New York City directories facts for kids

The New-York Directory, published in 1786, was the first directory for New York City that we still have today. It was also the third directory ever published in the United States. This first directory listed 846 names of people living in the city. Before this, in 1785, two other directories were published in Philadelphia.

What are City Directories?

City directories were like early phone books or yellow pages. They listed people's names, addresses, and sometimes their jobs. They were very useful for finding people and businesses in a growing city like New York.

Important Moments in New York City's History and Directories

Here's a timeline of key events related to New York City and its directories:

• 1624: New Amsterdam, which later became New York City, was started by the Dutch at the bottom of Manhattan. It became the capital of the Dutch province in 1625.
• 1655: One of the very first lists of people in New York City was called A Directory for the City of New York. It mainly listed Dutch families in New Amsterdam, organized by the streets they lived on.
• 1725: The first newspaper in New York State, the New-York Gazette, was published in Manhattan.
• 1776: The U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed. This was a huge step for America becoming its own country!
• 1783: The American Revolutionary War ended, and the United States became truly independent.
• 1783: The Book of Negroes

During the American Revolutionary War, Sir Guy Carleton, a British commander, kept a special list called the Book of Negroes. This list included the names and descriptions of 3,000 Black Loyalists who had been freed by the British for joining them during the war. About 2,800 of these people were from New York City. Most of them were later moved to Nova Scotia as free people.

• 1786–1787: The First Official Directory

The New York Directory was put together by David Franks and printed by Shepard Kollock. This directory listed people by their jobs and then in alphabetical order by their first name. Fun fact: on page 63, you'd find Alexander Hamilton listed right after Aaron Burr. These two famously had a duel in 1804, which is even shown in the musical Hamilton!

• 1788: No directory was published this year.
• 1789–1790: New Publishers

The New York Directory, and Register was published by Hodge, Allen & Campbell. These were three important booksellers and printers in New York City.

• 1790: The first sidewalks were built on Broadway, a famous street in Manhattan.
• 1796–1817: Longworth's Directories

David Longworth published many directories. In his 1805 directory, he listed 291 shoemakers in New York City, which was the second most common job after carpentry! He also listed bakers, carpenters, hairdressers, tailors, blacksmiths, butchers, printers, and sailmakers. These directories also started counting the years from July 4, 1776, the date of American Independence. So, a book published today would be described as being printed in "The two hundred and forty-ninth Year of American Independence."

• 1811: New York City got its famous street grid system, making it easier to find places.
• 1817–1842: End of Slavery in New York

During this time, the last enslaved people in New York City were freed. You can learn more about this important part of history in the article History of slavery in New York.

• 1835: The Great Fire of New York happened, causing a lot of damage to the city.
• 1837: There was a big financial crisis called the Panic of 1837.
• 1842: The Croton Aqueduct was finished. This was a huge project that brought fresh water to New York City, which was very important for public health.
• 1845: Another big fire, the Great New York City Fire of 1845, hit the city. Directory publishers had to quickly make updates to show all the address changes.
• 1850–1855: Building Sewers

After many years of unplanned growth and serious cholera outbreaks, New York City began building a proper sewer system. Between 1850 and 1855, they built 70 miles of sewers!

• 1861: Manhattan changed how its street addresses worked for east-west streets. Each block between major avenues was given numbers in groups of 100 (e.g., 1-99, 100-199).
• 1865: The New York City draft riots occurred during the American Civil War.
• 1865: The American Civil War ended.
• 1870: Woolf Phillips started publishing Phillips' Business Directory of New York City. He also created Phillips' Élite Directory, which was like a guide to the city's high society.
• 1874: The western part of The Bronx was added to New York City.
• 1878: The very first telephone directory in New York City was released by the Bell Telephone Company of New York. It was small enough to fit in a vest pocket and listed 252 names, but only 17 of them were homes!
• 1883: The famous Brooklyn Bridge, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, officially opened.
• 1888: The Social Register, a directory listing less than two thousand wealthy families in New York City, was first published.
• 1889: The Tower Building, considered by some to be New York City's first skyscraper, was completed.
• 1898: On January 1, New York City grew much larger, absorbing East Bronx, Brooklyn, parts of Queens, and Staten Island.
• 1904: The first underground subway line opened in New York City. This was almost 36 years after the first elevated train line opened. You can read more about it in History of the New York City Subway.
• 1911: The tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire happened on March 25, 1911.
• 1928: Penicillin, the first antibiotic medicine, was discovered.

Types of Directories

Over the years, many different kinds of directories were published in New York City, each with a special purpose:

New York City (Manhattan) Directories

These were the most common directories, listing residents and businesses in Manhattan.

Great Metropolis Directories

These directories were like guides to the "Great Metropolis" (New York City), often including maps and information for visitors.

Business Directories

These directories focused on businesses, listing companies and what they did.

Copartnership Directories

These directories listed partnerships, which are businesses owned by two or more people.

Tax Records

These directories listed people and businesses based on their tax information.

Citizens and Strangers' Guides

These guides helped both residents and visitors find their way around the city, listing important places and businesses.

Route and City Guides

These directories helped people navigate New York City and its surrounding areas, often including maps and travel information.

Charities, Social Services, and Church Directories

These directories listed organizations that helped people, like charities and churches.

Public Education Directories

These directories listed information about schools and teachers in New York City.

Directories of Directors

These books listed the names of people who were directors of companies, showing who was in charge of different businesses.

Directories Related to Investment and Banking

These directories provided information about financial companies and wealthy individuals.

Printing Trades Blue Book

These directories were specifically for businesses in the printing industry.