Business Directories: What Can They Tell Us?

In blog posts one and two, we described business directories and the methods we used to incorporate them into the historic spatial data infrastructure which enables the Keweenaw Time Traveler’s Explore app. In this post, we want to focus on the recently-added 1917 Houghton County business directory and demonstrate ways we use it for outreach and research. Specifically:

• What separates business directories from city directories?
• How can we use business directory listings to delve into Copper Country history?
• How can you access the business directory?

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​What separates business directories from city directories?
 
Business directories were not separate documents from city directories. The business directories were a sub-section of the larger city directory. In the Polk & Co. County Directory for 1917, city directories containing personal listings appear first, the business directory is second, and a farmer directory is third.
 
Many of our older Citizen Historians are familiar with phonebooks; our younger Citizen Historians possibly not. This same arrangement was used through the twentieth century in phonebooks. In phonebooks, residential information was listed at the front of the book in the white pages with businesses listed in the yellow pages and government offices listed in the blue pages. Yes, the pages were actually white, yellow, and blue enabling people to quickly navigate hundreds of pages. If you were looking for a mechanic, you might check in the category for “Automobile-Auto Repair.” We might also see category listings for "Mechanics" as their skills were not confined to automobiles.
 
Here’s an example of a business directory listing from the Keweenaw Time Traveler:

The Keweenaw Time Traveler listing for 211 5th in the Village of Calumet. Notice the 13 "Places" listed from the Business Directory.

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 In the example above, Ruppe P & Sons ran a department store in the Village of Calumet in 1917. During this period, small businesses specializing in a single industry still existed. Women might go to a milliner to obtain a hat and then take their children to a confectioner for something sweet. Because Ruppe P & Sons sold many kinds of goods, they needed to advertise in multiple categories including:

• Boots and Shoes
• Carpets and Rugs
• Carpets, Oil Cloths, Etc.
• Cloaks and Suits
• Clothing
• Crockery and Glassware
• Dry Goods
• Furniture Dealers
• General Stores
• Hats, Caps, and Furs
• Ladies Furnishing Goods
• Mens Furnishings
• Shoes

This number of categories might seem excessive, but business owners wanted to insure potential customers knew what they offered. For our younger Citizen Historians, it is easy to place this into context when thinking about internet searches. How often do you have to rethink search terms to find the correct websites? Sometimes, it will require 3 or 4 unique searches to find the best categories. This same search process existed when using directories.

Polk directories were printed bi-annually and could not be edited until a newer directory was developed two years later. This made listing in multiple categories both a necessity and a careful strategy for business owners. For younger Citizen Historians, imagine your favorite shop. Now, think about the different services they offer. What categories would they need to advertise within to make potential customers aware of all the services they offer?

How can we use business directory listings to delve into Copper Country history?
 
During our Copper TRACES programming, we use business directories and maps. We refer to ourselves and our fourth graders as detectives. We use these archival materials in ways they were never intended to be used, and we guide our Junior Detectives as they uncover historical clues.

The business directories are one of our clues, allowing us to better understand what took place within a building's walls. Sanborn fire insurance plans provide a great deal of information about our historic cities, but they cannot list every activity housed in a building. Business directories can help flesh out the story.

If we examine 111 5th, the Sanborn map lists it as a 3-story brick building whose main use is for music.

Is it for performance? Is it for teaching music? Is it selling musical instruments?

In a 3 story building, what are the other 2 stories used for?

Using the geolocated business directories, we can identify some of the building's other uses: 

• Berge and Fowler were music teachers
• William Fisher was listed as a Justice of the Peace and a Notary Public
• The Hermann Bros. sold "Talking Machines," music and musical merchandise, and pianos and organs
• Metropolitan Life Insurance Company of New York had an agent selling life insurance
• Nicholas Swykert was a dentist

Using this single building, we can generate several questions.

1. Without additional historical records, such as the United States Census, do we know if a relationship existed between Berge and Fowler? Were they related, or were they just business partners? Do you think Adelaide Fowler would have been mentioned if she did not practice a profession?
2. Pianos and organs are listed in addition to music and musical instruments. Do you think pianos maybe served as status symbols?
3. Were pianos shipped to the Hermann Bros., or were they made locally? If you feel they were shipped, where did they likely shop from, and how were the pianos transported? How do you think you would go about researching this question?
4. Who do you think purchased life insurance through Metropolitan Life? Do you think the mine workers purchased the insurance? How much do you think life insurance premiums cost in 1917?
5. Two blocks away, McLogan & Pearce Music Co also sold pianos and organs. When we see multiple businesses selling confections and fruit, pianos and organs, and jewelry, what does that tell you about the economic status of Calumet in 1917?

Notice the format of the businesses listed in the Piano and Organs category. The bold text and capitalization captures the viewer's attention. Businesses paid extra for this advertising with the anticipation of customers selecting them over competitors. Courtesy of Michigan Tech Archives.

Can our junior detectives answer all of these questions with the information available?

No, they cannot. The goal is to teach them how to get inspired by mapped archival records and develop questions we previously did not think to ask.

How can you access the business directory?

The 1917 Polk & Co. Houghton County Directory is already incorporated within the Keweenaw Time Traveler. When you select a building on the map, it will be outlined in red.

Once a building is highlighted on the map, the left-hand panel of the Keweenaw Time Traveler will display the associated record.

The address appears at the top of the information panel. The detailed information about the building is organized by tabs. Business directory information is listed under the Places tab.

As a reminder, one building may have several entries under Places. The example to the left only has one although earlier examples, such as Ruppe P and Son had 13, as indicated in parentheses.

For buildings with multiple entries, the important thing to remember is that they are not duplicates. Each entry comes from a different category in the business directory and can be selected individually to see all of the records. You can confirm the category by viewing Details and the Source as Business Directory 1917.

The Time Traveler Team hopes this three-post series discussing what city and business directories are, their preparation for inclusion in the Time Traveler, and their role in developing research helps inspire you to ask your own questions.