Dear Mary Harris, Thanks for posting the URL for the map of early Granville Co., NC and its tax districts. I long ago acquired a *hard copy* map of Granville Co. while staying in Oxford NC to do some research and to get a feel for the lay of the land. But it is handy to have one on the internet. While trying to sort out some families of the same common surname [not Harris, but worse!!!], I noted on which watercourse each family lived. I think this technique--discovering the watercourse--is largely overlooked by genealogists. I am constantly referring to whatever maps I have--sometimes the older the better!. Sometimes the online maps of the Geographic Names, etc. are not helpful. For example, Nut Bush Creek is now a part of Kerr Reservoir, I discovered!!! So old maps are most useful to genealogists. I had a hard lesson from a DAR staff genealogist: IShe said: 1) Determine who the associates of the family are, in other words, their neighbors and the bondsmen for various bonds and 2) determine the watercourse on which the family lived. These techniques are MOST important when one has a common surname in one's ancestry--and I seem to have more than my fair share!!! I think we modern folk, used to paved roads and interstate highways, overlook the fact that roads in colonial days were nearly non-existent in most colonies. If one reads the accounts of some adventurous persons, you learn the difficulty in crossing on horseback water streams, getting lost in the woods, having unfriendly natives, etc. The Virginia land patents refer occasionally to *paths*, no doubt made by animals and by native Americans. But these references are few and far between. Another example of disappearing geographic areas: One of my Kentucky ancestors paid taxes in the 1830s on Island No. 2 in the Mississippi River. Current day maps do not show such an island. However, the Kentucky Historical Society had a map which did show Island No. 2, and in fact, I believe I obtained a similar map from the Land Office in Kentucky. A correspondent told me that frequently these islands in the river attach themselves to the mainland, and then states along the Mississippi, for example, dispute who owns the land!!!! Thanks again. E.W.Wallace E.W.Wallace **************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review?ncid=aolaut00050000000017 )

Another very helpful source , if available, are the Petitions for Roads submitted by residents to the county governments.. When these were circulated around for signatures, most every male head of household in the general area seems to have signed-- even with an X. . They give a great list of the people living in one specific area. I have found this especially helpful in mid-western states where counties have been split up and then split again. I use these petition records (where available) along with land records and old maps. Good substitute where there are no watercourses of importance. Barbara Metzger On Aug 2, 2008, at 10:58 AM, [email protected] wrote: > Dear Mary Harris, > > Thanks for posting the URL for the map of early Granville Co., NC > and its > tax districts. > > I long ago acquired a *hard copy* map of Granville Co. while > staying in > Oxford NC to do some research and to get a feel for the lay of the > land. But it > is handy to have one on the internet. > > While trying to sort out some families of the same common surname [not > Harris, but worse!!!], I noted on which watercourse each family > lived. I think > this technique--discovering the watercourse--is largely overlooked by > genealogists. > > I am constantly referring to whatever maps I have--sometimes the > older the > better!. Sometimes the online maps of the Geographic Names, etc. > are not > helpful. For example, Nut Bush Creek is now a part of Kerr > Reservoir, I > discovered!!! So old maps are most useful to genealogists. > > > I had a hard lesson from a DAR staff genealogist: IShe said: 1) > Determine > who the associates of the family are, in other words, their > neighbors and > the bondsmen for various bonds > > and 2) determine the watercourse on which the family lived. > > These techniques are MOST important when one has a common surname > in one's > ancestry--and I seem to have more than my fair share!!! > > I think we modern folk, used to paved roads and interstate highways, > overlook the fact that roads in colonial days were nearly non- > existent in most > colonies. If one reads the accounts of some adventurous persons, > you learn the > difficulty in crossing on horseback water streams, getting lost in > the woods, > having unfriendly natives, etc. The Virginia land patents refer > occasionally > to *paths*, no doubt made by animals and by native Americans. But > these > references are few and far between. > > Another example of disappearing geographic areas: One of my Kentucky > ancestors paid taxes in the 1830s on Island No. 2 in the > Mississippi River. > Current day maps do not show such an island. However, the > Kentucky Historical > Society had a map which did show Island No. 2, and in fact, I > believe I obtained > a similar map from the Land Office in Kentucky. A correspondent > told me that > frequently these islands in the river attach themselves to the > mainland, and > then states along the Mississippi, for example, dispute who owns > the land!!!! > > Thanks again. > > E.W.Wallace > > > E.W.Wallace > > > > > > > **************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your > budget? > Read reviews on AOL Autos. > (http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review? > ncid=aolaut00050000000017 ) > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to HARRIS- > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message