Directories (MD)

City Directories prove to be an excellent source for researching individual and family history. They fill the void over the ten years  between United States censuses.

The first City Directory for Hagerstown, Maryland was published by John Randall in 1893. Earlier (1884-85) a combined directory for Hagerstown and its neighbor to the north, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was printed.

Digital Maryland Collection

The 1875 edition of Boyd's Business Directory of the State of Maryland lists the occupations and businesses in the five largest cities in Maryland--Annapolis, Baltimore, Cumberland, Frederick, and Hagerstown--and all the smaller towns.

Polk’s Hagerstown (Washington County, Md.) City Directory 1935, published by Polk & Co. of Baltimore, Inc., lists the names, occupations, and residences of heads of households in Washington County, Maryland in 1935. It also lists the businesses, churches, government buildings, cemeteries, societies, education institutions, a guide to the streets, and other miscellaneous mentions.

City of Cumberland 1873 Directory, compiled and printed by William H Lowdermilk in Cumberland, lists the names, occupations, and residences of heads of households in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland in 1873. It also lists the Street Directory, Church Directory, Government Directory, County Officers, various societies and foundations, and Educational Institutions. There’s also a group of names listed under Schriver’s Addition to the city of Cumberland Directory, and another List of Names of people omitted from the directory.

City of Hagerstown 1915 Directory, published by Franklin Directory Company in Hagerstown, lists the names, occupations, and residences of heads of households in Hagerstown, Maryland in 1915. It also lists the businesses, churches, government buildings, cemeteries, societies, educational institutions, a guide to the streets, and more. Several advertisements are featured at the beginning of the directory as well.

The 1875 edition of Boyd’s Business Directory for Maryland lists the occupations and businesses in the five largest cities in Maryland, and all the smaller towns. This website includes Cumberland, Hagerstown, and the smaller towns, but not Baltimore City. The book is organized by occupation. Many of the citizens were self-employed and so the list contains mostly individuals, rather than corporate entities. The exception is newspapers and hotels.