How to search the Williams' Dayton (OH) city directory by address

Tim6549

I own a 130+ year old home in a historic district in Dayton, OH. Through a simple google search I was able to find in the mid-1890s three sisters lived there as teachers for the city of Dayton. With their names I was able to use "Family Search" to find throught the Williams Dayton City Directory. That there were at one time 6 Baldwin family members a husband and wife, three daughters who were teachers and a son who died around 1 year of age (the husband died shortly after moving into the home). As best as I can tell the Baldwins lived there for about 5 years leaving shortly after the turn of the century (1900). I was wondering if there is a way to search this Williams directory by address so I can see who moved in after the Baldwins moved out?

GFre

Hi @Tim6549.

I don't believe there is currently a way to search the directories by address on FamilySearch. However, this home and property research guide from the county might help you get your answer:https://www.mcohio.org/945/Home-Property-Research-Guide

Tim6549

I know this site well but its record for this property only goes back to 1993. I am trying to look around 100 years earlier.

GFre

One other thing to try would be using census records. If the sisters lived there in 1900, then you may be able to find them on the 1900 census. Take note of their neighbors' names and other information. Then, by searching for a neighbor on the following census, you may be able to piece together who lived there after them and so on. The address and/or house number is usually written in the leftmost column to make sure you are on the right street/house. It may be the neighbor moved as well, so you might have to try a few different ones.

Tim6549

That is a very indirect route but may be worthwhile trying

GFre

According to a blog from 2011, from 1914 on you can search by address:

"In the case of Dayton city directories, the earliest year you can search by address is 1914. These listings are in the back of the directory, with street names listed alphabetically."

So you'd just need to fill in the gap from 1900 to 1914. The 1910 census may be able to do that.

Here's the 1914 directory, just navigate towards the back: https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/film/008719375?cat=628249&i=0

Here's the page of the other directories: https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/catalog/628249

Tim6549

GFre. I appreciate all of your thought and effort on this matter. I have actually been to Wright State University where the data is stored on microfilm. Someone (maybe at FamilySearch) has scanned this pictures and created PDFs. If I could get access to the PDF files, I and search those or better I can use an AI agent to create a Power BI dashboard that would allow me to search on all different attributes including occupation, address, etc. I have been thinking about approaching Wright States Computer Science dept. to see if I could get them to, as part of a capstone course, do this work translate the microfilm to PDF and then create an AI agent and subsequent PowerBI dashboard to make a searchable database.

Mark McKenzie_1

@Tim6549 If you can provide some specifics, there is a chance that Full Text Search may have captured some related info. FamilySearch has done quite a bit of processing on these types of secondary sources