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St. Louis City Directories, Gazetteers, Rosters, and Guides

City directories are the telephone books of the 19th century. They relate people and places line by line in alphabetical order year after year. Some list occupations or miscellaneous information about recent deaths or relocations. Some list businesses. Some verge on the genre of biographical dictionaries and encyclopedias. Directories are fundamental tools heavily used in historical research, but as digital texts they gain even greater use. Once digitized, a directory can be searched not just by surnames, but by addresses, occupations, and dates.

This page complements the Directories, Gazetteers, Rosters, and Guides collection on UMSL’s Digital Library and a duplicate collection on Missouri Digital Heritage. Below is an updated and comprehensive list of city directories and other similar materials related to St. Louis people and places under an expanded definition which includes guide books, gazeteers, and organization rosters. The materials are listed by year, and links are provided for easy navigation to their respective digital libraries if they are available online. If they are unavailable digitally, links are provided to the catalog entries where physical copies may be found.

The St. Louis Mercantile Library's contribution to the list below was made possible through the support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

To increase the utility of this page, materials are linked by icons representing various digital libraries and library catalogs. This system allows for multiple links to be applied to some materials which should allow the researcher to make use of the relative strengths of each platform. The Washington University Digital Gateway currently hosts the only human-corrected transcriptions and the most reliable multi-directory search interface.



Directories by Year



1821

  • St. Louis Directory and Register

1836

  • Keemle's St. Louis Directory

1837

  • Western Address Directory

1838

  • Keemle's St. Louis Directory

1840

  • Keemle's St. Louis Directory

1842

  • Chambers and Knapp St. Louis Directory

1844

  • Kimball & James' Business Directory for the Mississippi Valley

1845

  • Green's St. Louis Directory

1846

  • Western Metropolis; or St. Louis in 1846

1847

  • Green's St. Louis Directory
  • St. Louis Business Directory

1848

  • J.H. Sloss' St. Louis Directory

1850

  • Green's St. Louis Business Directory
  • Saint Louis Merchants, Mechanics, and Manufacturers' Business Directory

1851

  • Green's St. Louis Directory

1852

  • Morrison's St. Louis Directory

1853

  • Montague's St. Louis Business Directory

1854

  • Chambers and Knapp St. Louis Directory
  • Montague's Illinois and Missouri State Directory

1857

  • Kennedy's St. Louis Directory

1858

  • St. Louis Complete Business Directory
  • St. Louis Pictorial Advertiser
  • Sketchbook of St. Louis

1859

  • Kennedy's St. Louis Directory
  • Tanner and Halpin's St. Louis Business Directory

1860

  • Kennedy's St. Louis Directory

1863

  • Campbell & Richardson’s St. Louis Business Directory

1864

  • Edwards' Annual Director(y)

1865

  • Edwards' Annual Directory

1866

  • Edwards' Annual Directory
  • Edwards' Descriptive Gazetteer and Commercial Directory of the Mississippi River

1867

  • Edwards' Annual Directory
  • Goodwin's Pacific Railway Business Guide
  • Guide Book and Complete Pocket Map of St. Louis
  • Stranger's Guide to St. Louis

1868

  • Edwards' Annual Directory
  • St. Louis City Guide and Business Directory

1869

  • Edwards' Annual Directory

1870

  • Edwards' Annual Directory

1871

  • De Yongh's Business Directory
  • Edwards' Annual Directory
  • Tracy's Guide to Missouri and St. Louis

1872

  • Edwards' Annual Directory
  • Gould and Aldrich's St. Louis Directory

1873

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Logan's Railway and Business Directory from St.Louis to Galveston
  • St. Louis Commercial Directory

1874

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Baker's St. Louis Business Directory
  • Saint Louis, the Commercial Metropolis

1875

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Wilson's History and Directory for Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois

1876

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Missouri State Gazetteer and Business Directory

1877

  • Elite Directory of St. Louis Society
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Pictorial Guide to St. Louis

1878

  • Gould's Business Directory of the city of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Pictorial Guide to St. Louis
  • Tour of St. Louis

1879

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory

1880

  • City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Business Directory...St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory

1881

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Missouri State Gazetteer and Business Directory

1882

  • Gilmore's Pocket Guide...edited by Hitchcock
  • Gilmore's Pocket Guide...revised by Parker
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • St. Louis: Her Trade, Commerce and Industry

1883

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis

1884

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Police Guide and Directory of St. Louis

1885

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Guide to the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis

1886

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Progress of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Guide to the Places of Interest in...St. Louis
  • Masonic Manual and St. Louis Guide

1887

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Industries of Saint Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis

1888

  • Commercial and Architectural St. Louis
  • Directory of the Legion of Honor
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Directory of the Legion of Honor
  • St. Louis Guide, official handbook
  • Saint Louis of To-day Illustrated

1889

  • City of St. Louis Today
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Engineer's Club of St. Louis

1890

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory

1891

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Commercial and Architectural St. Louis
  • City of St. Louis, 1891: Growth in Manufactures...

1892

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Pen and Sunlight Sketches of St. Louis
  • Shewey’s Guide and Directory to St. Louis
  • Shewey's Pictorial St. Louis, Past and Present…
  • St. Louis Through a Camera

1893

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Missouri State Gazetteer and Business Directory
  • City of Saint Louis & Its Resources

1894

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Barr and Widen's Credit Guide
  • Gould's Handy Guide to St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • Historical and Descriptive Review of St. Louis
  • Old and New St. Louis

1895

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • St. Louis Up to Date

1896

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Illustrated Handy Guide to St. Louis
  • Illustrated Guide of St. Louis

1897

  • Barr & Widen Company’s Credit Guide for the Wholesale Trade
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis

1898

  • Directory of the Legion of Honor of the State of Missouri
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • St. Louis Engineers' Club Bulletin

1899

  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis

1900

  • Blue Book and Directory of the Merchant's League Club
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Illustrated Handy Guide to St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • St. Louis Taxpayers' Directory
  • Watson & Co.'s Classified Business Directory of St. Louis

1901

  • Directory of Stationary Engineers of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • St. Louis County and Town Directory

1902

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • St. Louis Directory of Charities

1903

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • Bulletin of the Engineers' Club of St. Louis

1904

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • Business Directory and Mercantile Register of St. Louis

1905

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • St. Louis Directory of Charities

1906

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis

1907

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis
  • St. Louis Directory of Charities

1908

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Commercial Register for the City of St. Louis

1909

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Red Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's East St. Louis Directory

1910

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Directory of the City of Kirckwood
  • Gould's Red Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Boo's Directory of St. Louis County

1911

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Red Book for the City of St. Louis
  • St. Louis Directory of Charities

1912

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Directory for the City of Maplewood, Mo.

1913

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Red Book for the City of St. Louis
  • All About St. Louis

1914

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Directory of Clayton, Missouri
  • Gould's Red Book for the City of St. Louis

1915

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Red Book for the City of St. Louis

1916

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's Blue Book for the City of St. Louis
  • Gould's Red Book for the City of St. Louis

1917

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Directory of St. Louis County, Mo.

1918

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's St. Louis Red-Blue Book

1919

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Catalog of the Educational Institutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States

1920

  • Gould's St. Louis Red-Blue Book
  • Gould's St. Louis Directory

1921

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's St. Louis Red-Blue Book

1922

  • Gould's St. Louis Directory
  • Gould's St. Louis Red-Blue Book