Maps & Gazetteers for Genealogists
Maps & Gazetteers for Genealogists
Ginny Sommarstrom, Seattle
· What is a Map?
Wikipedia: A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes.
· Why Do Genealogists Need Maps?
o Place your ancestors in their geographical context
o Help you locate records
o Help find relatives
o Illustrate historical/political change
o Discover migration patterns
o Add color & interest to your family history
· Kinds of Maps We Use
o Road/railroad maps
o Topographic maps
o Plat maps
o Pictorial maps
o Relief maps
o Fire insurance
o Military
o Historical atlases
· When to use maps
o When you want to know WHERE someone lived
o When you’re trying to figure out WHERE an event occurred
o When you’re trying to figure out WHERE to look for records
o When you’re trying to understand SITE [location] and SITUATION [relative location]
o What map to use?
That depends on what you’re trying to do, but generally the best maps for your purpose are ones that:
§ show in great detail an area around the place where your relative lived;
§ show its location within a county or other jurisdiction; and
§ name and show the borders of neighboring areas.
· Where to find maps--
Traditional Paper Maps:
o Your local library
o College or university libraries
o Local historical/genealogical societies
o In published county histories
o Specialized reference books & atlases
§ Dollarhide’s Map Guide to the US Census
§ Arphax Family Maps series
Mapping Software
o Animap
o Deed Mapper
o Family Atlas
o MS MapPoint
o Google Maps
o Mapquest
o Bing Maps
o MSRMaps [formerly Terraserver]
· Where to Find Digital Maps
o Library of Congress [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html]
o Libre Map Project [http://libremap.org/data/]
o David Rumsey Map Collection [http://www.davidrumsey.com/]
o Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/index.html]
o USGS --National Atlas [http://www.nationalatlas.gov/mld/countyp.html]
o Newberry Library Interactive Atlas [http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/index.html]
o Google Images [http://images.google.com/]
o Family Search [http://wiki.familysearch.org; http://maps.familysearch.org/]
o Cyndi’s List [http://www.cyndislist.com/maps.htm]
o Animated Atlas of the US [http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie.html]
· Historic GIS
o ChicagoAncestors.org [http://chicagoancestors.org/]
o Columbia Cemetery, Boulder, CO [http://gisweb.ci.boulder.co.us/website/parks/parks_columbia/viewer.htm?FULLMAP]
o Philadelphia GeoHistory Network [http://www.philageohistory.org/geohistory/index.cfm]
o A Vision of Britain through Time [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/index.jsp]
o Historic Map Works [http://www.historicmapworks.com/]
· Gazetteers
o Geographical dictionaries
o Alphabetical listings of place names in a particular area
o Digital format: US Board on Geographic Names [http://geonames.usgs.gov/]
o US Home Town Locator [http://www.hometownlocator.com/]
o Gazetteer for Scotland [http://www.scottish-places.info/]
o The Swedish Gazetteer [http://www.sna.se/gazetteer.html]