City Directories: Do Your Own Research
Research Your Family’s History
Use what you learned on the city directory activity pages to research your family’s history. Follow the guidelines listed below. Enjoy searching into your family’s past!
1. Pick a family member you would like to learn more about; you will need their name, the city they lived in, and the dates they lived in that town.
2. Go to the library or historical agency that contains the city directories for the town your relative lived in.
3. Look at city directories for every five years, ex) 1920, 1925, 1930, 1935…
4. Write down the address your relative lived at during each year.
5. Write down their occupation for each year.
6. Do other family members live at the same address? If so, what are their names?
7. What have you learned about your relative?
