Special Collections at the Pikes Peak Library District houses city directories for Colorado Springs published from 1879 to the present. The first city directory for Colorado Springs was compiled and published by W.H.H. Raper & Co. in 1879. Subsequent editions were published by S.N. Francis, the Out West Printing and Stationary Co., the Giles Directory Co., and R.L. Polk & Co., who continues to publish them today. The directories were published, roughly, every other year until 1900, when they began to be published annually.
City directories can provide valuable genealogical and historical information about people and the communities in which they lived. They list residents alphabetically by surname and usually indicate a person’s address, occupation and spouse’s name. Directories may also contain business listings and advertisements; a brief community description; information about local, state and national government; listings of schools and colleges, clubs, organizations, secret societies and churches. After 1900, in Colorado Springs, the directories also included a cross-reference index to street addresses. The Colorado Springs city directories also include listings for surrounding communities, such as Old Colorado City and Manitou.
The Colorado Springs city directories from 1879 through 1922 have been digitized, with the gracious help of dedicated volunteers from the Pikes Peak Genealogical Society, and are provided here in .pdf format. The text of the directories has been scanned with optical character recognition (OCR) software, so that they may be searched using a .pdf reader. The OCR process is not perfect, especially with older texts and fonts, so the directories should be browsed if a search does not turn up intended results. City directories published after 1922 may still be covered by U.S. copyright and are not included here. The originals, however, may be viewed in the Special Collections department of the Pikes Peak Library District. Later editions of the Colorado Springs city directories, up to 1963, can be found in the HeritageQuest database
1899 Colorado City and Manitou Directory
Telephone Directory, Spring 1940, for Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, Cripple Creek and Victor, Drennan, Fountain, Cascade, Chipita Park, Green Mountain Falls, Woodland Park, and Yoder. Residential listings only.
Comments
holly wiepking replied on Permalink
searching for info on my 1898 home
Your work on these directories has been phenomenal! Thank you!! I'm trying to locate as much info as I can find on this house and its occupants. Can you help direct me? Thank you again.
vfranklyn replied on Permalink
Hi there. Please fill out
Hi there. Please fill out this form and they will assist you: http://ppld.org/book-a-librarian. Hope this helps!
Hank Bargine replied on Permalink
Searching for history of my home/ 14 East Caramillo 80907
Hi, I'm looking for whatever history you could provide about my home. 14 East Caramillo Street here in Colo Spgs.
Best, H. Bargine
William Thomas replied on Permalink
History of Your Home
Hi Hank,
By name is Bill. I work in the Special Collections Department (history) of the Pikes Peak Library District. We do have considerable resources within our department that would assist you in your search. We could speak on the telephone, if you like, or you could visit us and I could show you around and get you started. My telephone number is (719) 531-6333 x6107. If I'm not at my desk, please leave me a message and I'll return your call.
Thanks,
Bill
Juan replied on Permalink
Barnes-Woods Clothing Company
I found a hat that bears the name of Barnes Woods Company "trade with the boys" from Colorado Springs and I found your site very useful. It's like reaching into the past and bringing history to life with this one hat. The store appears in the directories starting in 1915 with a third name, Howe. In 1916 there is no mention of the store until 1917 - 1922 with the caption found in the hat. The one thing I'd like to find out is when the store closed. Thank you
Tim Morris replied on Permalink
Re: Barnes-Woods Clothing Company
Hello,
I've consulted the city directories and have found that the last entry for Barnes-Woods Clothing Co. was listed in the 1934 Polk City Directory. If you would like to inquire further, please feel free to contact me at tmorris@ppld.org and I will be happy to assist you.
Tim Morris
Gloria Thorndik... replied on Permalink
History of Home
Searching for history of my daughter's home 323 E. Boulder St., Colorado Springs, CO. I believe the home was built in 1889
Thank you
Tim Morris replied on Permalink
Re: History of Home
Hello Gloria,
my name is Tim Morris with the Special Collections department. We have a number of resources that can help you research the history of your home. Our staff would happy to speak with you over the phone or meet with you in person to assist with your questions. Feel free to call our department at 719-531-6333, x1253 and we can get you started.
Regards,
Tim Morris
Jackie Cornwell replied on Permalink
1907 W Pikes Peak Ave
I am interested in the name of the bank and owner in 2014.
Mary Clow replied on Permalink
History of home
Searching for history on my home at 19 North Prospect St. I think the home was built in 1894.
Any information is greatly appreciated!
brett lobello replied on Permalink
Hi Mary- We have a number of
Hi Mary- We have a number of resources that can help you research the history of your home. Our staff would happy to speak with you over the phone or meet with you in person. Feel free calling our team at 719-531-6333, x1253. We will be glad to help you get started discovering the history of your home! Thank you, brett
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