Researching the Early History of Black Lives in the Connecticut River Valley

City directories can be used to obtain information about individuals in specific places at particular points in time. City directories include names, addresses, and occupations. They may also reveal age, marital status, home ownership, and race. In addition, these resources frequently list information regarding churches, cemeteries, schools, local businesses, railways, newspapers, social organizations, town services, and city officials.

The following is a list of city directories that can be found in the collections of the W.E.B. DuBois library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. For information on accessing the records, please talk to the research help desk at the library. 

MASSACHUSETTS- 1700-1861:
Regional: 1835, 1849, 1850-1851,1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858,1859
Boston: 1789, 1796, 1798, 1800, 1803, 1805, 1806, 1807, 1809-1810, 1813, 1816, 1818, 1820, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1825, 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849-1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1860-1861
Brighton: 1850
Cambridge: 1847-1854, 1856-1857, 1859-1860
Charlestown: 1831, 1834, 1836, 1838, 1840, 1842, 1845, 1848, 1850, 1852, 1854, 1856, 1858, 1860
Chelsea: 1847-1848, 1850, 1852, 1854, 1856, 1858, 1860
Clinton: 1856
Dorchester: 1850
East Boston: 1848-1849, 1852
Fall River: 1853, 1855, 1857, 1859
Fitchburg: 1847-1851, 1853-1860
Gloucester: 1860
Haverhill: 1853, 1857, 1859-1861
Lawrence: 1847-1848, 1850-1851, 1853-1855, 1857, 1859-1861
Lowell: 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836, 1836 Supplement, 1837, 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1844, 1845, 1847, 1849, 1851, 1853, 1855, 1858, 1859,1860, 1861, 1864-65 (including Lowell Military Record for The Civil War), 1866-onward
Lunenburg: 1834
Lynn: 1832, 1841, 1851, 1854, 1856, 1858, 1860
Medford: 1849
Milford: 1856
New Bedford: 1836, 1838, 1839, 1841, 1845, 1849, 1852, 1856, 1859
Newburyport: 1849-1858, 1860
Pittsfield: 1859-1860
Plymouth: 1846, 1860
Roxbury: 1847-1850, 1852, 1854, 1856, 1858, 1860
Salem: 1837, 1842, 1846, 1850, 1851, 1853, 1855, 1857, 1859
Somerville: 1851
South Boston: 1852
Southbridge: 1854
Springfield: 1845-1849, 1851-1861
Taunton: 1850, 1855, 1857, 1859
Worcester: 1828-1829, 1842-1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1851, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860

United States city directories, 1861-1881. New Haven: Research Publications, [197-]. Microfilm 6579

,Boston: 1861-1882 Lowell: 1861, 1864-1866, 1868, 1870, 1872, 1874-1876, 1878, 1880, 1881 Worcester: 1861-1881

United States city directories, 1882-1901. Microfilm 6580

MASSACHUSETTS 1882-1901:

Boston: 1882-1902
Lowell: 1883-1901
Worcester: 1882-1901

City directories of the United States, 1902-1935 Call Number: Microfilm 6581

MASSACHUSETTS 1902-1935:

Boston: 1902-1935
Fall River: 1902-1935

Guides to the collection

City directories IV. Unit 2, Boston: temporary guide to the microfilm collection. Call Number: Microforms Guides Z 5771.2 C5722 1983

City directories IV. Unit 11, Detroit, MI; Erie, PA; Fall River, MA; Grand Rapids, MI; Harrisburg, PA. Call Number: Microforms Guides Z 5771.2 C573 Boston directory Call Number: F 73.2 P6 + 1938, 1940-1941

Call Number: Microfilm 1509 Reel 5 No. 2

Fall River directory. Boston: Sampson, Murdock Call Number: Microfilm A 251 1(1853) - 31(1900)

Polk's Boston (Suffolk County, MA) city directory Call Number: F 73.2 P6 + 1968-1973