{"id":5469,"date":"2017-09-28T19:06:58","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T19:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rootdig.genealogytipoftheday.com\/?p=5469"},"modified":"2017-09-28T19:09:08","modified_gmt":"2017-09-28T19:09:08","slug":"a-prairie-farmer-directory-is-coming-my-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rootdig.genealogytipoftheday.com\/?p=5469","title":{"rendered":"A Prairie Farmer Directory is Coming My Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Those of us with rural ancestors don’t have regular, annual directories like those often used by urban researchers. Generally speaking that was because “everyone knew where everyone lived anyway” and the publication of such directories in rural areas was not worth the expense. Most of the time we are lucky if there are a directories for a handful of years. That’s why directories like this one from Hancock County, Illinois, are so important. Printed in 1918 by\u00a0Prairie Farmer<\/em> magazine, it gives more than just names and addresses. It lists other members in the household, whether the farm was owned or rented (including landlord), and the size of the property.<\/p>\n

The image used to illustrate this post is for a copy of the 1918\u00a0Prairie Farmer’s “<\/em>Reliable Directory of Farmers and Breeders: Hancock County, Illinois,” which I recently purchased on\u00a0on\u00a0Ebay<\/a>. Other than Adams County, Illinois, it is the only county where I have any ancestors living in 1918. As a quick exercise, I made a list of who should be listed in the directory:<\/p>\n