The Boston Directory of Boston, Massachusetts, was first published in 1789. It contained "a list of the merchants, mechanics, traders, and others, of the town of Boston; in order to enable strangers to find the residence of any person." Also included were listings for public officials, doctors, bank directors, and firemen. The directory was issued annually after 1825; previously it had appeared irregularly.
The number of listings in each directory reflected fluctuations in the population size of Boston. In 1789, the directory included some 1,474 listings; by 1875, there were 126,769.
Publishers included John Norman (1789); John West (1796-1803); Edward Cotton (1805-1818); Charles Stimpson (1820-1846); George Adams (1846-1857); Adams, Sampson & Co. (1858-1865); Sampson, Davenport & Co. (1865-1884); Sampson, Murdock & Co. (1885-1903); Sampson & Murdock Co. (1904-ca.1930); R.L. Polk & Co. (1944-ca.1980).
Boston Directories
18th century
| Title | Publisher | Year | Google Books | HathiTrust | Internet Archive | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Directory | 1789 | via Internet Archive | ||||
| Boston Directory | 1796 | reprint via Google Books, p. 215-302 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | 1798 | via Boston Athenæum |
19th century
1800-1829
| Title | Publisher | Year | Google Books | HathiTrust | Internet Archive | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Directory | 1800 | via Boston Athenæum | ||||
| Boston Directory | John West | 1803 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Edward Cotton | 1805 | via HathiTrust | via Internet Archive | ||
| Boston Directory | Edward Cotton | 1806 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Edward Cotton | 1807 | via HathiTrust | |||
| Boston Directory | Edward Cotton | 1809 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Edward Cotton | 1810 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Edward Cotton | 1813 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Edward Cotton | 1816 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Edward Cotton | 1818 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Frost and Stimpson | 1820 | via HathiTrust | |||
| Boston Directory | Frost and Stimpson | 1821 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Frost and Stimpson | 1822 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Frost and Stimpson | 1823 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | ||
| Boston Directory | Frost and Stimpson | 1825 | via HathiTrust | via Internet Archive | ||
| Boston Directory | Frost and Stimpson | 1826 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Hunt, Stimpson, and Frost | 1827 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Hunt and Stimpson | 1828 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Charles Stimpson, Jr. | 1829 | via Boston Athenæum |
1830-1849
| Title | Publisher | Year | Google Books | HathiTrust | Internet Archive | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Directory | 1830 | via Boston Athenæum | ||||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1831 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1832 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | ||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1833 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1834 | via HathiTrust | via Internet Archive | ||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1835 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1836 | via HathiTrust | via Internet Archive | ||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1837 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1838 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1839 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1840 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1841 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1842 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1843 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1844 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1845 | via Boston Athenæum via Tufts University | |||
| Stimpson's Boston Directory | Stimpson & Clapp | 1846 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Adams's New Directory of the City of Boston | George Adams | 1846-47 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Adams's Boston Directory | French and Stimpson | 1847-48 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | French and Stimpson | 1848-49 | via HathiTrust | via Internet Archive | ||
| Boston Directory | George Adams | 1849-50 | via HathiTrust | via Internet Archive |
1850-1869
| Title | Publisher | Year | Google Books | HathiTrust | Internet Archive | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directory of the City of Boston | George Adams | 1850 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | ||
| Boston Directory | George Adams | 1851 | via Google Books via Google Books via Google Books |
via HathiTrust | ||
| Boston Directory | George Adams | 1852 | via Google Books | |||
| Boston Directory | George Adams | 1853 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | George Adams | 1854 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | George Adams | 1855 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum via Tufts University | |
| Boston Directory | George Adams | 1856 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | ||
| Boston Directory | George Adams | 1857 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | ||
| Boston Directory | Adams, Sampson, & Co. | 1858 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | ||
| Boston Directory | Adams, Sampson, & Co. | 1859 | via HathiTrust | |||
| Boston Directory | Adams, Sampson, & Co. | 1860 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | Adams, Sampson, & Co. | 1861 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenaeum | |
| Boston Directory | Adams, Sampson, & Co. | 1862 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | |
| Boston Directory | Adams, Sampson, & Co. | 1863 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | Adams, Sampson, & Co. | 1864 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | ||
| Boston Directory | Adams, Sampson, & Co. | 1865 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum via Tufts University | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1866 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | |
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1867 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1868 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1869 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum |
1870-1889
| Title | Publisher | Year | Google Books | HathiTrust | Internet Archive | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1870 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum via Tufts University | |
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1871 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Commercial Directory | Wentworth & Co. | 1871 | via Google Books | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1872 | via HathiTrust | December supplement via Boston Athenæum via Tufts University | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1873 | via Google Books via Google Books via Google Books |
via HathiTrust | November, December supplements via Boston Athenæum | |
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1874 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1875 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum via Tufts University | |
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1876 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1877 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | |
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1878 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1879 | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1880 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1881 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1882 | via Google Books | via HathiTrust | via Boston Athenæum | |
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1883 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Davenport, & Co. | 1884 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1885 | via Boston Athenæum via Tufts University | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1886 | via Google Books | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1887 | via Google Books | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1888 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1889 | via Boston Athenæum |
1890-1899
| Title | Publisher | Year | Google Books | HathiTrust | Internet Archive | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1890 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1891 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1892 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1893 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1894 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1895 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1896 | via Google Books | via Boston Athenæum | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1897 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1898 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1899 | via Boston Athenæum |
20th century
1900-1949
| Title | Publisher | Year | Google Books | HathiTrust | Internet Archive | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1900 | via Boston Athenæum | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson, Murdock, & Co. | 1905 | via HathiTrust | via Tufts University | ||
| Boston Directory | Sampson & Murdock Co. | 1916 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Boston Register and Business Directory | Sampson & Murdock Co. | 1922 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Boston Directory | Sampson & Murdock Co. | 1925 | via Tufts University |
1950-1999
| Title | Publisher | Year | Google Books | HathiTrust | Internet Archive | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston City Directory | R.L. Polk & Co. | 1955 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Boston City Directory | R.L. Polk & Co. | 1956 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Boston City Directory | R.L. Polk & Co. | 1959 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Boston City Directory | R.L. Polk & Co. | 1961 | v.1, v.2 via Internet Archive | |||
| Boston City Directory | R.L. Polk & Co. | 1962 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Boston City Directory | R.L. Polk & Co. | 1965 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Boston City Directory | R.L. Polk & Co. | 1966 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Boston City Directory | R.L. Polk & Co. | 1969 | via Internet Archive | |||
| Boston City Directory | R.L. Polk & Co. | 1970 | via Internet Archive |
See also
References
- Boston Directory. 1789.
- ^ Advertisement for Boston Directory. Boston Almanac, 1875.
- New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 1866
- The Boston directory ... including all localities within the city limits, as Allston, Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, Hyde Park, Roslindale, Roxbury, West Roxbury ... OCLC 228685309 – via worldcat.org.
Further reading
- New England historical and genealogical register. Oct. 1862; p. 387+
- Report of the record commissioners of the city of Boston, Volume 10. Rockwell and Churchill, 1886; p. 163+
- A.V. Williams (1913), "Boston, Massachusetts", The Development and Growth of City Directories, Cincinnati, Ohio: Williams Directory Co., hdl:2027/nyp.33433082423645
External links
- HathiTrust. 1805 etc; 1849-1883
- damrellsfire.com
- Boston Athenæum: The Boston Directory 1789-1900 (Ongoing Project), Digital Collection.