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City Directories

Current Information | Historical Research
Directories Owned | Other Resources

The Central Library has a collection of Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and area directories dating back to 1856.

Most of the older directories are available in microfilm in the Magazine Room on the third floor of the Library.

Paper copies of directories are located in the Nicholson Information Commons on the second floor of the Library.

No photocopying of print directories is allowed.

Current Information

Cole Directories

Reverse directory information by address and phone number. The Street Address Section gives names of individuals and businesses arranged by street name and building number. The Numerical Telephone Section provides the names of telephone subscribers arranged in order by telephone number. Holdings:

• Minneapolis and Vicinity
• St. Paul and Vicinity

ReferenceUSA

Business & residential phone and address directory online.
Access from:

• Inside the Library
• Outside the Library

Polk Directories

The Polk Directories are no longer published in a print format. For current information, use the Cole's Directories or ReferenceUSA.

Historical Research

See Directories Owned for historical holdings.

From 1856-1925, directories generally provided:

• City and County officials
• Schools, churches, hotels, fraternal organizations and societies
• Advertisements, including an index to advertisers
• An alphabetical list of residents and businesses with street name (no house numbers), and occupation of residents or type of business

1866 - residents and businesses were listed by wards (for that year only)

1869 - a listing of Chicago area businesses was included. A schedule of stamps and duties for liquors, tobacco, coffee, etc., was also printed

1879 - a street name index was included, with "to" and "from" information

1885 - addresses became more specific, and included house numbers

1895 - a "Progress of the City" report was provided

1929 - a dotted circle symbol was introduced to indicate homeowner. Wives' names were added after the husband's name. The street index was printed on pink paper. A separate index to South St. Paul streets (also pink) was added, although South St. Paul residents were included in the white pages of the St. Paul general listings

1933 - all adults in the household were listed

1940 - a bell symbol was added to indicate a telephone, although no phone number was given

1948 - the South St. Paul Street Directory was dropped

1950 - alphabetical listings included suburbanites who worked in St. Paul

1956 - the first South Suburban and North Suburban directories were published

1961 - telephone numbers were added to the street index

1964 - a separate telephone number section was added

Directories Owned

Location Key

• Nicholson - Nicholson Information Commons, 2nd floor
• Magazine Room - Magazine Room, 3rd floor
• MLAC - Minnesota Library Access Center (off-site storage at University of Minnesota)

Other Resources

Minneapolis Public Library - 612-630-6000

Minnesota History Center - 651-296-2143
Twin Cities phone books going back to the 1900s, and city directories for local and outstate communities, current and historic. Call first to make sure that a particular directory is owned. No photocopying is allowed.

Copyright 2002-2008, Saint Paul Public Library - 90 W. 4th Saint Paul, MN 55102
Questions or comments: 651-266-7000 / Ask a Librarian

Melanie Huggins, Library Director | Library Board
An Agency of the City of Saint Paul - Christopher B. Coleman, Mayor
Media Relations: Sheree Savage / 651-266-7029

Webmaster: SPPLWeb@ci.stpaul.mn.us