Using City Directories in Research

The Wabash Valley Genealogy Society will be presenting a program on using city directories at the Vigo County History Center Auditorium at 929 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute, IN, on Saturday, May 20th, at 10:30 a.m.

The often forgotten city directories with wonderful advertisements have been destroyed by homeowners when phone books became popular.  Fortunately, the Vigo County History Museum has a collection from 1850s to 2009, including some county directories.

City directories offer much information of a particular city in a specific year, listing resident’s occupations and addresses.  Print financing was supported by local advertisers, and the advertising is, in itself, a good source for research in family history, social research, and historical research.  Locations of churches, schools, city offices, and other important sites were listed as well as other information.

The program will be presented by Casey Pfeiffer of the Indianapolis, Indiana, State Public Library.  Her program will highlight directory history, where to access them, and their specific value in research when other records are unattainable.

Admission is free to VCHC and OLLI members.  Adults $7 and Seniors $6.