To the person looking for parents of one Benjamin Franklin Harris reportedly born in Erie Pennsylvania ca 1857. I have a suggestion: One people-finding tool which many people overlook are city directories, sometimes county directories. These were published about every other year. They generally list all the employed people in a community, giving their residence address, their place of employment, and occupation (generally). Then you need to look for a listing for the employer to learn more. (My German born ancestor, who became a blacksmith, generally worked for a firm with a German name.) At the back of the book, there frequently is a reverse directory. That is, the residence address is listed and then perhaps every adult person in the household is listed, even if not employed. I have picked up the names of widows in that manner. (This is not foolproof method, but give it a try, at least for cities, small towns, and see if there is one for the county you are researching.) No, these are NOT telephone directories. These were more or less trade directories, compiled for many uses, but perhaps for door-to-door salesmen. Government agencies used these a lot before telephone directories came along. They were published in many places as late as the mid-1950s. Note the list for Erie, PA below, which I obtained (and partially copied) from a PLACE search in the Family History Library Catalog located on www.familysearch.org I typed in Erie and then Pennsylvania [no abbreviations allowed] in a Place search, went down the list of topics to Directories, clicked on that. As indicated at the bottom, there are more directories for Erie, PA. If the film number given by the Fam Hist Library begins with 6 million, say, 600,000,001, then that film is on a microfiche, and will cost you 15 cents apiece. Just be sure that you know how many fiche are in a collection. I see the first few directories listed above are on microfiche, beginning with 6,xxx,xxx. (I told a lady about some microfiche for a collection at FHL she would like to have. There were so many fiche, that she would have to pay $70 plus.) The microfiche will stay at your local LDS Family History Center. If you are not acquainted with FHCs, start browsing the list given on the URL above. Most films held by FHL in Salt Lake City can be borrowed through your local FHC for a small fee, for a limited time. Microfiche, however, don't take up much space and generally held permanently at the FHC. Happy hunting! E.W.Wallace Title Erie (Pennsylvania) city directories Note Location Film 1853/54 The Erie city directory... by Henry Wm. Hulbert (2 fiches) FHL US/CAN Fiche 6043890 1854/55 The Erie city directory... by H. W. Hulbert (2 fiches) (1855/57 None published) FHL US/CAN Fiche 6043891 1857/58 The Erie city directory... by H.W. Hulbert (2 fiches) (1858/59 None published) FHL US/CAN Fiche 6043892 1859/60 The Erie city directory... by H.W. Hulbert (3 fiches) FHL US/CAN Fiche 6043893 1861/62 The Erie city directory... by H. W. Hulbert FHL US/CAN Film 1376844 1862/63 The Erie city directory... by H. W. Hulbert (1863/65 None published) FHL US/CAN Film 1376844 1865/66 The Erie directory... by J. H. Lant (1866/67 None published) FHL US/CAN Film 1376844 1867/68 Erie business directory... by Lynn & Co. FHL US/CAN Film 1376844 1868/69 Erie business directory (1869/70 None published) FHL US/CAN Film 1376844 1870/71 Directory of Erie city and county, Pa. ... by Jno. M. Arters FHL US/CAN Film 1376844 1871/72 Directory of the city of Erie... by Asa B. Cook FHL US/CAN Film 1376845 1872/73 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376845 1873/74 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by William P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376845 1874/75 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by William P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376845 1875/76 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376845 1876/77 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376845 1877/78 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376845 1878/79 [Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson] (lacks title page) FHL US/CAN Film 1376846 1879/80 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376846 1880/81 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376846 1881/82 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376846 1882/83 [Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson] (lacks title page) FHL US/CAN Film 1376847 1883/84 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376847 1884/85 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376847 1885 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376847 1886 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376847 1887 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376847 1888 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376847 1889 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376848 1890 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376848 1891 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376848 1892 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376848 1893 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376848 1894 Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376849 1895/96 Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376849 1896/97 Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376849 1897/98 Erie city duplex directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376849 1898/99 Erie city duplex directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376849 1899/1900 Erie city duplex directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson (1900/01 Not available) 1901/1902 Erie city duplex directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1376850 1902/03 Erie city duplex directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1611544 1903/04 Erie city duplex directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1611544 1904/05 Erie city duplex directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1611544 1905/06 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Erie Directory Co. FHL US/CAN Film 1611544 1906/07 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1611545 1907/08 Atkinson's Erie city directory... contains a complete directory of Edinboro, Fairview, Girard, Harbor Creek, McKean, Moorheadville, North East, North Girard, Wesleyville... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1611545 1908/09 Atkinson's Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1611545 1909/10 Atkinson Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1611546 1910/11 Atkinson Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1611546 1911/12 Atkinson Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1611546 1912/13 Atkinson Erie city directory... by Wm. P. Atkinson FHL US/CAN Film 1611547 Numbers 1-50 of 73 film notes.