk’s El Dorado (Butler County, Kans.) City Directory – 1979
- Polk’s El Dorado (Butler County, Kans.) City Directory – 1984
- Polk’s El Dorado (Butler County, Kans.) City Directory – 1985
- Telephone Directory [for] El Dorado, Benton, Leon, [and] Towanda, Kansas – 1941
- Telephone Directory [for] El Dorado, Benton, Leon, [and] Towanda, Kansas – 1952
- Telephone Directory [for] El Dorado, Benton, Leon, [and] Towanda, Kansas – 1955
- Telephone Directory [for] El Dorado, Benton, Leon, [and] Towanda, Kansas – 1956
- Telephone Directory [for] El Dorado, Benton, Leon, [and] Towanda, Kansas – 1958
- Telephone Directory [for] El Dorado, Benton, Leon, [and] Towanda, Kansas – 1959
- Telephone Directory [for] El Dorado, Benton, Leon, [and] Towanda, Kansas – 1960
- Telephone Directory [for] El Dorado, Benton, Leon, [and] Towanda, Kansas – 1962
- Telephone Directory [for] El Dorado, Benton, Leon, [and] Towanda, Kansas – 1963
Finney County
Ford County
- 1878 Gazetteer and Business Directory, R. L. Polk & Co.
- 1884-1885 Gazetteer and Business Directory, R. L. Polk & Co.
Fort Scott
- Fort Scott City Directory, 1879
- Fort Scott, Kansas Telephone Directory – 1942
- Fort Scott, Kansas Telephone Directory – 1948
Great Bend
- Great Bend, Kansas Telephone Directory – 1941
- Great Bend, Kansas, City Directory – 1985
- The Great Bend City Directory and Business Gazetteer, 1886
Harvey County
Hays
Hope
Jackson County
Jefferson County
Johnson County
- Johnson County North, Polk City Directory, 2001
- Johnson County North, Polk City Directory, 2007
- Johnson County North, Polk City Directory, 2008
- Johnson County North, Polk City Directory, 2010
- Johnson County North, Polk City Directory, 2011 (v. 1)
- Johnson County North, Polk City Directory, 2011 (v. 2)
- Johnson County North, Polk City Directory, 2012 (v. 1)
- Johnson County North, Polk City Directory, 2012 (v. 2)
- Johnson County North, Polk City Directory, 2013 (v. 1)
- Johnson County North, Polk City Directory, 2013 (v. 2)
- Johnson County South, Polk City Directory, 2002
- Johnson County South, Polk City Directory, 2003
- Johnson County South, Polk City Directory, 2004
- Johnson County South, Polk City Directory, 2005
- Johnson County South, Polk City Directory, 2006
- Johnson County South, Polk City Directory, 2007
- Johnson County South, Polk City Directory, 2008
- Johnson County South, Polk City Directory, 2010
- Johnson County South, Polk City Directory, 2011
- Johnson County South, Polk City Directory, 2012
- Johnson County, Kansas Farmers 1921
- Standard atlas of Johnson County, 1922
Kingman County
Lawrence
- Lawrence city directory and business mirror 1860-1861
- Stenhouse & Sanders’ Lawrence city directory 1875-1876
- University of Kansas Directory – 1933-1934
- University of Kansas Directory – 1971-1972
- University of Kansas Directory – 1973-1974
Leavenworth
- Polk Leavenworth, Kansas, City Directory, 1915-16
- Wing’s Directory of Leavenworth, Kansas – 1899-1900
Lyon County
McPherson County
Mitchell County
Neodesha
- City directory and names of rural route patrons, Neodesha, 1916
- City Directory and names of Rural Route Patrons, Neodesha, Kansas – 1916
- City Directory and names of Rural Route Patrons, Neodesha, Kansas – 1916
- City directory of Neodesha, 1913
- City Directory of Neodesha, Kansas – 1913
- Neodesha, Kansas, City Directory, 1916
- Neodosha City Directory, Neodosha Daily Sun, 1916
Newton
- Newton, Kansas ConSurvey Directory – 1943
- Newton, Kansas ConSurvey Directory – 1943
- Newton, Kansas, City Directory – 1956
- The Baldwin and Kansan-Republican Newton, Kansas ConSurvey Directory, 1943
Republic County
Rooks County
Rush County
- Annual farm & ranch directory of Rush County, 1967
- Annual Farm & Ranch Directory of Rush County, Kansas. – 1967
Sedgwick County
Topeka
- Polk Topeka, Kansas, City Director, 1902
- Polk Topeka, Kansas, City Directory, 1871
- Polk Topeka, Kansas, City Directory, 1888
- Polk Topeka, Kansas, City Directory, 1890-91
- Polk Topeka, Kansas, City Directory, 1893-94
- Polk Topeka, Kansas, City Directory, 1896-97
- Polk Topeka, Kansas, City Directory, 1899-1900
- Polk Topeka, Kansas, City Directory, 1905
- Radges’ Directory of Topeka and Shawnee County – 1874
- Radges’ Directory of Topeka and Shawnee County – 5th ed. (1879)
- Radges’ Directory of Topeka and Shawnee County, 1872-1873
- Radges’ Directory of Topeka and Shawnee County, 1874
- Radges’ Directory of Topeka and Shawnee County, 1880
- Radges’ Directory of Topeka and Shawnee County, 1882
- Radges’ Directory of Topeka and Shawnee County, 1885-1886
- Radges’ Directory of Topeka and Shawnee County, 1890-1891 (Part 1)
- Radges’ Directory of Topeka and Shawnee County, 1890-1891 (Part 2)
- Radge’s Topeka city directory – 1887-1888
- Radge’s Topeka city directory – 1921
- Radge’s Topeka City Directory, 1872
- Radge’s Topeka City Directory, 1874
- Radge’s Topeka City Directory, 1880
- Radge’s Topeka City Directory, 1882
- Radge’s Topeka City Directory, 1885
- Radge’s Topeka City Directory, 1887
- Radge’s Topeka City Directory, 1890
- Radge’s Topeka City Directory, 1890
- Radge’s Topeka City Directory, 1921
- Topeka Classified Directory, 1961
- Topeka Colored Directory, 1928
- Topeka Colored Directory, 1934
Wabaunsee County
- Business Directory and History of Wabaunsee County, 1907
- Wabaunsee County Business Directory, Kansas Directory Company, 1907
Wichita
- 1877 Wichita City Directory
- 1881 Gazetteer of the Old Southwest
- 1881 Wichita Business Directory
- Directory of the City of Wichita – 1883
- Directory of the City of Wichita – 1885
- Polk’s Wichita (Sedgwick County, Kansas) City Directory 1910
- Wichita City Directory, 1877
- Wichita City Directory, 1878
- Wichita City Directory, 1883
- Wichita City Directory, 1885
- Wichita City Directory, 1886
- Wichita City Directory, 1887
- Wichita City Directory, 1888
- Wichita City Directory, 1889
- Wichita City Directory, 1890
- Wichita City Directory, 1891
- Wichita City Directory, 1892
- Wichita City Directory, 1894
- Wichita City Directory, 1902
- Wichita City Directory, 1904-5
- Wichita Telephone Directory, 1937
- Wichita Telephone Directory, 1944
- Wichita Telephone Directory, 1945
- Wichita Telephone Directory, 1951
- Wichita, Kansas, City Directory, 1875
- Wichita, Kansas, City Directory, 1878
- Wichita, Kansas, City Directory, 1883
Woodson County
For all Free Kansas Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
Research Toolkit
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
2 replies on “Free Online Kansas City Directories”
Sir,
Your link for Kansas City Directories; specifically the Mitchel County 1899 didn’t work. Looks like the “D” in the url should be lower case; ie…https://archive.org/details/directoryofmitch00unse you have; https://archive.org/details/Directoryofmitch00unse
Thanks. Fixed.