Here's a great resource from the CAGG (Computer Assisted Genealogy Group) that you might want to print out for future help. Sue -------- Original Message -------- Subject: "Charting a Research Course With Online Maps" Resent-Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 06:10:27 -0700 Resent-From: OHCAGG-L@rootsweb.com Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 08:11:10 -0500 From: c.davis1@juno.com To: OHCAGG-L@rootsweb.com GEORGE G. MORGAN: "ALONG THOSE LINES . . ." "Charting a Research Course With Online Maps" == I regularly present a popular seminar to genealogists and librarians called "Genealogy Orienteering: Using Maps to Find the RIGHT Place." In it, I discuss how essential it is to know how to use maps to locate your ancestors' location at the time they lived there, and thereby successfully identify the geopolitical entity having jurisdiction at the time. When you figure out what government had authority there, you can then determine who created records at the time for what purpose. You can also then hone in on which archive or courthouse to search for your ancestors' records. Just a few years ago, if you wanted to consult a map, it was necessary to either refer to the old outdated atlas on your coffee table or make a trip to the nearest public or academic library. The Internet has changed our lives forever, and now we have a wealth of cartographic resources literally at our fingertips. In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, I want to discuss just a few of the excellent online resources for maps, both contemporary and historical. MANY TYPES OF MAPS There are so many types of maps that it boggles the mind. One book that opened my eyes to this fact is "The Map Catalog" edited by Joel Makower. While the book's most recent third edition is 1992, you cannot imagine the hundreds of types of maps that might be available. World maps, travel maps, maps of specific areas, boundary maps, scientific maps, historical maps, utility and service maps, water maps, sky maps, aerial and space maps, and more are all among the maps discussed and illustrated. These are in addition to the maps that genealogical researchers already know, such as land and property maps, plat maps, tax district maps, census enumeration district maps, and others. It is truly mind-boggling. Using the Internet, you can locate thousands of map sites by simply typing a search into your Web browser. For example, I entered "census map" in Google (http://www.google.com) on my browser and was rewarded with four thousand three hundred and thirty hits. Among them was a new site for me: South Eastern Genealogy Online at http://www.segenealogy.com and, in particular, the page at http://www.segenealogy.com/sgo03.htm, which presents a changing graphic of maps of the entire are of what is now the United States for each of the Federal censuses from 1790 to 1920. In addition, changing maps for the Southern states are also presented, showing the county formations. What a great new find! And you can find such maps yourself by exploring with your browser. Simply enter a search term as I did, or another term such as "texas county map" and be rewarded with links including one to Texas Department of Transportation's Texas County Highway Maps at http://txdot.lib.utexas.edu, viewable using the freely downloadable MrSid program (the same used by Ancestry.com for its Images Online). Try typing the words poland and map and you will find many contemporary and historical maps of several types. With a little imagination and your Web browser, you can construct a simple search phrase and discover some truly amazing online resources. Remember to use quotation marks to define a phrase to be searched (such as "north carolina" + "rockingham county" + map), type all words in lower case to guarantee more matches, and use singular forms of words (map, as opposed to maps). SOME EXCELLENT CARTOGRAPHIC SITES Leading the list of resources would have to be the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at http://www.nara.gov. The online catalog of holdings is called NAIL (National Archival Information Locator) at http://www.nara.gov/nara/nail.html. You can specify "Maps and Charts" in the Media window, and type your search terms. Start simple and then get more specific. The number of matches will be shown, at which time you can click on the "Display Results" button. The summary list of materials will be displayed. Items with a red ball graphic are digitized copies, and a click on the "Full" button will present you with all details about the item. You can contact the NARA branch where the item is held at the address, telephone or fax number for more information, including to order a copy of the item for a fee. The Institute of Historical Research in London, England, has compiled an excellent collection of links to images of early maps on the Web at: http://ihr.sas.ac.uk/maps/webimages.html There literally are hundreds of links here from all over the world. Are you looking for maps of France, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Russia, Spain, the Balkans, the U.S., and the UK? What about Central and South America? Australia? Canada? Asia? There are maps of may areas and eras. The U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Name Information Server (GNIS) is ideal for locating specific features, such as cemeteries. Visit the query form page at: http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnis_web_query_form Select a state, type in a county, and pull down the "Feature Type" window to select a feature, in this case a cemetery. You will be rewarded with a list of all the information about this county's cemeteries, with links to details that include variant names, latitude and longitude (great for GPS users), and links to a variety of maps showing the location of the cemetery. This site is nothing less than splendid! The David Rumsey Collection of maps materials concentrates on 18th and 19th century North and South American cartographic materials (http://www.davidrumsey.com). The site contains over five thousand four hundred historical maps, searchable by state or other keyword. It loads and uses a tool called "Insight" which works with your browser to display the maps, on which you can then zoom in to view more detail, rotate, and print. This is a most remarkable collection of historical materials. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) seems an unlikely resource for Civil War maps, but guess again. Their Historical Map and Chart Collection at http://anchor.ncd.noaa.gov contains a wealth of state, regional, and state-sorted Civil War maps which you map view or download. (Hint: Select download and then view before saving to see the full-size image.) And let us not forget the tremendous collection of cartographic resources online at Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/reference/maps/main.asp). The maps in the Ancestry.com databases cover most areas of the world and are specifically geared to your historical research. There are maps ranging from the Middle Ages to the more recent maps of the U.S., Canada, Europe, and elsewhere. My subscription to the Ancestry.com databases pays for itself in many ways, but access to this treasure trove of online historical maps is free to all visitors. THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT! There are no limits to the map resources you will find online, and these even include contemporary and the historical star charts drawn by some of the great astronomers of history. Are these important to your research? They are if you want to understand your ancestors' perception of their place in the universe. As you can see, there are many Internet resources available. All you have to do is look for them. Invest a little time being a modern explorer and use your browser to discover new geographical resources on the Internet. Happy Hunting! George CITATION CORNER This week I cited a book about maps with an editor rather than an author, and which also is the third edition of the book. These two situations require a little additional information for the citation. Here is how you would write a citation for that specific book. Makower, Joel, ed. The Map Catalog, Every Kind of Map and Chart on Earth and Even Some Above It. 3d ed. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1992. When using a map to document your findings or to list information found on a map as evidence, you also should use a source citation. Because maps are less common than other materials, it is usually important to also include the owner or repository where it can be found. Here is an example of such a citation. Johnson, A. J. "Johnson's North Carolina and South Carolina." New York, NY: A. J. Johnson, 1865. Copy at National Archives and Records Administration Branch, Cartographic Division, College Park, MD. To indicate that you have used an online version of a map, you would also add the Web site address and the date you accessed the site, as in the following example. Paullin, Charles O. "U.S. Public Post Roads and Main Stage Routes, 1774." Washington, DC: Carnegie Institution of Washington,1932. Online http://www.ancestry.com/rd/map.asp?ImageID=578 Accessed 15 November 2001. __________________________________________________________________ George G. Morgan is a proud member of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, Inc. (ISFHWE) at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~cgc/cgc2.htm. He would like to hear from you at atl@ahaseminars.com but, due to the volume of e-mail, he is unable to answer every e-mail message received. Please note that he cannot assist you with your individual research. Visit George's Web site at http://ahaseminars.com/atl for information about speaking engagements. Copyright 2001. MyFamily.com. All rights reserved. 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