The best source for discovering early city directories is Dorothea Spear’s Bibliography of American Directories through 1860.
The best source for discovering early city directories is Dorothea Spear’s Bibliography of American Directories through 1860. The Library of Congress has a full set of all copyrighted directories on microfilm or microfiche (and most directories are copyrighted). Internet Archive and the New York Public Library have been digitizing vast numbers of directories from microfilm, so check their websites for free access to digitized directories now online. Miriam J. Robbins’ free website Online Historical Directories is a growing compilation of online city directories throughout the United States.