1882 CITY Directory/PUTNAM CT List of RESIDENTS with ILLUSTRATED Ads--VERY RARE!

Description

Directory (just under 4 ½” by 6 ½”) for Putnam, Connecticut, published by L.M. French & Co. and printed by James Pickup of Spencer, Massachusetts, copyright 1882. The small booklet, entitled The Putnam Directory has 54 pages wrapped in a salmon colored cardstock cover. Every page on the left has advertising on them, many illustrated. The first fifteen pages (the half without advertising) give a Sketch of the Town, lists off the Town Officers, gives information on the Fire Department’s companies, and thenlists off the Churches, Associations, and secret societies in the town, followed by a brief section on the Putnam Post-Office. The remaining pages are a directory of households located in Putnam, including the village and street where they were located and the name of the head of household. The ads are really great and include many businesses in Putnam but also in neighboring towns. There are also ads for larger businesses and factories in nearby Worcester, Massachusetts. I did some searching on the internet but could find no reference to this publication—none, not even a bibliographical reference. Located in Windham County in northeastern Connecticut, the town of Putnam was a thriving industrial community by 1880 and had a populaton of over 5,000 residents. This rare directory is in very good condition with only minor wear and soiling. There is just a bit of minor bumping at the corners, notably at the bottom of the spine. It is complete and the contents clean with only a few minor stains inside. A great early eastern Connecticut directory!