Genealogy

A guide to selected genealogical resources at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library.

Introduction

The W.E.B. Du Bois Library houses an extensive collection of early city directories. Genealogical researchers use city directories 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.

Selective List of Materials in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library

City and business directories of the United States through 1860.
Call Number: Microfiche 19

Cities and years for the New England states follow. Complete list of cities and years for all states and regions.

CONNECTICUT
Regional: 1849, 1851, 1856, 1857-1858
Bridgeport: 1855-1858
Hartford: 1799 (Business men), 1799 (City Directory), 1825, 1828, 1838-1861
New Haven: 1840-1861
New London: 1855-1856, 1859-1860
Norwich: 1846, 1857, 1860

MAINE
Regional: 1849, 1855, 1856
Bangor: 1834, 1843, 1846, 1848, 1851, 1855, 1859
Biddeford: 1856-1857
Portland: 1823, 1827, 1830-1831, 1834, 1837, 1841, 1844, 1846-1848, 1850-1851, 1852-1853, 1856-1857, 1858-1859,1860
Saco: 1849

MASSACHUSETTS
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
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

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Regional: 1849
Concord: 1830, 1834, 1844, 1848, 1850, 1853-1854, 1856, 1860-1861
Dover: 1830, 1833, 1837-1838, 1843, 1846, 1848, 1859
Great Falls: 1848
Keene: 1827, 1830-1831
Manchester: 1844, 1846, 1848, 1850, 1852, 1854, 1856, 1858, 1860
Nashua: 1841, 1843, 1845, 1850, 1853, 1856-1858
New Ipswich: 1858
Peterborough: 1830
Portsmouth: 1817, 1821, 1827, 1834, 1839-1840, 1850-1851, 1856-1857, 1860-1861

RHODE ISLAND
Regional: 1849
Newport: 1856-1858
Pawtucket: 1857-1858
Providence: 1824, 1826, 1828, 1830-1832, 1836-1838, 1841-1860

VERMONT
Regional: 1849, 1855-1860

Guide to the collection - Most of the more than 1,600 city, county, regional and business directories described in this valume appear in Microfiche 19.

Bibliography of American directories through 1860 - Spear, Dorothea N.
Call Number: Reference Z 5771S74.

First Boston city directory (1789): including extensive annotations by John Haven Dexter (1791-1876).
Call Number: F 73.25 D49 1989

Stimpson's Boston directory.
Call Number: Special Collections F 73.24 S75 1838, 1844, 1846

The Worcester almanac, directory and business advertiser.
Call Number: Special Collections F 74 W9 A18 1852, 1855, 1864

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