Kent County, Michigan Online Historical Directories

Expand your research by checking out the Michigan Online Historical Newspapers here.

Links to directories at Ancestry are to the images themselves, which are browsable. Non-subscribers will not be able to view these. Non-subscribers can, however, use the search engine and see a listing of possible results (but no images or further details). To search by name, directory, year, or keyword, go to Ancestry's U.S. City Directories search engine

. For more information on how to access subscription websites, read Number 5 on my FAQs page.

In order to view directories at Historic Map Works, you must register (for free). This will give you 10 free credits allowing you to view 10 directories on the site. After you have used your 10 credits, you may either purchase more in increments of $10.00 each (each credit is worth 10 cents), or by purchasing a monthly subscription of $29.95 or a yearly one of $249.95. More info on rates is available here, and a list of available directories is here (viewable once you've registered).

1850s - 1860s

Grand Rapids Business Directory, Robinson, 1856 - Free (USGenWeb)

- transcribed

Grand Rapids City Directory, Williams, 1859-60 - Free (Google Books)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Williams, 1859-60 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Williams, 1859-60 - Free (USGenWeb)

- transcribed portion of business directory section only

Grand Rapids City Directory, French & Ryan, 1865

- $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, French & Ryan, 1865 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Holland, 1867-8

- $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Dudley & Goldsmith, 1868-9 - Free (Google Books)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Dudley & Goldsmith, 1868-9 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

1870s

Grand Rapids City Directory, Dillenback, 1870-1

- $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (FamilySearch Books)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Google Books)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

- another copy

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

- a third copy

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

- a fourth copy

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

- a fifth copy

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

- a sixth copy

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

- a seventh copy

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Internet Archive)

- another copy

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Internet Archive)

- a third copy

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Internet Archive)

- a fourth copy

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Making of America)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (Michigan County Histories)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Dillenback & Leavitt, 1870 - Free (USGenWeb)

- transcribed

Grand Rapids Business Directory, unknown, 1872 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Godfrey/Dillenback, 1872-3

- $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Godfrey/Dillenback, 1872-3 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Burch, Polk, & Co., 1873-4 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Burch, Polk, & Co., 1873-4 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, Murphy, & Co., 1874-5 - $ (Ancestry)

- includes business directories for Cedar Springs, Sand Lake, Rockford, and Sparta

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, Murphy, & Co., 1874-5 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

- includes business directories for Cedar Springs, Sand Lake, Rockford, and Sparta

Grand Rapids City Directory, Murphy & Co., 1875-6 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Murphy & Co., 1875-6 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Murphy & Co., 1876-7 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Murphy & Co., 1876-7 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Kent County Atlas, Beldin, 1876 - $ (Ancestry)

- contains images of township maps with landowners' names

- contains patrons directory in the back

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1877-8 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1878-9 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1879-80 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1879-80 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

1880s

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1880-1 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1880-1 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1881-2 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1881-2 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Polk, 1882-3 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1883-4 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1883-4 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Polk, 1884-5 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1885-6 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Polk, 1886-7 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Polk, 1886-7 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Polk, 1886-7 - Free (USGenWeb)

- transcription of churches, newspapers, public halls and buildings, school districts, miscellaneous societies, and benevolent and secret societies ONLY

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1887 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Polk, 1888 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1889 - $ (Ancestry)

- searchable database only; no images

- part of the 1890 Census Substitute Collection

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1889 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1889 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

1890s

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1890 - $ (Ancestry)

- searchable database only; no images

- part of the 1890 Census Substitute Collection

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1890 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1891 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1891 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Kolts, 1891-2 - Free (Internet Archive)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1892 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1893 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1894 - $ (Ancestry)

Kent County Historical Atlas, Polk, 1894 - $ (Ancestry)

- contains images of township maps with landowners' names

Kent County Historical Atlas, Polk, 1894 - $ (Ancestry)

- contains images of township maps with landowners' names

- another database

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1895 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1895 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Polk, 1896 - $ (Ancestry)

Kent County Business and Professional Directory, Union, 1896 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1897 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Polk, 1898 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City and Kent County Directory, Polk, 1898 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1899 - $ (Ancestry)

1900s

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1900 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1901 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1902 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1902 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1903 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1903 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

- vol. 1 of 2

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1904 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1905 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1906 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1907 - $ (Ancestry)

Kent County Atlas, Ogle, 1907 - $ (Ancestry)

- contains images of township maps with landowners' names

- contains patrons directory in the back

Kent County Atlas, Ogle, 1907 - $ (Ancestry)

- contains images of township maps with landowners' names

- contains patrons directory in the back

- another version, in color

- use the filmstrip view at the bottom of the image to scroll through the pages, as each page has been added as an individual collection, rather than the complete book

Kent County Atlas, Ogle, 1907 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

- contains images of township maps with landowners' names

- contains patrons directory in the back

Kent County Atlas, Ogle, 1907 - Free (Internet Archive)

- contains images of township maps with landowners' names

- contains patrons directory in the back

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1908 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1909 - $ (Ancestry)

1910s

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1910 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1911 - $ (Ancestry)

Grand Rapids City Directory, Polk, 1911 - Free (Hathi Trust Digital Library)