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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: Celticcrafter on Saturday 15 July 17 01:12 BST (UK)

Title: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Celticcrafter on Saturday 15 July 17 01:12 BST (UK)
Hi everyone

Does anyone know what the abbreviations from this Greenfield Mass.  US City Directory are?

h 35 Highland Ave EN   (h & EN)
r 35 Highland Ave EN   (r & EN)

Thanks CC
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: ShaunJ on Saturday 15 July 17 10:09 BST (UK)
There's usually a list of abbreviations at the beginning of the directory. What year is it that you are looking at?
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Genealiza on Saturday 15 July 17 13:40 BST (UK)
I believe it is probably an abbr. for either a suburb or a neighboring small town
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: KGarrad on Saturday 15 July 17 13:59 BST (UK)
Quoting Ancestry, "About U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995":

Whenever you use a directory, it is important to refer to the page showing abbreviations used in the book. Some abbreviations are quite common, such as h for home or r for residence. There may even be a subtle distinction between r for residents who are related to the homeowner and b for boarders who are not related. Becoming familiar with these abbreviations will help you better interpret your ancestor’s listing.
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Celticcrafter on Saturday 15 July 17 21:06 BST (UK)
There's usually a list of abbreviations at the beginning of the directory. What year is it that you are looking at?
I am looking at the 1945 City directory for Greenfield MA.  I have looked at the abr. and its shows h is for house and r is for rooms.  However, it does not show anything for EN. 

Thank you for your suggestion.

CC
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: ShaunJ on Saturday 15 July 17 21:56 BST (UK)
What names are you researching there (is it the Hubers? ).

The Highland Avenue "EN" addresses I can see are in the Turners Falls section and I am guessing that it's a postal area (East North), The abbreviations section is clear that E is east and N is north.
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Lisa in California on Saturday 15 July 17 22:13 BST (UK)
Looking at the directory, "your man" is shown on page 359 (I'm guessing it's your fellow).  That's fairly far back in the directory to have someone with the last initial of H, since it appears that the directory's last page is 370.  Skipping back a few pages is Northfield (page 353).  Could EN be East Northfield?  [I hope that makes sense - I've poorly worded my thoughts.]  ;)
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Celticcrafter on Saturday 15 July 17 22:15 BST (UK)
What names are you researching there (is it the Hubers? ).

The Highland Avenue "EN" addresses I can see are in the Turners Falls section and I am guessing that it's a postal area (East North), The abbreviations section is clear that E is east and N is north.

It was evidently not clear to me LOL.  So thank you for your help.  I am researching the Huber's. This is the first time looking at these directories.  I didn't put the two abr. together. Now thanks to your help I am a little bit wiser.

CC
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Lisa in California on Saturday 15 July 17 22:25 BST (UK)
Trying an internet search using the man's surname, the street address and Northfield, there are several results, including a "snippet" from a newspaper.
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Celticcrafter on Saturday 15 July 17 22:28 BST (UK)
Looking at the directory, "your man" is shown on page 359 (I'm guessing it's your fellow).  That's fairly far back in the directory to have someone with the last initial of H, since it appears that the directory's last page is 370.  Skipping back a few pages is Northfield (page 353).  Could EN be East Northfield?  [I hope that makes sense - I've poorly worded my thoughts.]  ;)

Thank you so much.  I believe that you maybe more correct than ShaunJ. They did live in Northfield.
I am finding these directories somewhat confusing as I can find my Huber's in this directory also Brattleboro, VT U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 for Max W Huber (1943) This is an identical entry to the Greenfield / Northfield US City Directory (1943).

Any thought on that?  CC
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Celticcrafter on Saturday 15 July 17 22:29 BST (UK)
Trying an internet search using the man's surname, the street address and Northfield, there are several results, including a "snippet" from a newspaper.

Thank you I'll have a look at that.  CC
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Lisa in California on Saturday 15 July 17 22:34 BST (UK)
The 1940 census also shows them in Northfield.

...I am finding these directories somewhat confusing as I can find my Huber's in this directory also Brattleboro, VT U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 for Max W Huber (1943) This is an identical entry to the Greenfield / Northfield US City Directory (1943).

Any thought on that?  CC


Two thoughts:  One listing was his residence and the other his workplace?  Or, depending upon when the directories were put together and eventually printed, perhaps the family moved from one location to the other during 1943 and they are subsequently shown in both?   :-\
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Lisa in California on Saturday 15 July 17 22:41 BST (UK)
Looking at the Brattleboro Directory, neither of my ideas are correct.   ;)

Page 7 of the 1943 directory shows the directory covers (I believe it covers)
Brattleboro, VT
Hinsdale, NH
Northfield, MA
   I haven't seen that happen before.
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Genealiza on Sunday 16 July 17 13:35 BST (UK)
Looking at the Manning's 1950 directory of Greenfield, there is a Donald G and Barbara R H_____ listed at  35 Highland, EN on page 495.  If you scroll back to page 488, there is an abbreviations list that states EN is the abbreviation for East Northfield.
Title: Re: US City Directory Abbreviations
Post by: Celticcrafter on Sunday 16 July 17 19:51 BST (UK)
Looking at the Manning's 1950 directory of Greenfield, there is a Donald G and Barbara R H_____ listed at  35 Highland, EN on page 495.  If you scroll back to page 488, there is an abbreviations list that states EN is the abbreviation for East Northfield.

Thank you very much for your response.  I only looked on the 1943 abbreviations list at the very beginning of the book. Plus, thinking about it I don't believe that you would say East North as someone else suggested.  I think it would be North East. 

Thank you again for verifying East Northfield.  I will print page 488 for my files.

CC