When you find your ancestor’s name in a City Directory make sure you capture all the people with the last name and not just your relative.
For instance the family name: “DeCloedt” on this 1938, City Directory, from Mishawaka, Indiana.
As you can see above there are many people with the same last name “DeCloedt” and some may be related.
The city directory list the people in alphabetical order, so it is sometimes hard to sort out who is who by just looking at the directory page, so make a text file of all the names to help you sort things out.
Here is what that text file would look like:
U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
City Directory
1938
Mishawaka, Indiana
DeCloedt
Aug (Marie) rubber wkr
h913 W 7th
Augjust R (Mary C) emp MishR&WMfgCo
h323 S West
Carl J slsmn SB Whol Fish Mkt (SB)
r 123 W 6th
Dorothy F student r123 W 6th
Emiel A (Eugenie) emp MishR&WMfgCo
h317 S West
Emiel J (Mary) col cln
r 123 W 6th h do
Eugenie Mrs florist 317 S West
h do
Fred C (J Eleanor) clk
h1613 Milburn blvd
John student r913 W 7th
Leon L (Irma M) emp MishR&WMfgCo
h801 W 5th
Marie Mrs emp MishR&WMfgCo
h913 W 7th
image 23 of 128
=============================
As you can see several of these people live in the same address, so rearrange the names by putting them together.
U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
City Directory
1938
Mishawaka, Indiana
DeCloedt
—
Aug (Marie) rubber wkr
h913 W 7th
John student
r913 W 7th
Marie Mrs emp MishR&WMfgCo
h913 W 7th
—
Carl J slsmn SB Whol Fish Mkt (SB)
r 123 W 6th
Dorothy F student
r123 W 6th
Emiel J (Mary) col cln
r 123 W 6th h do
—
Emiel A (Eugenie) emp MishR&WMfgCo
h317 S West
Eugenie Mrs florist
317 S West
h do
—–
August R (Mary C) emp MishR&WMfgCo
h323 S West
—
Fred C (J Eleanor) clk
h1613 Milburn blvd
—
Leon L (Irma M) emp MishR&WMfgCo
h801 W 5th
image 23 of 128
=============================
You might want to keep both text files, the original text and the rearranged text for future researchers. Someone might like seeing the alphabetical list and someone else might like to look at the address list.
As you can see at the top of the text file we put the date and location.
U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
City Directory
1938
Mishawaka, Indiana
followed by the names
and ending with the image number where to find the listing.
image 23 of 128
By giving the information, someone five (5) years from now can easily return to that page and see for themselves what was on the page.
And of course once they are on the City Directory they will be able to go to other pages in the directory by changing the number in the box.
I hope this has taught you something new and the learning will help you with your genealogy adventure.
Thank You
Jose from Clarkston, Michigan, USA
Genealogical Collection 