Daily Ancestorwks.
wks. in a city directory means works, as in wks at the car shops: it names the place where the person was employed.
Directory glossaries give wks. as works, meaning employed at. A line such as Hoyt Abel, wks Union Foundry tells you where he worked but not his trade.
Do not read wks. as weeks. In a directory entry it is usually followed by an employer or a place, often with the home address after bds. or res.
As seen in a recordEntry in a city directory
Tallis Emil, wks Car Shops, res 18 Oak
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "wks.." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/wks. Last checked 2026-10-12.