The following are entries pertaining to the DeCoursey family in various Leavenworth city directories. I have added comments in pink.

The family is listed under the name Coursey until about 1890, when the "De" was added. One theory for the reasoning behind this was that Coursey was too Irish sounding, the Irish being impopular during these times. It would appear based on the directory entries that 1890 was also about the time James and Henry started to expand their dairy business. James Sr. appears to have kept the "Coursey" spelling except for business purposes though, as he is listed under Coursey in his later years when he was retired from active work as well as in a biography from 1899.

Sources indicate James W. (De)Coursey and his family came to Kansas in 1858 and to Leavenworth County about 1863, settling first in Stranger Township, southwest of Leavenworth city, and then around 1867 moving to a farm to the west of the city limits in High Prairie Township. In 1885 the farm was 169 acres (see the 1885 KS Agricultural Census). According to the directories, the family farm is first listed as being at the west end of Shawnee St, and then at 22d and Spruce streets. I'm not sure what this means. Both locations are near each other on the western outskirts of Leavenworth. (See a map of the area today here. The red star is between the two.) I have been told that the area where the farm was hasn't been developed, but that the original farmhouse was torn down some years ago.

The individuals listed here are primarily James W. I and his two youngest sons, Thomas Henry "Harry" and Charles. Charles was almost 9 years younger than Harry, so he is not listed in the earlier directories. James' oldest son Edwin lived in Colorado between 1879 and 1901, he is not listed at all. His second oldest son James II is first listed in 1883 and then not again until 1897 or 1900. Census records indicate he may have lived for a time in another city. His first wife died in 1898. In the mid-1890's Harry goes to work for the Leavenworth Electric Railroad and younger brother Charles becomes involved in the creamery, now called the Leavenworth Dairy & Creamery Co. Brothers James, Harry and Charles run it until they sell it to the Seitz family in 1909. (The above is my interpretation, it shouldn't be considered fact.)

The fact that James is not listed in the earlier directories is not unusual, especially considering he was a farmer outside city limits. City directories in those days were not like today's phone books, you had to pay a fee to be listed and many "average folks" didn't bother.

Abbreviations:
b = boards clk = clerk cond = conductor cor = corner mgr = manager	r = residence rms = rooms shp = shipping ss = south side wks = works

1862-80
[no Coursey, DeCoursey]

1882
[no Coursey, DeCoursey]

1883
Coursey, Jas., Sr., (Coursey & Son,) r Stone Hinge Park, w of Shawnee.
Coursey, Jas., Jr., (Coursey & Son,) r Stone Hinge Park, w of Shawnee.
COURSEY & SON, (Jas. Coursey, Sr., Jas. Coursey, Jr.,) dairymen, Stone Hinge Park, fruitery, w of Shawnee.

1884
[no Coursey]

1885
Coursey, Henry, driver for James Coursey milk wagon, r. Stonehinge farm w Shawnee.

1886
Coursey, Henry, driver for James Coursey, milkwagon, r. Stonehinge Farm w end Shawnee.

1887
Coursey, Henry, wks J. Coursey, w end Shawnee.

1888-89
[no Coursey, DeCoursey]

1890
De COURSEY, HARRY, of De Coursey & Son, Stone Hing Dairy and Stock Farm, r 22d and Spruce
De COURSEY, JAMES, of De Coursey & Son, Stone Hing Dairy and Stock Farm, r 22d and Spruce
De COURSEY & SON, (James and Harry De Coursey) Stone Hing Dairy and Stock Farm, 22d and Spruce
STONE HINGE DAIRY AND STOCK FARM, (James and Harry De Coursey proprs) 22d and Spruce

1891
DeCoursey Henry, Stone Hinge Dairy, r Spruce, 1/2 mile w. of limits
DeCoursey James, propr. Stone Hinge Dairy, r Spruce 1/2 mile w. of limits
  DAIRYMEN.
Stone Hinge Dairy, Spruce, 1/2 mile w. of limits

1892
[no Coursey, DeCoursey]

1894
[no Coursey, DeCoursey]

1895
[no Coursey, DeCoursey]
  Dairymen.
Poff Michael, ss Cherokee 1st e of 20th  [Michael Poff was the father in law of James Sr.'s grandson Edwin J.]

1896
DeCoursey Harry, cond b 315 Miami

1897
DeCoursey Chas. clk Leav Dairy & Creamery Co r 310 Seneca
DeCoursey Harry, cond Leav Electric R R Co b 228 Walnut
DeCoursey James, mgr Leavenworth Dairy & Creamery Co 504 Shawnee r 310 Seneca  [James W. II?]
Leavenworth Dairy & Creamery Co. 504 Shawnee, James DeCoursey mgr
  Dairymen.
Leavenworth Dairy & Creamery Co. 504 Shawnee

1898
DeCoursey Harry, clk Leav Electric R R Co b 228 Walnut
DeCoursey James, mgr Leavenworth Dairy & Creamery Co 504 Shawnee r 5th se cor Spruce
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY & CREAMERY CO. 504 Shawnee, James DeCoursey mgr
  Dairymen.
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY & CREAMERY CO. 504 Shawnee

1900
Coursey Jas. r 506 Shawnee  [James W. I]
DeCoursey Chas. clk Leav Dairy & Creamery Co rms Imperial Hotel
DeCoursey Harry, trainmaster Leav El R R Co r 506 Shawnee
DeCoursey James, mgr Leavenworth Dairy & Creamery Co 504 Shawnee r 506 Shawnee  [James W. II]
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY & CREAMERY CO. 504 Shawnee, James DeCoursey mgr
  Dairymen.
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY & CREAMERY CO. 504 Shawnee

1901
Coursey Jas. r 503 Shawnee
DeCoursey Chas. clk Leav Dairy & Creamery Co rms Imperial
DeCoursey Harry, train master Leav El R R Co r 505 Shawnee
DeCoursey Jas. mgr Leav Dairy & Creamery Co r 616 Osage
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY & CREAMERY CO. 503 Shawnee Jas DeCoursey mgr
  Dairymen.
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY & CREAMERY CO. 503 Shawnee

1903
Coursey Jas. r 507 Shawnee
DeCoursey Chas. with Leav D & C Co r 507 Shawnee
DeCoursey Harry, supt city div K C- Leav R R Co r 227 Osage
DeCoursey Jas. mgr Leav Dairy & Creamery Co r 616 Osage
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY & CREAMERY CO., 507 Shawnee Jas DeCoursey mgr
  Creameries.
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY & CREAMERY CO. 507 Shawnee

1904
Coursey Jas. r 507 Shawnee
DeCoursey Chas. (Leav Dairy & Creamery Co507 Shawnee) b Nat Hotel
DeCoursey Harry (Leav Dairy & Creamery Co507 Shawnee) r 227 Osage
DeCoursey Jas r 616 Osage
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY & CREAMERY CO. (Harry & Chas DeCoursey) 507 Shawnee both tels 410
  Creameries.
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY & CREAMERY CO. 507 Shawnee both tels 410

1905-06
Coursey Jas r 507 Shawnee
DeCoursey Chas. (Leav Dairy & Creamery Co507 Shawnee) b Nat Hotel
DeCoursey Harry (Leav Dairy & Creamery Co507 Shawnee) r 227 Osage
DeCoursey Jas r 616 Osage
Leavenworth Dairy & Creamery Co. (Harry & Chas DeCoursey) 507 Shawnee

1907-08
[James W. I died in 1905.]
DeCoursey Chas. (Leav Dairy & Creamery Co507 Shawnee) b National Hotel
DeCoursey Harry (Leav Dairy & Creamery Co507 Shawnee) r 611 Miami
DeCoursey Jas r 616 Osage
Leavenworth Dairy & Creamery Co. (Harry & Chas DeCoursey) 507 Shawnee

1909
DeCoursey Chas. r National Hotel
DeCoursey Harry r 611 Miami
DeCoursey Jas r 616 Osage
Leavenworth Dairy & Creamery Co (W B Simms) 507 Shawnee [In 1909 the DeCourseys sold the dairy to the Seitz family. They later bought it back in 1953.]
  Creameries.
Leavenworth Dairy & Creamery Co 507 Shawnee

1911-1912
Becker Geo, farmer, b 701 Cherokee. [James W. I's nephew, son of his sister Elizabeth.]
DeCoursey Mrs Anna, r 616 Osage. [James W. II's 2d wife, married in 1899. James is living in Kansas City, MO. He dies there in 1915.]
DeCoursey Chas, b National Hotel.
DeCoursey Harry, r 611 Miami.
LEAVENWORTH DAIRY CO, Seitz Bros Prprs, Dealers in Dairy Products, Mnfrs of Ice Cream, 507 Shawnee, Both Phones 410.

1913
DeCoursey Mrs Anna, r 616 Osage.
DeCoursey Harry, r 611 Miami.

1915
DeCoursey Chas, cigars 318 Delaware, rms Imperial Hotel.
DeCoursey Harry, mnfr, r 611 Miami.

1949
[Charles died in 1938, Harry in 1940.]
DeCOURSEY CREAMERY CO, F W Baker Mgr, Manufacturers of Leavenworth�s Finest Dairy Products, 753 Shawnee, Tel 430-429 (For further information see page 20 Buyer�s Guide) [The creamery started in Kansas City in 1906 by James H. DeCoursey.]
DeCoursey Jas M (Helen) shp clk DeCoursey Crmry h319 Miami
DeCoursey Jas M jr r319 Miami

1952
DeCOURSEY CREAMERY CO, F W Baker Mgr, Manufacturers of Leavenworth�s Finest Dairy Products, 753 Shawnee, Tels 430 and 429 (For further information see page A)
DeCoursey Jas W (Helen A) shp clk DeCoursey Crmry h 612 Osage [James W. III]
DeCoursey Jas W jr typ Fort Leavenworth r 612 Osage [James W. IV]