Tax Records and Phone Books

Tax records

Tax records are available for many Rhode Island cities and towns. They can be accessed via the card catalog in the Reading Room by looking under the name of the town and then under the heading “Assessor of Taxes” or “Board of Assessors.” The time periods for which records are available will vary from city to city.

Telephone books

The Library has a substantial collection of telephone books for several of Rhode Island’s larger cities and for Fall River, Massachusetts. A more specific breakdown of cities and available dates follows. Gaps do exist to some extent for each date range, some more than others. The set for Providence is the most complete.

Fall River, Massachusetts: 1975-1987
Narragansett and vicinity: 1929-1993 (mostly 1950s and 1960s)
Newport: 1881-2000
Pawtucket: 1969-1975
Providence: 1881-present
Westerly: 1910-1979
Woonsocket: 1948-1999

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The Rhode Island Historical Society’s Commitment to Our Donors

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