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[This article is by Diana Crisman Smith for Research Write Connect]

I must admit, I do love directories for genealogy. Not just city directories, but any kind of directory.

City directories are the best for some purposes, but there are so many other “cool” things available. Here are a few of my favorite things:

• Tracking a person (or family) through time.
• Finding interesting juxtapositions of time and place.
• Learning new facts - for example, residence or occupation.
• Gaining context.
• Picking up clues for further investigation.
• Finding addresses for property searches; or finding the exact location of a farmer from a rural directory.

So what do I mean? Here are just a few examples from my research.

In Des Moines, Iowa, city directory for the year I was born, I found that my grandparents showed 5 residents. Now, I remember that house well - adding the three of us to my grandparents, we barely fit in it for a weekend until I was in junior high and they added on to the...

September is here and it is the unofficial end of summer. As students are heading back to school, it is also time to think about your own genealogy education plan!  

Whether you are a beginner who wants to explore family history, understand DNA testing and specific record sets, or an experienced researcher hoping to write your family history, or master using Scrivener writing software, then take advantage of the special back to school sale and save 30% on all classes at Research, Write, Connect through Tuesday, 14 September 2020!  

Genealogy Courses

In a series of posts we will introduce the expert instructors of Research, Write, Connect,. Each expert brings knowledge and proven experience in the fields of genealogy or writing along with a passion for teaching others how to research and write about their families.

Diana Crisman Smith has been researching her family history since grade school. She has been attending conferences, writing, teaching and presenting to genealogical audiences for over 40 years.

Her research experience began with her own families in Denmark, Canada, and the US - including three Mayflower ancestors. She has added client research, aiding patrons at the local LDS Family History Search Center as a lay librarian for more than twenty years, and traveling to genealogical repositories around the country (and in Denmark) to explore family history resources.

Diana has written feature and how-to articles and product reviews for online and print publications, including Heritage Quest, FamilyTree Magazine,...