Boston Directory

1807 Boston Directory title page

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Publishers included John Norman (1789); John West (1796-1803); Edward Cotton (1805-1818); Charles Stimpson (1820-1846); George Adams (1846-1857);^[3] 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).^[2][4]

Boston Directories

18th century

• Boston Directory. 1789 – via Internet Archive.
• Boston Directory. 1796 – via Google Books. (reprint on p. 215-302)
  • Boston Directory. 1796 – via Boston Athenæum. (original print)
• Boston Directory. 1798 – via Boston Athenæum.

19th century

1800-1849

• Boston Directory. 1800 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. John West. 1803 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Edward Cotton. 1805 – via Internet Archive.
• Boston Directory. Edward Cotton. 1806 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Edward Cotton. 1807 – via Hathi Trust.
• 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 Hathi Trust.
• 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 Hathi Trust.
• Boston Directory. Frost and Stimpson. 1825 – 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. (copy 1 with Boston annual advertiser)
  • Boston Directory. Charles Stimpson, Jr. 1829 – via Boston Athenæum. (copy 2 with map of Boston, without Boston annual advertiser)
• Boston Directory. Charles Stimpson, Jr. 1830 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Stimpson's Boston Directory. Stimpson & Clapp. 1831 – via Internet Archive.
• Stimpson's Boston Directory. Stimpson & Clapp. 1832 – via Hathi Trust.
• Stimpson's Boston Directory. Stimpson & Clapp. 1833 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Stimpson's Boston Directory. Stimpson & Clapp. 1834 – via Internet Archive.
• Stimpson's Boston Directory. Stimpson & Clapp. 1835 – via Internet Archive.
• Stimpson's Boston Directory. Stimpson & Clapp. 1836 – 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.
• Stimpson's Boston Directory. Stimpson & Clapp. 1846 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Adams's new directory of the city of Boston. George Adams. 1846–1847 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Adams's Boston directory. French and Stimpson. 1847–1848 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. French and Stimpson. 1848–1849 – via Internet Archive.
• Boston Directory. George Adams. 1849–1850 – via Internet Archive.

1850-1899

• The Directory of the city of Boston. George Adams. 1850 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. George Adams. 1851 – via Hathi Trust. + via Google Books
• Boston Directory. George Adams. 1852 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. George Adams. 1853 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. George Adams. 1854 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. George Adams. 1855 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. George Adams. 1856 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. George Adams. 1857 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. Adams, Sampson, & Co. 1858 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. Adams, Sampson, & Co. 1859 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Adams, Sampson, & Co. 1860 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Adams, Sampson, & Co. 1861 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. Adams, Sampson, & Co. 1862 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Adams, Sampson, & Co. 1863 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Adams, Sampson, & Co. 1864 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. Adams, Sampson, & Co. 1865 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1866 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1867 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1868 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1869 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1870 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1871 – via Boston Athenæum.
  • Boston Commercial Directory for 1871. Wentworth & Co. 1871 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1872 – via Hathi Trust.
  • Boston Almanac and Business Directory for the year 1872. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1872 – via Internet Archive.
  • Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1872 – via Boston Athenæum. December Supplement.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1873 – via Google Books.
  • Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1873 – via Boston Athenæum. November Supplement.
  • Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1873 – via Boston Athenæum. December Supplement.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1874 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1875 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1876 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1877 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1878 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1879 – via Boston Athenæum.
  • Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1879 – via Internet Archive.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1880 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1881 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1882 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1883 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1884 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1885 – via Boston Athenæum.
  • Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Sampson, Davenport, & Company. 1885 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1886 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1887 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1888 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1889 – via Boston Athenæum.
  • Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1889 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1890 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1891 – via Boston Athenæum.
  • Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1891 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1892 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1893 – via Boston Athenæum.
  • Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1893 – via Internet Archive.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1894 – via Boston Athenæum.
  • Boston Almanac and Business Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1894 – via Google Books.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1895 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1896 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1897 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1898 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1899 – via Boston Athenæum.

20th century

1900-1949

• Boston Directory. Sampson, Murdock, & Company. 1900 – via Boston Athenæum.
• Boston Directory. Sampson & Murdock Company. 1916 – via Internet Archive.
• Boston Register and Business Directory. Sampson & Murdock Company. 1922 – via Internet Archive.

1950-1999

• 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 – 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

• Boston Almanac
• Massachusetts Register

References

1. Boston Directory. 1789.
2. Advertisement for Boston Directory. Boston Almanac, 1875.
3. New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 1866
4. "The Boston directory ... including all localities within the city limits, as Allston, Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, Hyde Park, Roslindale, Roxbury, West Roxbury ...". 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.

External links

• damrellsfire.com
• Boston Athenæum: The Boston Directory 1789-1900 (Ongoing Project), Digital Collection.