Mapping Your Way to Research Success

Topographical maps, aerial maps, atlases, county road maps, plat maps, ordnance survey maps, census enumeration district maps, Sanborn fire insurance maps— there are hundreds of different kinds of maps, each with its own purpose.

So, as genealogists, when we face the challenge of locating where records of our ancestors and families were created and determining where those records are located today, maps can be quite a boon.

There are few things more frustrating than contacting or visiting a courthouse or other repository and finding that there are no records for the people we expected to find there. Some of us give up, thinking we have hit an impassible brick wall and concluding that maybe our ancestors never lived there at all. But the fact is we may just be looking in the wrong place.

Right Place , Wrong Time
Boundaries and governments have changed over the centuries. Poland , for example, moved its capital between 1596 and 1609 from Krakow to Warsaw , was seized and divided any number of times by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, and ceased to exist on the map for 123 years.

Similarly, land in the United States has changed boundaries. The acquisition of western lands following the American Revolution resulted in the formation of territories that evolved over time into counties, states, parishes, and other divisions. In the years since, some of those towns have appeared and disappeared, while in other instances, names have changed completely.

Because of changes like these, locating places and tracing documents and other evidence can become quite an elusive task for the genealogist. It is therefore incumbent that as you conduct your genealogy research, you also perform scholarly research by studying histories, social conditions, religious attitudes, geographies, gazetteers, and, most-importan tly, maps.

The Importance of Maps
Maps are visual keys to understanding the past at a particular point in time. But it’s not enough to just look at a historical map and make assumptions. You should also employ a step-by-step methodology, like the one that follows, to guide you in locating a place and identifying the geopolitical entity in power at the time your ancestors lived there, and to help you find the likely repositories in which surviving records may be located. Ultimately this process may also make you a more effective researcher.

Step 1: Study the History of the Area at the Time
Start by choosing one ancestor and reviewing everything that you know about him or her. I often put together a time line that lists, year by year, where my ancestor was located and what events took place in his or her life.

Your historical research will add to your existing knowledge about an ancestor by helping you understand more about the political, religious, and social aspects of the area(s) in which your ancestor lived. This will help you determine what records were created at the time, who created them, why they were created, and where they were typically stored. Remember to note boundary changes from the time your ancestors lived in the area to the present and try to identify any place-name changes, as well as places that disa ppeared entirely.

Step 2: Enlist a Contemporary Map
Locate a specific place by taking a broad look at a detailed contemporary map or atlas, one that shows current boundary lines for countries, states, counties, provinces, parishes, and other divisions. Don’t overlook contemporary towns and cities and the lands that they may have annexed over the years because these, too, can alter the future research approach you follow.

Next, locate the specific place or places where your ancestor lived. This is a critical step. If you haven’t been able to pinpoint a person’s home, you can check for references to specific locations in ships’ passenger lists, naturalization papers, family Bibles, census records, obituaries, published cemetery and monumental inscription books and transcriptions, and older histories that cover an area in question.

Note the current state, county, parish, province, or other geopolitical division. Identify surrounding towns, natural features, and structures and their proximity to the place your ancestors lived.

Step 3: When You Can’t Find the Place
Think finding a place can’t possibly be difficult? These examples prove otherwise:

In 1967, three towns in North Carolina —Leaksville, Spray, and Draper—were combined and renamed Eden .

Serbia , Croatia , Slovenia , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Macedonia , and Montenegro were, following World War I and in 1929, formed into Yugoslavia . In the 1990s, individual areas such as Slovenia and Croatia (1991), Macedonia , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Serbia , and Montenegro (1992) declared their independence. These are just two examples of name or boundary changes that can affect your research. In other cases, places may have disappeared due to destruction by a war or natural disaster or may have been abandoned and become so-called “ghost towns.”

When you can’t locate a place, a gazetteer (also sometimes referred to as a place-name dictionary) is a great place to turn. While you can use a contemporary gazetteer, realize that changes may have occurred long ago. For older United State place names, I refer to American Place Names of Long Ago , by Gilbert S. Bahn. Historical postal directories, either printed or microfilmed, can also be used to identify unincorporated locations to which mail, rail shipments, and other materials were delivered (check at local libraries or LDS Family History Centers for availability). Atlases and gazetteers for foreign countries are also good references.

Public libraries, state libraries, local genealogical societies, and/or local historical societies in the area where your ancestor lived may be able to assist you in determining what happened to the place you’re trying to find. Academic libraries may have extensive map collections, histories, and gazetteers. They may also have special collections that contain rare or unique maps and o ther publications.

Finally, search the Library of Congress Geography and Map Collection for assistance in locating “lost” places. The collection features the American Map Collections, 1500—2004 and the Geography and Map Reading Room page. If you need assistance, look for the “Ask a Librarian” link and send an e-mail requesting assistance or call the library’s reference desk directly.

Step 4: Trace Boundary and Government Changes over Time
In your research, it is important to identify the exact times when boundary changes were made and changes in governments occurred. These will have dictated when certain civil records were first created, why they were produced, and what they were used for. Historical research can help you determine where the records were submitted and stored. Further research may tell you if the records remain in the same government facility today, or if they have been transferred to a library, archive, or university library for conservation and storage.

Studying individual areas may tell you precisely when legislation was passed that caused certain records to be created. One example might be the implementation of the Civil Registration System in England in 1837. Registrations of births, marriages, and deaths became mandatory and the records were sent to the General Records Office (GRO). These records are chronologically indexed by year and quarter and accessible to the public a t the Family Records Centre in London . You may also order copies of the civil records for your research and files.

In researching states and counties (or parishes) in the United States and the boundary changes from the time of the government’s first census, I use William Thorndale and William Dollarhide’s book, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790—1920 . Each state or territory is covered, census by census. Maps included in the book show both the old county boundary and the contemporary boundary.

Another indispensable source is Red Book: American State , County, and Town Sources published by Ancestry. Included are maps of each state showing contemporary county boundaries, plus state histories and information on the major record types available.

For example, you would find that the town of Wilmington, Delaware, had a registrar of vital statistics after 1881 and that fairly complete records are located at the Delaware Public Archives. You’ll also learn that elsewhere in Delaware , records of these events didn’t occur until after the creation of the state’s vital statistics office in 1913. In other states, you may find that the state legislature passed laws requiring the recording of births, marriages, and deaths in a certain year but that full compliance by the counties did not occur until some years later.

Step 5: Study Historical Maps of the Period
At this point, historical maps of the time period when your ancestors or family lived in the area become essential. Find a historical map and compar e it with a contemporary map or atlas. You can trace the contemporary map, overlay it onto the historical map, and, while the scales may vary, you will get a very good idea of the geopolitical location where your forebears were when they lived there.

Take into consideration boundary changes, place-name changes, and natural landmark feature changes. Identify the state, county, parish, province, or other geopolitical division in which your ancestor lived at the time and determine the current seat of government in that division at that time.

Identify the likely repository for the records you seek. These may include government offices, courthouses, off-site government storage locations, health departments, bureaus of statistics, registry offices, religious institutions, cemeteries, funeral homes, libraries, and archives. Make contact with the appropriate organization to inquire about specific records, whether they exist, where they are stored, and in what format they have been preserved (paper, microform, digital images), and accessibility by the public.

Step 6: What If the Records Are No Longer There?
It is possible that records that originally were deposited at a particular location are no longer located there. The facility may have run out of room and moved the records to an off-site location. The records may have been placed in a library or archive for preservation and public access. They may have been sent to a state library or archive or to the state’s bureau of vital statistics. It also is possible that, to conserve s pace, the original records were microfilmed and subsequently destroyed.

Inquire about the disposition of the records and specifically ask where they are and in what format they’re in. It’s not uncommon to ask a clerk if the facility has the records and to receive the reply, “No.” It is only when you inquire further (”Well, can you tell me where they are or what happened to them?”) that you’ll receive a response that guides you to the materials you need.

Map for Success
Genealogical research involves learning about many different disciplines including history, sociology, and religion.

Geography, however, is also an integral key to success in locating ancestors and finding the documentary evidence they left behind. But don’t just make assumptions—they can often lead you to the wrong place. Employing this six-step methodology will help ensure you have greater success in locating the proof you want and need. You’ll be glad you did.

George G. Morgan is the author of the Ancestry Daily News column “Along Those Lines “”, three books, and hundreds of magazine and journal articles published all across the United States , Canada , and the United Kingdom . He is currently the president of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE), a director of the Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG), a director of the Florida Genealogy Society ( Tampa ), a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the Society of Genealogists (U.K.), and belongs to more than a dozen genealogical societies. He lives in Odessa , Florida. Bibliography
Bahn, Gilbert S., Ph.D. American Place Names of Long Ago . Baltimore , MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., 1998.

Eicholz, Alice, Ph.D., CG, ed. Red Book: American State , County, and Town Sources . 3d ed. Provo , UT : Ancestry, 2004.

Szucs, Loretto Dennis, and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy . 2d ed. Salt Lake City , UT : Ancestry, 1997. (Note: A third, revised edition of this book is due out later this year.)

Thorndale, William, and William Dollarhide. Map Guide to the U.S Federal Censuses: 1790-1920 . Reprint. Baltimore , MD : Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000.

Questioning Place Once you’ve chosen an ancestor to research, try to answer the following que stions to get a better idea of the places he or she may have lived and to ultimately help you track down records.

  • When and where was the person born?
  • When and where was he or she christened or baptized?
  • What do I know about the parents, including their place of residence, occupation(s), marriage, and death information?
  • Did my target research person attend school and, if so, when and where?
  • Were there other siblings and, if so, when and where were they born?
  • When and where did my target person marry?
  • Whom did he or she marry and where was that spouse living at the time?
  • What children did the couple have and when and where were the children born?
  • What life experiences influenced the target person and where he or she may have migrated?
  • When and where did the person die and wher e was the body interred?
Earth, Google-style Want to see more than a map of an ancestral home place? You have two basic choices—book a flight or travel courtesy of Google.

Google Earth is the search engine’s foray into virtual travel. Billed as a “3D interface to the planet,” Google Earth takes the user directly where desired—instantly.

Using the service is simple: just type in an address and watch as Google flies you across the country to your destination. Zoom in or zoom out. See homes and buildings. Pick out Grandma’s house or the playground you used to visit. You won’t get a map (although you can ask for directions), but you will get a recent satellite image and a unique perspective on the ancestral home front.

Getting the Most from Your Red BookWhile Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, published by Ancestry, can help you discern modern-day boundaries, its greatest value may be its state-by-state explanation of r ecords, where and how to find them, and what to expect.

Specifically, the tables in Red Book provide the following information for each county or parish:

  • the name of the county
  • a reference to the location of the county or parish on the included map
  • the address of the courthouse or recorder of deeds’ office
  • the date of formation and the parent county, state, and/or territory
  • the year in which certain types of records began to be maintained

To learn more about working with a wide variety of record types, including documents, printed sources, cemetery records, and ethnic resources, you may also want to consult The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, also published by Ancestry.

Useful Map Sites on the Internet

The follow ing sites merely scratch the surface of maps available online, but each one offers a broad view of substantial areas of the world or specific countries. You can also use a Web search engine to locate maps of specific areas by using search phrases like “historical map,” and “North Carolina.”

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