Town directories, about one per decade. For more, stop at the History Center.
1888 “Hanks’ Manchester Directory” 140-page reference book, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Note that abbreviations are listed on page 33 of the directory, which you can directly access by clicking here (on the right side of the display).
1907 Annual Report of Manchester, 84-page booklet with financial listings: town expenses, income; school attendance, progress on road constructions, etc.
1913 Manchester Directory, with this introduction: “The HERALD PRINTING COMPANY, now for the first time publisher of the Manchester Directory, presents this issue with apologies, made necessary by its inexperience at this kind of work. We bought the copyright last year from Arthur E. Bowers, who established the Directory, subletting it to various college students from year to year. The actual work of printing the book has heretofore been done in Meriden.” Takes a moment to download.
1915 Manchester Directory. 232 pages, published by the Herald Printing Company, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Note the Publisher’s Announcement on page 3, explaining that the preparation of this directory was “…complicated by the fact that during the past year the streets of Manchester have been renumbered. Hence not one of the entries of the 1914 edition could pass over unchanged into the 1915 directory.”
1917 Manchester Directory. 126 pages, published by the Herald Printing Company, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download.
1917 Manchester Directory – Comments and Reminiscences.
1922 Manchester Directory. 362-page reference book, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Thanks to Doris Burns for lending it, and to Bob Gauthier for scanning.
1927 Manchester Directory. 464-page reference book, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.
1934 Manchester Directory. 418-page search-able reference book published by Price & Lee, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website. <
1946 Manchester Directory. 716-page search-able reference book, published by Price and Lee, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.
Manchester Annual Report 1966-1967. 48-page booklet with photos and listings of prior year’s activities, departments, town officials, expenditures, etc. Special feature: comparisons with 1927, for example, on page 28, “In 1926-27, the Town did not operate any public water supply system or any sanitary sewer system. It was not until a half a decade later that water and sewer systems were purchased from Cheney Brothers.” Thanks to Bob Hetzel for donating and to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.
1966 Manchester Directory. 1072-page search-able reference book, published by Price and Lee, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.
1969 Chamber of Commerce Booklet. 60-page booklet about Manchester with text, photos, and advertisements. Thanks to Bob Hetzel for this publication, and to Susan Barlow for scanning it.
1973 Sesquicentennial Booklet. 150th anniversary celebration booklet with history, commentary, photos, ads, and in the center of the book a list of the metal plaques placed at historic buildings and properties during Manchester’s sesquicentennial celebration. Thanks to Vivian Ferguson for this little treasure and thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.
1975 Manchester Directory. 647-page search-able reference book, published by Price and Lee, listing businesses and residents and containing advertisements. Takes a moment to download. Thanks to Bob Gauthier for scanning for the website.
