A description of the directory from the title page: A complete alphabetical list of business firms and private citizens; a classified list of all trades, professions and pursuits; a Miscellaneous directory of city and county ofices, public and private schools, churches, banks, incorporated institutions, etc. Sold only by subscription.
The 1888-89 St. Cloud City Directory was the first directory for this city. Known as Volume 1, it contains 292 pages, has an alphabetical list of residents, a classified business directory, business advertisements, and lists of government officials, churches, clubs and organizations. The directory also includes a list of St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway employees working in St. Cloud, and a 51-page historical sketch of St. Cloud. This directory covers the cities of St. Cloud, East St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids.
This large ledger appears to have served as a record of the business printing work that was done by the St. Peter Tribune newspaper. The Tribune was published from 1860 until 1920. Most of the material in this ledger was printed during the 1870s. Business cards, letterheads from business foms, tickets to various social functions and announcements for them, and standardized forms for use in courthouses, schools, and the St. Peter State Hospital can all be found in the ledger. Most of the material concerns Nicollet County, but other counties are also represented. Among them are Brown County, Le Sueur County, and Renville County. Available records indicate that the ledger became the property of the St. Peter Herald newspaper sometime after the Tribune ceased publication. Eventually, the ledger was donated to the Nicollet County Historical Society.