GENEALOGY RESOURCES 
City Directories: Census Substitutes

Ancestry.com describes their 1890 city directories as “census substitutes.” Although it is especially useful to have names and addresses from 1890 due to the lack of U. S. Federal Censuses from that year, actually the description can apply to all city directories online.

Why? Because, once you have found your relative’s address listed in a city directory, you can use a special section of that directory—the “Street Guide” sometimes called the “Householder’s Guide”— to find out who lived next door! Look up the street name and find your ancestor’s address; then, look at everyone living on the street. This may lead to discoveries like, “Wow! I never knew Aunt Jennie married her husband before her sister and brother-in-law moved to St. Louis—and I had no idea that she and Herbert moved with them—I thought they came to Missouri much later on.” Try using the “Street Index” section like a census, and see what you find!

RESEARCH TIP: If your ancestor is not listed in a city directory in the main section of town residents, don’t give up. Look at the page that lists “Additional Names and Removals Too Late for Classification,” to see if he moved into town too late to be included in the main body of information. If he isn’t there, look at the page that lists “Migrations or Removals from the City” to see if he moved away during the preceding year.