Herald Those of us faced with research in large urban areas have particular challenges. We have many more individuals with which we must contend. The three John Smiths in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, may easily become one hundred John Smiths in Philadelphia.
Large cities have many divisions such as wards or precincts.
Vast amounts of resource records may be available, but they may be in scattered locations. Some may be stored far from the location where they were created. Urban dwellers tended to move more frequently than farmers in country towns so they can be difficult to trace. When researching in urban areas, it is necessary to discover any resources that can help track our ancestors through their city life. Some of the best of these resources are city directories.