Free Online South Dakota City Directories

City and business directories are available online from all over the U.S. and are another important source 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. For years, Miriam 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: 

• Where to Find 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 to the right of the name (in the Format column), then the collection’s 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.

South Dakota City Directories

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

• 1874, Wolfe’s Mercantile Guide, Gazetteer, and Business Directory of Cities, Towns, Villages, Stations, and Government forts, Located upon the Lines of the following Named Railroads, Union Pacific, Omaha & Northwestern, Sioux City & Pacific, Omaha & Republican Valley, Colorado Central, Utah Northern, Utah Central, Utah Western, Utah Southern, Bingham Can[y]on & Camp Floyd, Wahsat[c]h & Jordan Valley, and American Fork Railroad and Towns in the Blackhills
• 1878, Wolfe’s Mercantile Guide, Gazetteer, and Business Directory of Cities, Towns, Villages, Stations, and Government forts, Located upon the Lines of the following Named Railroads, Union Pacific, Omaha & Northwestern, Sioux City & Pacific, Omaha & Republican Valley, Colorado Central, Utah Northern, Utah Central, Utah Western, Utah Southern, Bingham Can[y]on & Camp Floyd, Wahsat[c]h & Jordan Valley, and American Fork Railroad and Towns in the Blackhills
• 1883, The Leading Business Men of Dakota Cities, accompanying the Map of Dakota Territory, Name and Address
• 1894 Pacific States Newspaper Directory: containing a Carefully prepared List of All the Newspapers and Periodicals Published in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, British Columbia, Utah, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Hawaiian Islands
• 1924, Fox’s Who’s Who among South Dakotans, a Biographical Directory of Citizens Who are Prominent in Professional, Political, Business and Civic Affairs of the State
• 1980, Breeders Map and Directory
• 1980, Rapid City Map and Directory
• 1982, Breeders Map and Directory
• 1986, Truax/Truex in South Dakota Telephone Directories
• Fox’s Who’s Who among South Dakotans: a Biographical Directory, 1924-25
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory – V. 2 (1880-81)
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 15, pt. 1, 1906
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 15, pt. 2, 1906
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 15, pt. 3. 1906
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 15, pt. 4, 1906
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 15, pt. 5, 1906
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 15, pt. 6, 1906
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 15, pt. 7, 1906
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1880-81 Part 1
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1880-81 Part 2
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1880-81 Part 2
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1882-83 Part 1
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1882-83 Part 2
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1888-89 Part 1
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1888-89 Part 2
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1888-89 Part 3
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1888-89 Part 4
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1906-07 Part 1
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1906-07 Part 2
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1906-07 Part 3
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1906-07 Part 4
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1906-07 Part 5
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1906-07 Part 6
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1906-07 Part 7
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 2, pt. 1, 1880
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 2, pt. 2, 1880
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 3, pt. 1, 1882
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 3, pt. 2, 1882
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 3, pt. 3, 1882
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 6, pt. 1, 1888
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 6, pt. 2, 1888
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 6, pt. 3, 1888
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 6, pt. 4, 1888
• Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory. 1882-83 Part 3
• Montana – Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1880
• South Dakota City Directories, Miscellaneous Indexes by County
• South Dakota State Business Directory – 1909-1910
• South Dakota State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1921
• Who’s Who in South Dakota, 1913
• Who’s Who in South Dakota, 1920

Aberdeen

• Northern State College, Aberdeen, Alumni, Former Student Directory, 1901-1973

Anchor City

• Anchor City, 1878 Business Directory

Beadle County

• 1882-3 Huron Business Directory
• 1905-06 Sand Creek Township Residents
• 1913 Patron’s Directory
• Beadle County 1931 Phone Book
• Huron City Directory

Brookings

• Alumni – South Dakota State University School of Agriculture 1983

Brookings County

• Standard Atlas of Brookings County, South Dakota, 1909

Central City

• Central City, 1878 Business Directory

Clay County

• 1912 Standard Atlas of Clay County, South Dakota

Crook City

• Crook City, 1878 Business Directory

Deadwood

• Deadwood, 1878 Business Directory
• Deadwood, 1909 Business Directory

Deuel County

• Deuel County, Farm & Ranch Directory, 1971

Galena

• Galena, 1878 Business Directory

Gayville

• Gayville, 1878 Business Directory

Golden Gate

• Golden Gate, 1878 Business Directory

Hughes County

• Keiter Directory Co.’s Pierre City and Hughes and Sully Counties, South Dakota Directory – 1913-1914

Huron

• Huron 1883 City Directory
• Huron 1887 City Directory
• Huron 1905 City Directory
• Huron 1908 City Directory
• Huron 1910 City Directory
• Huron 1912 City Directory
• Huron 1914 City Directory
• Huron 1916 City Directory
• Huron 1918 City Directory
• Huron 1922 City Directory
• Huron 1924 City Directory
• Huron 1926 City Directory
• Huron 1928 City Directory
• Huron 1931 City Directory
• Huron 1933 City Directory
• Huron 1934 City Directory
• Huron 1936 City Directory
• Huron 1938 City Directory
• Huron 1940 City Directory
• Huron 1942 City Directory
• Huron 1945 City Directory
• Huron 1948 City Directory
• Huron 1950 City Directory
• Huron 1953 City Directory
• Huron 1955 City Directory
• Huron 1957 City Directory
• Huron 1958 City Directory
• Huron 1960 City Directory
• Huron 1962 City Directory
• Huron 1963 City Directory
• Huron 1964 City Directory
• Huron 1965 City Directory
• Huron 1966 City Directory
• Huron 1969 City Directory
• Huron 1970 City Directory
• Huron 1971 City Directory
• Huron 1972 City Directory
• Huron 1973 City Directory
• Huron 1974 City Directory
• Huron 1975 City Directory
• Huron 1976 City Directory
• Huron 1977 City Directory
• Huron 1978 City Directory
• Huron 1979 City Directory
• Huron 1980 City Directory
• Huron 1981 City Directory
• Huron 1982 City Directory
• Huron 1983 City Directory
• Huron 1984 City Directory
• Huron 1985 City Directory
• Huron 1986 City Directory
• Huron 1987 City Directory
• Huron 1988 City Directory
• Huron 1989 City Directory
• Huron 1990 City Directory
• Huron 1991 City Directory
• Huron 1992 City Directory
• Huron 1993 City Directory
• Huron 1994 City Directory
• Huron 1995 City Directory
• Huron 1996 City Directory
• Huron 1997 City Directory
• Huron 1998 City Directory
• Huron 1999 City Directory
• Huron 2000 City Directory

Hutchinson County

• Standard Atlas of Hutchinson County, 1910

Kingsbury County

• Standard Atlas of Kingsbury County, South Dakota

Lawrence County

• Lawrence County, 1909 – 1910 Gazetter Publishing Co. Business Directory
• Lawrence County, 1916 – 1917 R. L. Polk Business Directory

Lead

• Lead, 1878 Business Directory

McCook County

• Standard Atlas of McCook County, 1911

Pierre

• Keiter Directory Co.’s Pierre City and Hughes and Sully Counties, South Dakota Directory – 1913-1914

Rapid City

• South Dakota State School of Mines Directory January 1938
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, First Semester 1936-37
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, First Semester 1937-38, Faculty and Administration, Students
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, First Semester 1938-39, Faculty and Administration, Students
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, First Semester 1939-40, Faculty and Administration, Students
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, First Semester 1940-41, Student
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, Second Semester 1936-37
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, Second Semester 1937-38, Faculty and Administration, Students
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, Second Semester 1938-39, Faculty and Administration, Students
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, Second Semester 1939-40, Faculty and Administration, Students
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, Second Semester 1940-41
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, Second Semester 1940-41, Faculty and Administration, Students
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Directory, Summer 1942, Faculty and Administration, Students
• South Dakota State School of Mines, List of Faculty, January 1, 1887 to July 1, 1928
• South Dakota State School of Mines, Student List, 1891-1892 to 1935-36, Inclusive, Faculty List, January 1, 1887 to July 1, 1936, Inclusive

Robert County

• Standard Atlas of Roberts County, South Dakota, 1910

Sioux Falls

• Sioux Falls, South Dakota City Directory – 1890
• Sioux Falls, South Dakota City Directory, 1890

South Bend

• South Bend, 1878 Business Directory

Sully County

• Keiter Directory Co.’s Pierre City and Hughes and Sully Counties, South Dakota Directory – 1913-1914

Vermillion

• South Dakota University, Students’ Directory 1918