SJLibrary.org, a collaboration of San Jose State University and San Jose Public Library system.

San José City Directories 1870-1979

The City Directory lists the names of individuals living in San José along with their place of residence and occupation. Beginning with the 1911 edition, names of spouses and children over 18 were also included. In 1913, a street index was added to the City Directory. This is the feature which will be most helpful to persons researching their house since it allows the searcher to look up a specific address and find who was living there.

Some points to remember when using the San José City Directories:

• The individual or property must have been located within the San José City Limits at the time the directory was issued. Large parts of present-day San José will not be included in the early City Directories.
   
• Street names can change. For example, in 1913: Whitney became 12th Street, 12th Street became 13th Street, Priest became 14th Street, 13th Street became 15th Street, Crittenden became 16th Street, and 14th Street became 17th Street.
  Also, street numbers can change as well.
   
• Important note: Hard copy City Directories may not be photocopied or scanned. For more details, please read our Photocopying Restrictions.