City Directories Guide

Contact the St. Louis Mercantile Library for assistance with accessing and using city directories.

City Directories are excellent resources for genealogical and historical research. They are usually published annually and provide information about residents, businesses, and organizations, including:

  • People and place names
  • Street addresses
  • Births, deaths, and marriages
  • Occupations
  • Relocations

Online Resources

 

St. Louis City and County Directories
Title Author Library Catalog Call Number
Gould's St. Louis (Missouri) city directory Polk-Gould Directory Company F474.S2 A182
Polk's St. Louis (Missouri) city directory. R.L. Polk & Co. F474.S2 A181
Polk's St. Louis County (Missouri) directory R.L. Polk & Co. F472.S3 A18
Directory of the city of East St. Louis for 1889-90 East St. Louis Directory Company F549.E2 D57 1889
The St. Louis directory: containing the names of the inhabitants, their occupations, numbers of their places of business and dwellings Keemle, Charles F474.S2 A18
Edwards' annual director to the inhabitants, institutions, incorporated companies, manufacturing establishments, business, business firms, etc., etc., in the city of St. Louis Edwards, Richard F474.S2
Gould's red book : business directory, commercial register of the city of St. Louis Gould Directory Co. F474.S2 A184
The elite directory of Saint Louis society : containing the names and addresses of the members of the leading social circles of this city and neighborhood St. Louis Herald Co. F474.S23 E55 1877
The western address directory : containing the cards of merchants, manufacturers, and other business men Lyford, W.G. E165 .L984 1837