ONLINE MAPS FOR FAMILY HISTORY

©2011 by Donald R. Snow

Sections of the Class Notes This page was last updated 2011-04-06.
Return to the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Home Page , or Don's Class Listings Page .

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION TO CLASS
  1. Welcome
  2. Instructors are Donald R. and Diane M. Snow ( snowd@math.byu.edu and dmsnow34@gmail.com ) of Provo and St. George, Utah.
  3. These notes with active Internet links are posted on the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group website http://uvtagg.org under Class Outlines , Don's Listings . Many other class notes for family history are posted there also.
  4. This class will discuss online maps and their use in family history.

OVERVIEW OF MAPS IN GENEALOGY
  1. Maps give a visual representation of lots of information in compact form -- e.g. locations, distances, relationships of places, geographical features
  2. Example of a teaching map video -- http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie2.html -- 10-minute animated map of Growth of the US, shows how helpful maps can be in understanding
  3. Some kinds of maps -- teaching maps, road, topological (contours or level lines at given heights show hills and valleys - contours close together = steep, contours further apart = flatter), land and property, railroad, fire insurance, migration, historical, county maps (boundaries and changes), cemetery, surname distribution, relief maps (3D models in plastic, etc.), aerial, and "bird's eye view" (aerial at a slant to see the geographic features more easily)
  4. Mercator and other projections are used to represent earth's curved surface on a flat plane

ARTICLES AND FINDING MAPS AND THEIR USES IN GENEALOGY
  1. On FamilySearch -- http://www.familysearch.org
    1. Click on Learn to get to the FamilySearch Wiki
      • Search for "maps" (without the quotes) -- gives 23,000 articles
      • To find maps of a certain area, search for "maps london" (without the quotes), for example
    2. Click on Family History Library Catalog
      • Keyword search for "maps" (without the quotes) gives 9,000 hits
      • Can search for particular kinds of maps by selecting Places, etc.
    3. To find everything FamilySearch has about Utah maps, for example, search for "utah maps site:www.familysearch.org" (without the quotes) in http://www.google.com/ -- gives 500 hits
    4. Good free 30-minute video course on maps at http://broadcast.lds.org/elearning/FHD/Community/Mid_Continent_Library/Finding_Your_Way__Locating_and_Using_Maps_in_Your_/Player.html
  2. Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter article on Map Your Ancestors on a Google Map -- http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2007/07/map-your-ancest.html
  3. Map Your Ancestors -- http://www.mapyourancestors.com/ -- links with your family tree on FamilySearch -- free to register, but that gives them rights to your information
  4. Maps in The National Archives (UK) -- http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=304
  5. Using Maps In Genealogy -- http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/factsheets/fs09902.html -- US Geological Survey
  6. About.com article with lots of links -- http://geography.about.com/od/findmaps/u/maps.htm#s
  7. Linda Haas Davenport's article Taking the Mystery Out of Land Records
  8. Ancestry's Learning Center, available for free at home, has many articles about maps -- http://www.ancestry.com/ > Learning Center > Article Archives > search for "maps" (without the quotes)
  9. Top 10 Online Mapping Tools -- http://blog.hotelclub.com/top-10-online-mapping-tools/
  10. To find maps of a particular location do a Google search for "[country, county, or state] +map" (without quotes) on http://www.google.com , e.g. "Utah +map" (no space between + and map) gives millions of hits (+map indicates you require results with the word "map".)
  11. Cyndi's List -- http://cyndislist.com/ > Maps, Gazetteers, and Geographical Information -- or directly at http://www.cyndislist.com/maps.htm

GAZETTEERS AND WEBSITES
  1. Gazetteer = book or website describing places in words, including history and geography
  2. For gazetteers og a particular country search https://familysearch.org/learn (FamilySearch Wiki) for "gazetteers england" (without the quotes), for example -- also try Google and other search engines
  3. Gazetteer websites
    1. Getty Museum Thesaurus -- http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/tgn/ -- very helpful online gazetteer
    2. US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) -- http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/index.html
    3. Maplandia -- http://www.maplandia.com/ -- Searchable world gazetteer based on Google Maps
    4. Gazetteer of British Place Names -- http://www.gazetteer.co.uk/
    5. Links to British Gazetteers on GENUKI -- http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Gazetteers.html
    6. Ordnance Survey Gazetteer of Great Britain -- http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/freefun/didyouknow/
    7. Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary (Gazetteer) of England of 1848 (4 vols) -- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=445
    8. Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary (Gazetteer) of Wales of 1849 (2 vols) -- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=371
    9. Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary (Gazetteer) of Scotland of 1846 (2 vols) -- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=308
    10. Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary (Gazetteer) of Ireland of 1837 (2 vols) -- http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/
    11. Cassell's Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland on http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=qcd14_ireindexmaps
    12. Curious Fox Gazetteer and queries on all villages in the UK and Ireland -- http://www.curiousfox.org.uk/
    13. Great Britain Gazetteer -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Vision_of_Britain_through_Time#A_Vision_of_Britain_through_Time
    14. Duke University Maps and Gazetteers -- http://library.duke.edu/research/subject/guides/maps/gazetteers.html
  4. List of all 29,000 place names used in 2010 US Census -- http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html -- can download the entire list, if desired
  5. Phillimore's Atlas of Parish Registers (UK) -- see http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/england/general/360001.htm ($$$) -- Book is very helpful, expensive, and NOT online.

MAP TECHNOLOGY
  1. GPS's (Global Positioning Systems) -- devices to help you find and keep track of locations, e.g. cemetery plots, so you or someone else can find them later -- if you buy one, be sure it has capability of updating maps
  2. GOOGLE MAPS -- http://maps.google.com/ or http://www.google.com > Maps (upper left side)
    1. Move the map by clicking and dragging; zoom in or out by (1) slider, (2) double clicking, or (3) rolling mouse wheel; toggle between map, satellite view, and earth view (upper right side)
    2. Making a Google map on My Maps
      • 3-minute video -- click on Maps > My Maps > Tutorial or click on http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mymaps/create.html
      • To create or edit your own Google maps you must have a gmail account (free) and sign in > Maps > My Maps -- lists the maps you have created or you can create new ones
      • Can make your maps public, so everyone can see them, or unlisted, so only the people who know the URL can see them -- get the URL by clicking on "Link" {upper right hand corner}
      • Examples of maps you can make: chronology map of your life or an ancestor's, where lived, important events, travels, where groups of your ancestors lived, FH trips (see "Plot your FH trip on Google Maps" by Kimberly Powell -- http://genealogy.about.com/b/2007/06/18/plot-your-family-history-trip-on-google-maps.htm?nl=1 )
    3. Two Google maps that DRS created on http://maps.google.com/
      • Chronology map of Ann Stafford Snow Condie's life -- search for - st. george utah "ann stafford" (with the quotes) - On the left side, under "Saint George City Cemetery", click on google.com -- or get to it directly here
      • Helpful locations near the London Family History Centre -- search for - london "hyde park chapel" (with the quotes) - On the left side go down to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and click on google.com -- or get to it directly here
    4. Google Earth -- http://earth.google.com/ -- free download and very powerful
    5. Satellite Sightseer -- http://www.satellite-sightseer.com/ -- various country maps using Google Earth
    6. Your Virtual Turnpike -- http://www.vpike.com/ -- type in an address and it goes shows you the street views of it from Google Maps
    7. Easy Google Maps Downloader -- http://downloads.zdnet.com/search.aspx?kw=Easy+Google+Maps+Downloader+++%28Windows%29&tag=nl.e530 -- allows you to download tiles of Google Maps and put them together
  3. BING MAPS (Microsoft) -- http://www.bing.com/maps/
    • Much like Google maps -- can zoom in by rolling the mouse wheel, double clicking, of clicking on the + or - -- can also drag the map around to move it the way you want it -- also have driving directions, find businesses nearby, etc.
    • Microsoft's Research Maps -- http://msrmaps.com/
    • USAPhotoMaps free program -- http://jdmcox.com/ -- downloadable aerial and photo maps from Microsoft's free Research Maps website
    • Microsoft's TerraServer ($$$) -- http://terraserver-usa.com/About/AboutTerraServiceOverview.htm
  4. OTHER ROAD MAPPING WEBSITES
    1. MapQuest - http://www.mapquest.com/ -- zoom in and out, gives driving directions, etc.
    2. OpenStreet Maps -- http://www.openstreetmap.org/ -- worldwide OpenSource maps and wiki, but has no aerial views
    3. NAVTEQ - http://www.us.map24.com/
    4. WikiMapia -- http://wikimapia.org/ -- editable maps that you can correct, view in various forms, overlay various items, e.g. restaurants or interesting things to see
  5. MAPPING TOOLS -- ($$$ means it costs money)
    1. FastStone Capture -- excellent freeware screen capture program to copy parts or all of screen, or even an entire scrolling window -- Version 5.3 was the last freeware version (later versions are shareware) and is available from http://www.oldapps.com/fast_stone_capture.php
    2. Parish Locater For Windows for the UK --http://web.onetel.net.uk/~gdlawson/parfind.htm -- free download and install, has 25,000 parishes, their counties, and when records began in that parish
    3. PARLOC 2.6 -- http://parloc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ParLocDL.html -- free download and install, has 15,000 parishes and counties, will draw map of surrounding parishes within distance you set
    4. Satellite Photo Images and latitude and longitude -- http://www.satsig.net/maps/satellite-photo-image-viewer.htm
    5. Deed mapper program ($$$) -- sold by Direct Line Software -- http://www.DirectLineSoftware.com
    6. AniMap (Animated Map) of US ($$$) -- sold by The Gold Bug Company -- http://www.goldbug.com/
    7. Family Atlas ($$$)-- http://www.rootsmagic.com
    8. Surname mapping program for the UK ($$$) -- http://www.archersoftware.co.uk/genmap01.htm
    9. PitneyBowes MapInfo ($$$) -- http://www.pbinsight.com/welcome/mapinfo/

SOME ONLINE MAP COLLECTIONS
  1. UNITED STATES MAPS
    1. US Government Maps
    2. The Gold Bug Site Finder -- http://www.goldbug.com/map/sitefinder.html -- gives list and plots locations on a Google map; list gives county, state, lattitude, longitude, and type of location (place, school, cemetery, church, etc.)
    3. US county maps
    4. US censuses
    5. US historical
    6. Related to LDS Church and westward movement in US
    7. USGenWeb
    8. Heritage Quest Online -- available through public library websites with your library card -- has some books online with maps, including Dollarhide's The Census Book (in Helps Section) and has county boundaries for each US Census
    9. New York Public Library Digital Collection -- http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?keyword=maps
    10. Sanborn Fire Insurance maps
    11. Topo Maps ($$$) -- http://www.trails.com/maps.aspx -- used to be Topozone
  2. UNITED KINGDOM MAPS
    1. ViaMichelin -- http://www.viamichelin.com/ -- excellent maps, particularly of Europe
    2. Free PDF 1833 Maps and Indexes of UK Parishes -- http://www.sgenealogy.com/products/atlase/maplist.htm
    3. Bodleian Library Map Room (Oxford University) -- http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/guides/maps/
    4. English Probate Jurisdiction maps -- http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHL/english_probate_jurisdictions.asp
    5. Ordnance Survey Maps of Great Britain, 1840 -- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/map.aspx
    6. 1881 Maps of counties of England -- http://www.londonancestor.com/maps/maps-england.htm
    7. UK aerial photos -- http://www.ukaerialphotos.com/
    8. Cassini Maps - http://www.cassinimaps.co.uk/shop/tna1.asp
    9. UK Maritime Maps Collection -- http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/index.cfm/category/charts
  3. WORLDWIDE MAPS
    1. David Rumsey Map Collection -- http://www.davidrumsey.com -- large collection of historical maps, being added to constantly
    2. Perry-Castaneda Map Collection at U of Texas -- http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ and http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/map_sites/hist_sites.html
    3. A to Z Maps Online through Washington County Utah Library system -- http://www.atozmapsonline.com/a-z_maps_online_login.asp
    4. World History Maps -- http://www.worldhistory.com/ -- interactive maps of your ancestors and world historical events
    5. US National Geographic Society maps -- http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/maps
    6. Oddens Map Collection -- http://oddens.geog.uu.nl/index.php
    7. Education Place -- http://www.eduplace.com -- Link Library (bottom right), do a search for "maps" and get links for many collections of maps
    8. Links to map collections, mostly at colleges and universities -- http://www.libraryspot.com/maps
    9. Full color maps, primarily for teachers -- http://atlapedia.com/
    10. TimeMaps -- http://www.timemaps.com/home/time-map/ -- Commercial, but has some free interactive historical maps and info
  4. SURNAME DISTRIBUTION MAPS
    1. Surname distributions in the US -- http://hamrick.com/names/ -- 1850, 1880, 1920, and 1990 only
    2. Surname distributions in the UK -- http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk -- 1881 and 1998 only
    3. Surname distributions in Germany -- http://christoph.stoepel.net/geogen/en/Default.aspx -- GeoGen, present time only, also shows surname variant spellings and other links

ASSIGNMENT
  1. Use maps.google.com or mapquest.com to find a map of the town and streets around where you lived when you were a child.
  2. Find a map of where one of your parents was born.
  3. Create a Google map with a marker of where you now live.
Return to the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Home Page , or Don's Class Listings Page .