Before the age of telephone books, a number of companies would print a city directory for an area, with listings of businesses and residents supported by advertising. Here's something of a list of those volumes available online.

• 1860: Loomis and Talbott's Ann Arbor City Directory and Business Mirror
• 1872: Cole and Keating's Ann Arbor Directory 1872
• 1878: Pray's Washtenaw County Directory for 1878-'79
• 1894: Glen V. Mills directory
• 1917: Polk's Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County directory