When we think of finding our ancestors, census and vital records are some of the first documents we think of. However, we would be missing many details in our genealogy research if we didn’t include city directories or newspapers.
In this blog post, I’ll use one of my ancestors to showcase how valuable these two resources can be.
Census records are one of the most fundamental records in which to find your ancestors. They give so much information and provide clues to other records for our genealogy research. But they are just a snapshot of place and time every 10 years.
If you want to find out what happened between census years you have to look for records that were taken on a more regular basis. City directories and newspapers are perfect for this.
The Power of City Directories and Newspapers in Genealogy Research
City directories and newspapers are invaluable tools for genealogists. When used together, they give a more complete picture of your ancestors’ lives. City directories offer detailed information, including names, addresses, occupations, and even spouse names. They can help track families year by year, which is so much better than census records.
Newspapers, on the other hand, give you details of your ancestor’s day-to-day life. From birth and marriage announcements to obituaries and social columns, newspapers capture the stories that directories can’t.
By using city directories and newspaper together, you can uncover details that might otherwise be missed. These resources can fill in gaps, confirm dates and relationships, and bring your ancestors’ stories to life in a meaningful way.
An Example
Frederick W. Stabley was my 2nd great-grandfather. Here he is with his wife Emma, who you can read more about here. I love this picture!
I have been able to find Frederick in every census record throughout his life. Starting in 1870, when Frederick was 20 years old, he is listed as a “carpenter.” That is such a generic term and I wanted to know more, so I turned to city directories.
Introducing City Directories
York County, Pennsylvania has a wonderful city directory collection on Ancestry.com. This table shows him as a carpenter during a portion of his adult life. There’s not much to glean from this except for his change of address.
However, if you looked at just the census records, you would have missed his move to 286 Cottage Hill Avenue. All addresses are for York, Pennsylvania.
I’m glad I didn’t stop in 1915 because I would have missed so much more about Frederick and the kind of work he did.
City Directories + Newspapers
In 1917 the York County City Directory showed Frederick was an assemblyman for the Hench & Dromgold Company. Did an ad like this prompt Frederick to work there?1
Hench & Dromgold made spring tooth harrows, a type of agricultural cultivator. Frederick already had experience working in this field. The 1910 census has his place of employment as the Spring Harrow Company.2
In the 1919 and 1921 directories Frederick was a woodworker for the Flinchbaugh Machine Company. Then from 1923 to 1927, he worked as a woodworker or bench hand for Frederick Blaebaum & Sons. Here’s an ad from 1922…perhaps Frederick saw this and decided it was a good move.3
Frederick died on 12 Jun 1932 in York, Pennsylvania.4 His death certificate says his occupation was “carpenter”…that generic term once again. By pairing city directories and newspapers, I was able to find out what kind of carpenter he was painting a more detailed picture of his life.
Newspapers Provide Family Information
Another invaluable newspaper clipping was Frederick and Emma’s 50th wedding anniversary which provided wonderful details about them and their family. They were married on 12 February 1871 in York County, Pennsylvania.5
Just look at all the details from this one article:
- Current address
- Current ages
- Marriage Date
- Emma’s maiden name and hometown
- Emma’s mother’s name, age, current residence
- Frederick’s father’s name and past residence (since he has died)
- Children’s names and towns and that they are all still living
- Grandchildren’s names and towns
- Minister’s name and where they were married
Finally
I hope you see how wonderful city directories and newspapers can be. Combining these two resources in your genealogy research give details about your ancestors’ lives you may not find anywhere else.
Genealogy tip: Don’t stop at census records! Other types of records like city directories can give employment information, members of a household at the same address, and migration information.
Want some help fishing out the details of your ancestor’s life? Give me a shout…I’d love to help.
1 “Men Wanted,” The York Gazette (York, Pennsylvania), 10 May 1917, p. 7, col. 7.
2 1910 U.S. census, York County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, York City, p. 6B, dwelling 134, family 139, Frederick Stabley; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7884/images/4449864_00205?: accessed 13 Nov 2019), image 12; NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 1435.
3 “Machine and bench men,” The York Dispatch (York, Pennsylvania), 25 Oct 1922, p. 14, col. 7.
4 “Pennsylvania U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1969,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/5164/images/42342_2421401574_0631-00375?pId=4929691 : accessed 21 Apr 2019), certificate 61864, Frederick Stabley, died York County, 12 June 1932, image 375; citing Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
5 “To Celebrate Golden Wedding,” York Daily Record (York, Pennsylvania), 10 Feb 1921, p. 8, col. 3.
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