BUILDING AND HOUSE HISTORY
City Directories
City directories are listings of persons residing in a city. Directories also include listings of businesses by name and by type (e.g. saloons, hotels, tanners, etc.)
Entries for individuals give name, occupation, and address. Some directories also list individuals who recently moved to other citites, and some give death dates for residents who died within the year. After 1930, city directories include a wife's name in the entry for her husband and a reverse listing of households and businesses by street address.
Directories are generally available only for larger citites. Some include small communities in the vicinity. Other directories may include all communities in the county, as well as farmers residing in the area.
Note: The Minnesota Historical Society does not have complete sets of directories for every city.
How To Find City Directories
City directories are listed in the library catalog. To search, enter the name of the city:
Want us to do a city directory search for you? Submit a City Directory Research Request.
