Henderson's Edmonton Directory 1908 cover

The Henderson's Directories are historical city directories of households and businesses in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

, published starting around 1880. The geographical focus was on

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Win ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, and

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North ...

; but coverage also included some cities in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

and

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. Coverage varied depending on location and year. Titles also varied greatly: examples include ''Henderson's Manitoba and Northwest Territories gazetteer and directory'', ''Henderson's Directories of Western Canada'', ''Henderson's Edmonton city directory'', and many others. The publication was intended to be annual, but publication frequency often varied.

Background

The directories were published by Winnipeg-based Henderson Directories Limited, founded by James Henderson (ca. 1846-1919), whose obituary refers to him as "one of the best known publishers on the continent." At the time, many other directories publishers were operating in Canada, covering different geographical areas. Agents of Henderson Directories Limited would go door-to-door, gathering information from residents and businesses. Inclusion was not mandatory, and individuals or business could request to be excluded. These agents would record the names of residents, their professions, as well as business and residential addresses.

The directories generally included: * Business

advertisements Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

, some with images. * City information: e.g. key statistics; governance structure; city departments and facilities as well as local clubs, associations & churches with the names of officials and board members, local

Chambers of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ...

information. * Province information: similar to city information - statistics, governance, key contacts, etc * Alphabetical homeowner and business directory: Name, address, occupation, telephone when applicable * Classified business directory organized by type of business * Street and Avenue Guide (in later editions): Street address, Occupant or home owner, telephone if applicable .

Modern use

Henderson's Directories can be used for many different types of historical research. They present a rich primary source for demographic information, illustrating patterns of settlement across urban areas in Western Canada.

Advertisements Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

can be used as visual illustrations of consumer and social trends. They can be used to trace the history of the cities'

urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water ...

around infrastructure and

public works Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, ...

. Because they include the names and professions of individuals, they are also useful for

genealogists Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

and local historians. Several

public libraries A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundament ...

and

family history Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinsh ...

networks have include Henderson's Directories on their list of recommended sources.{{Cite web, title=CanGenealogy – Alberta Directory Genealogy Sources, url=https://www.cangenealogy.com/alberta-directories.html, access-date=2021-03-13, website=www.cangenealogy.com Casual users may find the directory useful for finding out the history of their homes.

References

External Links

Full-text directories on Internet Archive

Directories

Background

Contents

Modern use

References

External Links