The Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast

RLP 338: When City Directory Indexing Goes Wrong

16 snips
Dec 30, 2024
Discover the intriguing world of city directory indexing errors and the impact they have on genealogical research. Gain insights into the complexities of OCR technology and how indexing mistakes can lead to significant research challenges. Learn effective strategies for navigating city directories, including the importance of creating locality guides and using varied search techniques. The hosts share personal stories that highlight the necessity of examining original documents to uncover valuable information about ancestors.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

Project Background

  • Nicole Dyer was researching a subject in Los Animas County, Colorado, using city directories.
  • She needed to determine arrival and departure dates, focusing on Trinidad's directory, which covered the entire county.
ADVICE

Accessing Directories

  • Check various online repositories for city directories before visiting physical archives.
  • FamilySearch may have locked images, but other sites could offer PDFs or searchable databases.
ANECDOTE

Indexing Errors

  • Ancestry's city directory collection indexed post office locations as middle names, causing search issues.
  • Nicole's ancestor's entry had incorrect initials and the post office as a middle name, hindering identification.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app