On January 1, 1898, New York City absorbed East Bronx, Brooklyn, western Queens County, and Staten Island (). For Brooklyn directories that are combined with Manhattan – before and after being incorporated with New York City – see New York City directories.
Brooklyn in the middle 19th century was a commercial rival of New York City.
Timeline, highlights, and creators 1822:Alden Spooner (1783–1848), in 1822, published the first full Brooklyn city directory. One of Spooner's granddaughters, Caroline Augusta Huling (1856–1941), was a notable journalist, philanthropist, editor, publisher, and reformer. Also, Alden Spooner → ascending line: Judah Paddock Spooner (1748–1807), Thomas Spooner (1718–1767), John Spooner (1668–1728), John Spooner (1648–1734), William Spooner (1621–1683) — was a second cousin twice removed of Joshua Spooner (1745–1778) → ascending line: John Spooner (1696–1763), Ebenzer Spooner (1666–1717), William Spooner (1621–1683) — a wealthy farmer and husband of Bathsheba Spooner ( Bathsheba Ruggles; 1746–1778), the first woman to be executed in the United States following the Declaration of Independence.1859:The printing firm Wynkoop, Hallenbeck & Thomas was founded in 1859 as a co-partnership of (i) Matthew Bennett Wynkoop (1830–1895), (ii) John Johnson Hallenbeck (1817–1891), and (iii) John Thomas. Wynkoop managed the finances. Thomas retired in 1864 and Wynkoop and Hallenbeck, between themselves, resumed a co-partnership, Wynkoop & Hallenbeck. Wynkoop and Hallenbeck were members of the Typothetae of New York, a master printers union. Wynkoop was a 2nd great grand nephew of Benjamin Wynkoop (1673–1751), early American silversmith of New York City.1873:Frederick William Beers (1839–1933), the cartographer who supervised the work of Atlas of Long Island, was one of several Beers family publishers who, after the Civil War, published state and county atlases. Frederick's father, James Botsford Beers (1811–1901), and uncle, Daniel Glover Beers (1841–1913), had their own publishing companies. Distinctive features of the Atlas of Long Island include notations of property owners, buildings, businesses, and statistical information.1883:The Brooklyn Bridge opened May 24, 1883, spanning the East River between Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. It was the first bridge that connected Brooklyn to Manhattan – in a neighborhood that eventually became known as Two Bridges.1909:The Manhattan Bridge opened December 31, 1909, spanning the East River between Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. It is the second bridge that belongs to the neighborhood name, "Two Bridges".
Brooklyn (Kings County) directories The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) has put Brooklyn City Directories online on a collection on the internet archive (from 1822 onward with some years missing). See also the table below. Year Title Printer Compiler(s) GoogleBooks HathiTrust InternetArchive Other 1796 John Buel (1768–1800)John Bull(printers)Re-published byJohn Disturnell (1801–1877) John Low 1822Spooner's Brooklyn Directory for the year 1822.Alden Spooner (1783–1848)(publisher)Internet Archive (Brooklyn Public Library [BPL] microfiche scan) 1823 Spooner's Brooklyn Directory, for the Year 1823. Alden Spooner (publisher) Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan) 1824Spooner's Brooklyn Directory, for 1824Alden Spooner (publisher)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1825Spooner's Brooklyn Directory, for 1825Alden Spooner (publisher)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1826Spooner's Brooklyn Directory, for 1826 Alden Spooner (publisher)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1827No directory published 1828No directory published 1829Spooner's Brooklyn Directory, for 1829Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1830Brooklyn Directory, for the year 1830Alden Spooner (Printer)By Lewis Nichols [compiler?]Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1831-1832Brooklyn Directory for 1831-32Alden Spooner (Printer)By Lewis Nichols [compiler?]Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1832-1833Brooklyn Directory for 1832-33.William Bigelow (publisher) A. Spooner (printer)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1833-1834Brooklyn Directory for 1833-34Nichols and Dalaree (Publisher) Lewis Nichols (Printer)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan) 1833–1834 Brooklyn Daily Eagle(publisher)(1934 re-print) (courtesy )1834-18351835-1836Brooklyn Directory, for 1835-36.Lewis Nichols (publisher) Lewis Nichols (printer)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1836-1837Brooklyn Directory, for the Years 1836-37.A. Spooner & Sons (printer)By Lewis Nichols [compiler?]Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1837-1838Brooklyn Directory, for the Years 1837-38.A. Spooner & Sons (printer)By Lewis Nichols [compiler?]Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1838-1839Brooklyn Directory, for the Years 1838-39.A. G. Stevens & Wm. H. Marschalk (publisher) Arnold & Van Anden (printer) Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan) 1839-1840 Henry Lot Ogden (1800–1888)(publisher)Arnold & Van Anden(Samuel G. Arnold; 1806–1891)(Isaac Van Anden; 1812–1875)(printer) Henry Lot Ogden(compiler) Harvard Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan) 1840-1841Brooklyn Directory and Yearly Advertiser, for 1840-1.Stationers' Hall WorksThomas Leslie & John W. Leslie, & William F. Chichester (compiler)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1841-1842Brooklyn Alphabetical and Street Directory and Yearly Advertiser, for 1841-2.Thomas Leslie & John W. Leslie(publisher)Thomas Leslie & John W. Leslie (compiler)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1842-1843Brooklyn Directory for 1842 & 3.Internet Archive (Yale) 1843-1844 Thomas LeslieHenry R. HearneWilliam J. Hearne(co-publisher)Stationers' Hall Works(co-publisher) Thomas LeslieHenry R. HearneWilliam J. Hearne(compiler) HathiTrust 1844-1845Henry R. HearneWilliam J. Hearne Edwin Von Nostrand(publisher)Stationers' Hall WorksHenry R. HearneWilliam J. Hearne Edwin Von Nostrand (compiler)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1845-1846Brooklyn City Directory for 1845 and 1846.Silas H. Crowell (publisher) Douglas (printer)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1845-1846Brooklyn Alphabetical & Street Directory, and Yearly Advertiser for 1845 & 6.Henry R. Hearne William J. Hearne (publisher) Stationers' Hall WorksHenry R. HearneWilliam J. Hearne (compiler)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1846-1847Brooklyn Directory, and Yearly Advertiser for 1846 & 7Henry R. & Edwin Van Nostrand (publisher) Lees & Foulkes (printer)Henry R. & Edwin Van Nostrand (compiler)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan)1847-1848Brooklyn Directory, and Yearly Advertiser for 1847-8William J. Hearne & James E. Webb (publisher) Lees & Foulkes (printers)William J. Hearne & James E. Webb (compiler)Internet Archive (BPL microfiche scan) 1848-1849 E.B. Spooner(Edwin Bolton Spooner; 1808–1876)(publisher)F.B. Spooner(Frances Bowman Spooner; 1798–1862)(printer) Thomas P. Teale(compiler) 1848-1849[Hearne's] Brooklyn City Directory and Annual Advertiser, for the Years 1848-9 [...] Also, A Street DirectoryHenry R. & William J. Hearne (publisher) Lees & Foulkes (printers)Henry R. & William J. Hearne (compiler)Internet Archive (Brooklyn Public Library, Microfiche scan)1849-1850[Hearne's] Brooklyn City Directory and Annual Advertiser, for 1849 & '50, [...] Also, a Street DirectoryHenry R. & William J. Hearne (publisher) Lees & Foulkes (printers)Henry R. & William J. Hearne (compiler)Internet Archive (Brooklyn Public Library, Microfiche scan) 1850-1851 Henry R. and William J. Hearne(publisher)Lees & Foulkes(Henry A. Lees; died 1851)(printer) 1851-1852Hearnes' Brooklyn City Directory, for 1851-1852 (Vol. 10) Henry R. & William J. Hernes (publisher) Lees & Foulkes (printers)Internet Archive (Brooklyn Public Library, microfiche scan) 1852-1853 Henry R. and William J. Hearne(publisher)William L. Foulkes(printer) 1853-1854 Henry R. and William J. Hearne(publisher)William L. Foulkes(printer) Internet Archive (Brooklyn Public Library, microfiche scan)1854-1855Smith's Brooklyn City Directory, for 1854 &1855William H. Smith(publisher)William H. Smith(compiler)Internet Archive (BPL, microfiche scan) 1855-1856 Smith's Brooklyn Directory William H. Smith(publisher) William H. Smith(compiler) Internet Archive (BPL) 1856-1857 Smith's Brooklyn Directory Charles Jenkins (publisher) William H. Smith(compiler) Internet Archive (BPL) 1857-1858 J. Lain & Company(Jonathan Lain; 1813–1867)(publisher)Edward O. Jenkins(printer) J. Lain(compiler) 1858-1859The Brooklyn City DirectoryJ. Lain & company (publisher)J. Lain(compiler)Internet Archive (Yale scan)1859-1860J. Lain & company (publisher) Wynkoop, Hallenbeck & Thomas (printers)J. Lain(compiler)Internet Archive (Brooklyn Public Library, microfiche scan)1860-1861The Brooklyn City DirectoryJ. Lain & company (publisher) Wynkoop, Hallenbeck & Thomas (printers)J. Lain (compiler)Internet Archive (Brooklyn Public Library, microfiche scan) 1861-1862 J. Lain & Company(publisher)Wynkoop, Hallenbeck & Thomas(Matthew B. Wynkoop)(John J. Hallenbeck)(William E. Hallenbeck)(printers) J. Lain(compiler) 1862-1863 J. Lain & Company(publisher)Wynkoop, Hallenbeck & Thomas(printers) J. Lain(compiler) 1863-1864 J. Lain & Company(publisher) J. Lain(compiler) HathiTrust 1864-1865 J. Lain & Company(publisher)Wynkoop & Hallenbeck(printer) J. Lain(compiler) 1865-1866 J. Lain & Company(publisher)Wynkoop & Hallenbeck(printer) J. Lain(compiler) 1866-1867 J. Lain & Company(publisher)Wynkoop & Hallenbeck(printer) J. Lain(compiler) 1867-1868 Lain & CompanyGeorge Theodore Lain (1844–1893)(proprietor) George Theodore Lain (1844–1893)(compiler) HathiTrust 1868-1869Lain & CompanyGeorge Theodore Lain (1844–1893)(proprietor)Internet Archive (BPL)1869-1870Lain & CompanyGeorge Theodore Lain (1844–1893)(proprietor)Google BooksInternet Archive (Yale scan)1870-1871Lain & CompanyGeorge Theodore Lain (1844–1893)(proprietor)Internet Archive (BPL)1871-1872Lain & CompanyGeorge Theodore Lain (1844–1893)(proprietor)Geo. T. Lain