Oberlin City Directories
Historic city directories contain listings of residents, businesses, and home addresses. They are an ideal resource for genealogists, family historians, and anyone interested in the demographics of historic Oberlin. Click below to access some of the Oberlin Heritage Center’s city directory listings:
- City Directory Spreadsheet (Excel) – Includes information up to the 1916 city directory, organized by street name.
- The 1859-1860 Oberlin City Directory is available on the Electronic Oberlin Group (EOG) website. This early directory is organized by last name and lists homes by street location, but not a numbered address.
- Resource Center – Make an appointment at the Oberlin Heritage Center to view copies of directories or telephone books dating up to the present.
Online City Directory Information by Year
The following list shows directories in the spreadsheet, the information they include, and how the information is arranged:
- 1873-1874: This directory is arranged by residents’ primarily head-of-household’s last name, and lists occupations when applicable.
- 1877: This directory is arranged by resident name and lists occupations when applicable. Household units are not clearly grouped; relations between individuals frequently are not clearly indicated.
- 1883: This directory is arranged by resident name and lists heads of household and their occupations.
- 1886-1887: This directory is arranged by resident name and lists heads of household and their occupations.
- 1888 (partially entered): This directory is not exhaustive; it appears to focus on prominent members of Oberlin society. Those names that do appear are grouped by household and include a list of all residents.
- 1890: This directory is arranged by resident name and lists heads of household and their occupations.
- 1891: This directory is arranged by resident name and lists all the residents of each home.
- 1894 (January): This directory, arranged by name, includes head of households and their occupations.
- 1894: This directory was printed when the addresses in Oberlin were all changed. It is arranged by address, and lists the new and old addresses. Only heads of household are listed.
- 1896: This directory is arranged by address and lists heads of household.
- 1897: This directory is arranged by name and lists all residents and the head of household’s occupation.
- 1899-1900 (partially entered): This directory is arranged by both name and address. The address section gives a listing by household, with occupations of residents. The section arranged by name is organized by head of household, and lists other residents and the occupations of all residents.
- 1902: This directory lists heads of household and is arranged by address.
- 1908: This exhaustive directory is arranged by name. It lists all household residents (it is the only City Directory that includes residents under 10 years old), their occupations, and their work places. When widows are listed, the directory says who their deceased husbands are.
- 1916 (partially entered): Another very thorough directory listing all household members and occupations.