City Directories

City Directories are address (and later telephone) books, which often include a reverse-lookup feature that allows the user to look up an address and see the inhabitant's name. Modern versions are often called "criss-cross directories" for this reason.

In Cincinnati, the major city directory for the early 20th century was Williams'. The Public Library has digitized directories dating between 1819 and 1941 and they are available to the public online (as pdfs only, not a searchable database).  See  http://virtuallibrary.cincinnatilibrary.org/virtuallibrary/vl_citydir.aspx The remainder of the collection is in print at the Genealogy and Local History department in the Main Library.

So, who has lived at our address over the years?

For the early years, the Williams' directory did not include the reverse lookup feature. I thus worked backwards from the earliest inhabitant I found in a reverse-lookup directory in the 1920s.

1915: Alfred S. Berghausen, a chemist, and later president of the E. Berghausen Chemical Company. (In 1914, Berghausen lived on Terrace Ave.) [Note that the Hamilton County auditor believes our house was built in 1920 - I hope an exploration of the deeds at some point can clarify this discrepancy.]
1916: Alfred Berghausen.
1917: Alfred Berghausen.
1918: Alfred Berghausen.
1919: Alfred Berghausen.

1920: Alfred Berghausen.
1921: Alfred Berghausen.
1922: Alfred Berghausen.
1923: Alfred Berghausen.
1924: Alfred Berghausen.
1925: Alfred Berghausen.
1926-27: Alfred Berghausen.
1927-28: Alfred Berghausen.
1928-29: Alfred Berghausen.
1929-30: Edward J. Beiser, a clerk at First National Bank, and Elizabeth Beiser, widow of Julius, are both listed as living at the address.

1930-31: Edward and Elizabeth Beiser.
1931-32: Edward and Elizabeth Beiser.
1932-33: Edward and Elizabeth Beiser.
1933-34: Edward and Elizabeth Beiser.
1935: Edward and Elizabeth Beiser.
1936-37: Edward and Elizabeth Beiser.
1938: Edward, wife Charlotte E., and Elizabeth Beiser.
1939: 'Edwin J.' [sic], wife Charlotte, Julius E., a clerk, Thomas, a student, and Elizabeth Beiser all are listed.
1940: Edward J., wife Lottie, Julius E., a clerk, Thomas, a driver, and Elizabeth Beiser are all listed.

1941: Only Elizabeth Beiser lives at the address; the other people previously listed now live on Probasco, as does the newly listed Charlotte E., a student.
1942: Elizabeth Beiser.
1943: Elizabeth Beiser.
1944: Elizabeth Beiser.
1945: Jas. L. Patterson, owned the house, "genl agt", wife Clara M.
1946: Jas. L. Patterson.
1947: Jas. L. Patterson.
1948: Jas. L. Patterson.
1949: Jas. L. Patterson.

1951: Jas. L. Patterson.
1953-54: Jas. L Patterson.
1955: Jas. L. Patterson.
1956: Jas. L. Patterson.
1958: Jas. L. Patterson.
1959: Wolfgang G. Roeseler, owned the house, "prin assoc Ladislas Segoe & Assoc", wife Eva M.

1960: Wolfgang G. Roeseler.
1961: Wolfgang G. Roeseler
1962: Wolfgang G. Roeseler
1963: Wolfgang G. Roeseler
1964: Wolfgang G. Roeseler
1965: The S. family is first listed at our address. Mr. S. was a foreman at Kroger's.  The S family lived in the house for 50 years, raising three sons, and we purchased it from Mrs. S. in March 2015.