US City Directories 1821-1989 Beta test - ancestry

[kiterunner]

Most of these directories were already on ancestry, but the Beta test search facility is supposed to be better than the old one. Although it doesn't seem to work if you specify a state and / or city name (but you can put it in the keyword field instead and that will work!). Worth having a play with if you have a world sub and some American rellies!

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=2469

I am absolutely astounded by the number of records it states are in this database - 1,051,103,065. Yes, over 1 billion!

[kiterunner]

Wow, I've just found my 3xg-grandmother in Tacoma, Washington, in 1895! I only had a record of her arriving in the US in 1882 up to now and had no clue which state to look for her death in (as the 1890 census was destroyed and she seems to have died before the 1900.) It's definitely her as it says "widow of Joseph" and she was living with one of her sons, Alois, which is a relatively rare name, thank goodness.