(This page's most recent update is October 2024)
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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 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 make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
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:
New Hampshire City Directories
Statewide
- 1871 The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory
- 1874 The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory
- 1881 The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory
- 1884 The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory
- New England Business Directory, Sampson & Murdock, 1916 (Part 1)
- New England Business Directory, Sampson & Murdock, 1918 (Part 1)
- New Hampshire 1823 Gazetteer
- New Hampshire Business Directory, 1868
- New Hampshire Business Directory, 1868
- New Hampshire Business Directory, 1874
- New Hampshire Business Directory, 1888
- New Hampshire Business Directory, 1888
- New Hampshire Business Directory. 1874
- New Hampshire Register and Business Directory, 1921-1922
- New Hampshire State Directory and Gazetteer for 1917
- New Hampshire, 1878, The Pastors of New Hampshire, Congregational and Presbyterian
- New Hampshire, 1878, The Pastors of New Hampshire, Congregational and Presbyterian
- Register of Officers and Members of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New Hampshire, 1897
- Revised Register of the Soldiers and Sailors of New Hampshire in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1822
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1823
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1824
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1827-29
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1830-33
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1834
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1835
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1837
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1840
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1841
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1846
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1849
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1851
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1854
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1867
- The New Hampshire Register and Farmer’s Almanac 1869
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1868
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1869
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1871
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1872
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1873
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1874
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1875
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1876
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1877
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1881
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1882
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1883
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1884
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1885
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1886
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1887
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1888
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1889
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1890
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory – 1891
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory 1892
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1871
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1874
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory, 1878
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1881
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1884
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac and Business Directory, 1892
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1871
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1871-1873
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1872
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1873-74
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1874-1876
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1877-1880
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1881-1883
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1884-1887
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1901
- The New Hampshire Register, Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory, 1903
- The New Hampshire State Directory and Gazetteer for 1907
- The New Hampshire State Directory and Gazetteer for 1910
- The New Hampshire State Directory and Gazetteer for 1912
- The New Hampshire State Directory and Gazetteer for 1913
- The New Hampshire State Directory and Gazetteer, 1907
- The New Hampshire State Directory and Gazetteer, 1910
- The New Hampshire State Directory and Gazetteer, 1912
- The New Hampshire State Directory and Gazetteer, 1913
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1820
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1821
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1822
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1823
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1824
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1825
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1826
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1827
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1828
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1829
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1830
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1831
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1832
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1833
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1834
- The New-Hampshire Annual Register and United States Calendar, 1867
- The New-Hampshire Register, Farmers’ Almanac, and Business Directory for 1878.
- The Pioneers of Maine and New Hampshire, 1623 to 1660; a Descriptive List, drawn from Records of the Colonies, Towns, Churches, Courts and Other contemporary sources
New England
- 1849, New-England Mercantile Union Business Directory: six Parts
- 1878, The Annual New England Official Directory and General hand-book ..
- 1905, Sanitarium Directory of the New England and Middle States
- 1911, Manual and Directory of the New England Church (Congregational)
- 1984, New England Wind Industry Directory
- 1998, The Annual Directory of New England bed & breakfasts
- Annual Directory of New England Colleges & Universities, 2003.
- Annual Directory of New England Colleges and Universities 2005
- Annual Directory of New England Colleges and Universities 2006
- Annual Directory of New England Colleges and Universities 2007
- Annual Directory of New England Colleges and Universities 2008
- Annual Directory of New England Colleges and Universities 2009
- Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families 1620-1700
- Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families 1620-1700
- Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families, 1620-1700
- Directory of the Congregation of the New England Church Chicago, Ill., December 1, 1891 ..
- New England Almanac (1829, 1832)
- New England Mercantile Union Business Directory for, 1849, containing an Almanac for 1849, … a Business Directory for New England; Name, Location … of Manufacturing Establishments, Professional Men … Advertising Register … of New York
- New England Mercantile Union Business Directory for, 1849:
- News from New England, 1676
- Physicians’ and Dentists’ Directory of the New England States, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut, 1910
- The Annual New England Official Directory and General Handbook 1878-79
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1875
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1875 pt 1
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1875 pt 2
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1902
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1902 pt 3
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1902 pt 4
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1912
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1912 pt 2
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1916 pt 1
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1918
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1918 pt 1
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1918 pt 1
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1918 pt 2
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1918 pt 2
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1918 pt 3
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1918 pt 3
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1922
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1922 pt 2
- The New England Business Directory and Gazetteer 1922 pt 4
- The New England primer printed in America Prior to 1830
- The New-England Mercantile Union Business Directory, six Parts in one. Containing a New Map of NewEngland, an Almanac for 1849, a memorandum for every day in the Year, and a Business Directory for New-England
Belmont
Cheshire County
Concord
- 1850 Directory containing the Names, Occupations and Residence of the Inhabitants of Concord Centre Village
- 1853-54 Directory containing the Names, Occupations and Residence of the Inhabitants of Concord Centre Village
- 1860 Watson’s The Concord City Directory
- 1860-61 Merrill and Son’s Concord City Directory
- 1864 Watson’s The Concord City Directory
- 1892 The Concord Directory and Guide
- A Directory containing the Names, Occupations, and Residence of the Inhabitants of Concord Centre Village 1850
- Concord [New Hampshire] Directory] – 1876-1877
- Concord Centre Village Directory, 1850
- Concord City Directory, Watson, 1864
- Concord Directory 1853-54
- Directory of the First Congregational Church, Concord, N.H., 1730-1916
- Merrill and Son’s Concord City Directory for 1860-61
- Register of Convicts Committed to the State Prison in Concord, New Hampshire, 1812-1883
- The Concord City Directory 1864
- The Concord City Directory 1864
- The Concord City Directory, 1864
- The Concord Directory and Guide, 1892
- The Concord Directory, 1856
Cornish
Croydon
Dover
- 1859 Dover, New Hampshire, Directory
- 1871-72 Dover, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Dover Directory: July, 1859
- Dover, New Hampshire, City Directory 1871-72
- The Dover, Great Falls and Rochester Directory, 1871
Effingham
Exeter
- 1872 Exeter, New Market, and South New Market Directory and History
- Alumni Directory, the Phillips Exeter Academy, 1959
- Exeter & Hampton, New Hampshire Census & Business Directory, 1908
- The Exeter, New Market and South New Market Directory, 1872
- The Exeter, New Market, and South New Market Directory and History. 1872
- The Town Register: Exeter, Hampton, 1908
Exeter and Hampton
Freedom
Gilford
Gilmanton
Grafton County
- Gazetteer of Grafton County, N.H., 1709-1886
- Gazetteer of Grafton County, N.H., 1709-1886
- Grafton County NH, 1709-1886 Directory
Grantham
Hampton
Hanover
- Directory of the Offices and Students of Dartmouth College and Associated Schools, 1914
- Directory of the Offices and Students of Dartmouth College and Associated Schools, 1914-15
Hinsdale
- Manning’s Hinsdale (New Hampshire) [Telephone] Directory – 1947
- Manning’s Hinsdale (New Hampshire) [Telephone] Directory – 1949
Keene
Kensington
Manchester
- 1890 Manchester City Directory
- 1918 Manchester City Directory
- Manchester Almanac, City Directory, and Business Index, for 1879
- Manchester Almanac, City Directory, and Business Index, for 1879
- Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1915
- Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1920
- Pocket Business Directory and Industrial and Social Statistics of the City of Manchester, N.H., 1879
- Pocket Business Directory and Industrial and Social Statistics of the City of Manchester, N.H., 1884
- The Manchester Directory 1901
- The Manchester Directory 1906
- The Manchester, New Hampshire Directory 1866
- The Manchester, New Hampshire Directory 1873
- The Manchester, New Hampshire Directory 1879
- The Manchester, New Hampshire Directory 1882
- The Manchester, New Hampshire Directory 1883
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1846
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1860
- The New Hampshire Farmer’s Almanac and Business Directory 1871
- 1846 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- 1879 Pocket Business Directory and Industrial and Social Statistics of the City of Manchester, N.H.
- 1884 Pocket Business Directory and Industrial and Social Statistics of the City of Manchester, N.H.
- 1889 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- 1906 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- 1915 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Adams, Sampson & Co., 1860 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Adams, Sampson & Co., 1879 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Manchester City Directory, 1866
- Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1889
- Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1915
- Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1860
- Polk Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1906
- Polk’s 1906 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Sampson, Davenport & Co. 1866 Manchester City Directory
- Sampson, Davenport & Co. 1882 Manchester City Directory
- Sampson, Davenport & Co. 1883 Manchester City Directory
- Sampson, Davenport & Co. 1884 Manchester City Directory
- Sampson, Murdock & Co., 1889 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Sampson, Murdock & Co., 1906 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Sampson, Murdock & Co., 1908 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Sampson, Murdock & Co., 1915 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Sampson, Murdock & Co., 1916 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Sampson, Murdock & Co., 1921 Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- The Manchester Directory – 1906
- The Manchester Directory – 1935
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1860
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1882
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1883
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1884
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1887
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1897
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1899
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1900
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1905
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1906
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1908
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1909
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1911
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1916
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1921
- The Manchester, New Hampshire, Directory, 1922
Marlboro
Meredith
Meriden
Nashua
- Manning’s Nashua and Hudson (New Hampshire) Directory – 1957
- The Nashua Directory, 1897
- The Nashua Directory, 1898
- The Nashua Directory, 1899
- The Nashua Directory, 1900
- The Nashua Directory, 1901
- The Nashua Directory, 1906
- The Nashua Directory, 1907/08
- The Nashua Directory, 1910
- The Nashua Directory, 1914
New Hampton
Ossipee
Plainfield
Portsmouth
- Portsmouth Directory, 1864
- The Portsmouth Directory, 1851
- The Portsmouth Directory, 1860-61
- The Portsmouth Directory, 1879
- The Portsmouth Directory, 1901
- The Portsmouth Directory, 1905
- The Portsmouth Directory, 1908
- The Portsmouth Directory, 1910
- The Portsmouth Directory, 1914
- The Portsmouth Directory, 1920
Rochester
- 1893 Rochester, New Hampshire, City Directory
- Rochester [New Hampshire] Directory – 1893
- Rochester [New Hampshire] Directory, 1893
Sanbornton
Tamworth
Tilton
Tuftonboro
Wolfeboro
Wolfeborough
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!