Metairie City Directory Shelf Map
Metairie historical directories are spread across library discovery tools, regional archive reels, licensed databases, and society collections. The table distinguishes online discovery from actual access. An online catalog record may still lead to microfilm, a library-card database, an appointment, or a paid copy request.
| Collection | Years | Where Held | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metairie-bearing regional runs | 1938-1960, with gaps | New Orleans City Archives and Gale reel index | Microfilm, licensed database, appointment, copy request |
| New Orleans Suburban, R.L. Polk | Begins 1955; indexed runs through 1959 | City Archives regional collection | Reels, in-person research, Ask Archivist |
| Haines CrissCross and residential phone books | CrissCross begins 1966; phone runs described through 2017 | City Archives | Street-order research; missing years apply |
| Local genealogy and newspapers | Collection-specific | East Bank Regional Special Collections | Catalog, library card, microfilm, reference desk |
The City Archives notes no directories for 1862 through 1865, partial availability for 1811 through 1860, and missing years in later print holdings. Those broad New Orleans gaps matter, but the Metairie-bearing reels begin much later. A missing volume, reel, or database result does not prove a person was absent.
Metairie Directory Research at JPL
The East Bank Regional Library at 4747 West Napoleon Avenue is the main local research room. Special Collections on the second floor brings together genealogy, Louisiana history, public documents, microfilm readers, computers, and a copier. The building’s published schedule is Sunday noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check current hours before traveling.
The library genealogy discovery page searches subjects, surnames, collections, newspapers, and local institutions.
The discovery screen is not a single name index. A librarian can identify microfilm and reference indexes that the public search does not surface. Phone access at (504) 838-1190 is useful for collection-level questions before a visit.
Metairie Directory Reel Years
The authoritative Gale directory reel index places Metairie inside several regional titles. New Orleans runs name Metairie in 1938, 1940, 1942, 1949, 1952/53, 1954/55 through 1956, 1958, and 1960. The 1942-1945/46 listing notes missing 1943 and 1944. Some years occupy more than one reel.
R.L. Polk’s New Orleans Suburban series began in 1955. Its first reel includes Metairie alongside Airline Park, Bonnabel Place, East Bank, Pontchartrain Gardens, and other area names. The indexed 1955-1957 run lacks 1956, while the 1957-1959 run lacks 1958. Search the regional title and area label, not just “Metairie.”
| 1938 | New Orleans regional entries include Gretna and Metairie. |
|---|---|
| 1942-1945/46 | Gretna and Metairie run, with 1943 and 1944 missing. |
| 1955 | First separately identified New Orleans Suburban Polk run. |
| 1966 | Haines & Company CrissCross series begins. |
Read a Metairie Directory Entry
A city directory compresses several facts into one line. Read the volume’s key before expanding any mark. An entry can distinguish a home from a work address, name a spouse, note widowhood, or supply a trade, yet it does not establish title ownership. Preserve the exact printed text, page, year, title, and area label before interpreting it.
| Name | The listed person; a spouse may appear in parentheses. |
|---|---|
| Work | An occupation, role, or business may follow the name. |
| Address | A house number and street, sometimes distinct from the work site. |
| Residence mark | “h” or “r” can mark home or residence, depending on that volume’s key. |
| Relationship note | “wid” identifies a widow and usually names the deceased spouse. |
- Criss-cross directory
- A later address directory arranged by street and house number, useful when the name is unknown.
- Householder index
- A name or address list centered on the person identified with a household, not a full roster of occupants.
- Abbreviation key
- The volume’s own legend for compact marks. Save it with every copied entry because meanings can vary.
The City Archives example “r2745 Toulouse” means residence at that address, not ownership. Pair it with an assessor card or deed before calling the person an owner.
Order Metairie Directory Copies
Outside-New-Orleans addresses may require an archive visit or Ask Archivist appointment. The City Archives copy-request form asks for the year and a name or business; address searches are allowed after 1938. The researched price was $2 per name or business plus one page and $2 for each added page. Verify the current charge before ordering.
Appointment service is listed Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 219 Loyola Avenue in New Orleans, with (504) 596-2610 as the contact number. In person, start with the title and reel from the index. By phone or form, give the exact year, spelling, address variant, and Metairie or suburban area label. A focused request is more useful than asking staff to compile a person dossier.
Note: Library-card databases and archive reels have different access rules, so confirm whether the desired Metairie year is online, licensed, or in person.
Metairie Collections Beyond Directories
The Jefferson Historical Society Virtual Archives supplies context around historical directory entries. Its collection links include the Jefferson Parish Yearly Review, WPA Historical Records Survey, 1927 School Census, Parish Court Minutes, and Treasurer’s Book.
The Yearly Review spans 1935 through 1981 and documents the parish’s shift from rural communities through industrial growth and suburbanization. Subject indexes are available except for 1935. These volumes can explain a subdivision, school, road, civic group, or public project found beside a Metairie directory entry.
Metairie’s WPA Records Gap
The WPA Historical Records Survey is a 15-volume inventory of Jefferson Parish records as they stood in 1939, paired with 13 volumes transcribing Police Jury minutes from 1834 through 1938. It records older Left Bank and Right Bank entities rather than today’s Metairie labels.
Some Left Bank material and consolidated Volume 2 are lost. That gap should stay visible in a research log. The surviving inventory, minutes, Yearly Review, Clerk records, and newspapers may overlap, but none should be used to invent continuity where a volume is missing.
Confirm Metairie Directory Names in News
Jefferson Parish Library links historical and current Times-Picayune files through newspaper services, while the Louisiana Newspaper Project’s chronological index identifies Jefferson Parish Times of Metairie from 1944 through 1981. Some newspaper images require a library card. Others must be read on microfilm.
An obituary or community notice can connect a listed name to relatives, a church, funeral home, school, or former address. It remains an authored account. Record the newspaper title, issue date, page, and exact wording, then corroborate it with the city directory, a vital record, a deed, or a court file. The Jefferson Parish Genealogical Society can help identify cemetery, church, and archive routes, but it is not a resident database.
Trace Family Through Metairie Directories
City directories fill the years between federal censuses and can reveal a move, spelling change, spouse notation, or new trade. Begin with one well-supported entry and move one publication at a time. Preserve negative searches as gaps, not findings of absence.
- Find the earliest known name entry, then save its title, year, page, area label, address, and abbreviations.
- Move forward and backward through available years. Track spelling, spouse, work, and address changes without filling missing editions.
- Check the criss-cross section by street number. It can reveal how the address was indexed and who appeared nearby.
- Pair the 1940 or 1950 directory neighborhood with the matching released federal census. Use the National Archives’ 72-year rule for availability.
- Close the trail with a dated newspaper, obituary, deed, court, church, cemetery, or vital-record source when access rules permit.
Disappearance can mean a move, death, unlisted household, omitted area, or missing publication. It is not a conclusion by itself. For current address-keyed property evidence, switch to the Metairie street directory workflow rather than stretching an old volume beyond its date.