When searching for my paternal great-grandmother in the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Federal Census, I knew that she lived in Los Angeles County and that she had always worked outside the home. So I was surprised to find that those two censuses listed her as having no occupation. Consulting a 1924 city directory clarified what she was doing in those years between the censuses. She was actually working in a laundry. An added bonus was that the listing provided me with the name of the laundry she worked at. This information was an important clue in reconstructing her life because family members who knew her, only remembered that she had worked as a restaurant cook (which she did nearly, but not all, of her life). Interestingly enough, the city directory lists her occupation and place of employment but not her street address.
If you are searching for your ancestor’s husband in a city directory and do not find him, don’t forget to search just on the woman’s name. In the case of my great-grandmother she, not her husband, was listed in two city directories by herself. My great-grandfather was in the Navy and presumably stationed away from home.
Searching for a name/address listing is a start to your research but remember that she may be listed more than once in a directory. Consider that activities she participated in might also be listed such as a membership group she held office in or even an occupation such as teacher. This information is important and also means that a city directory shouldn't just be read but instead should be studied.
In this example from the 1859-60 City Directory for Sacramento California there is a listing found under Benevolent Associations in the front of the directory. This benevolent organization, The Protestant Orphan Asylum is made up of women who were tasked with caring for orphans. Notice that the officers for the organization are named.
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| From Google Books |
A further look at the front of this directory shows that in the section titled Pubic Schools, female teachers are listed along with their monthly salaries.
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| From Google Books |
As the above example shows, women worked, not only in the home but outside of it to support themselves and their families. Listings for women may include their occupation but don’t forget to also search those beginning sections for other details about the community and various groups including membership groups.
Lastly, remember that city directories can provide information about marital status. Women might be listed as Miss or Mrs. In some cases, the husband will be listed with the wife’s name in parenthesis. Pinpointing a husband’s recent death might be easier with the help of a city directory that includes the word ‘widow’ beside the woman’s name and in some cases the name of her deceased husband.
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