by Sue Ziemski
Walking with Your Ancestors: A Genealogist’s Guide to Using Maps and Geography ( Family Tree Books, 2005) is the title of a recent donation to the NVGS Library. This very interesting book covers all aspects of analyzing and researching maps as well as the history and development of various types of maps. The first chapters give a comprehensive overview of using maps for genealogical research and finding places in your family history. For an example of one piece of valuable information there is a section on using metes and bounds in older maps to plot out the actual dimensions and configuration of the property described. This section includes a chart for converting older measurements to modern terms:
There are chapters on topographic maps, land divisions and county maps and atlases, migration trails, military maps, urban maps such as fire insurance maps and a chapter on using GPS. (See NGS Magazine article below that offers more detailed instructions.) The volume has numerous resources listed throughout as well as an index of map collections listed by state. This list also indicates those sites that include extensive collections of fire insurance maps.
This book is available in the map section of the library where NVGS has a collection of atlases and map books as well as flat maps. Also in this area is another volume that is much older (1964) but also interesting in what it offers beyond just maps. The Europa Shell Atlas of Europe has fold-out maps of the European countries; but the valuable information is the extensive index of place names as they were in 1964.
Find more great resources using our Library's online catalog.
