Methods
Build an Address Timeline From Directories
This field note is part of the FOBA learning stream. It is meant to orient readers and point toward better source work.
Key points
- A directory timeline can show where a person, business, or institution appears across years.
- The timeline gets stronger when it records occupation, spouse notation, employer, address, directory title, year, and nearby institutions.
- It remains a source trail, not proof of continuous residence or ownership by itself.
Next steps
- Build one row per year and keep absent years visible.
- Check street renumbering, boardinghouses, city limits, and shared names.
- Pair directory entries with Sanborn maps, census records, tax records, deeds, newspapers, church records, and cemetery records.
Source trail
- FOBA City Directories guide – Internal directory research workflow.
- Library of Congress – U.S. City Directories – Official LOC directory guide.