Start your family tree. We'll start searching. It's FREE. - Enter a few simple facts about recent generations of your family. We'll use what you enter to try and find more about your family in the world's largest online collection of historical records and family trees.
Bookmark and Share
SEARCH THIS SITE
 
Research in State Map Collections
AL - AZ - AR - CA - CO - CT - DE - FL - GA - ID - IL - IN - IA - KS - KY - LA - MA - MD - ME - MI - MN - MO - MT - MS - NE - NV - NH - NJ - NM - NY - NC - ND - OH - OK - OR - PA - RI - SC - SD - TN - TX - VA - UT - VT - WA - WV - WI - WY

 

Alabama - To date about 95 percent of Alabama has been mapped in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Alabama. These topographic quadrangle maps show selected man-made and natural features as well as the shape and elevation of features. Features include state, county, and municipal boundary lines; townships, ranges, roads, railroads, and buildings; and mountains, valleys, streams, and rivers. The earliest survey maps for Alabama are dated from 1901.

The Alabama Highway Department has prepared a series of county road maps. These maps contain more detailed information about man-made features than the geological survey maps. In addition to roads and boundaries, these maps locate rural communities, churches, and cemeteries. The maps are available for a nominal fee from the Alabama Highway Department, Bureau of Planning and Programming, Montgomery, Alabama 36130.

Another important series of maps for incorporated municipalities is the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. These maps, dating from 1884 to 1950, include 110 Alabama communities. The maps indicate street names, property boundaries, building use, and in some cases property owners. Originals are available in the Library of Congress and in the University of Alabama Library (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies). They were microfilmed (twelve reels) in 1982 by Chadwyck-Healy of Alexandria, Virginia.

Sara Elizabeth Mason's bibliography, A List of Nineteenth Century Maps of the State of Alabama (Birmingham, Ala.: Birmingham Public Library, 1973), is very helpful in identifying and locating early Alabama maps. The list includes the holdings of the library of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Auburn University in Auburn, the University of Alabama, Samford University, Mobile Public Library, and Birmingham Public Library . Descriptive annotations as well as detailed physical descriptions add to the usefulness of the list.

The Rucker Agee Map Collection, a privately acquired donation found at the Birmingham Public Library, is an incomparable collection of maps documenting the cartographic history of the southeast and in particular Alabama.

Back to top

Alaska - The United States Geological Survey publishes a catalog of topographical maps which cover the entire state of Alaska. Ask for the publications entitled “Alaska Catalog of Topographical and other Published Maps,” and “Alaska Index to Topographic and Map Coverage.” The catalog lists the over-the-counter dealers of U.S. Geological maps in Alaska (see Introduction). Residents of Alaska may order Alaska maps from the Alaska Distribution Section, U.S. Geological Survey, New Federal Building, Box 12, 101 Twelfth Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701.

Many libraries maintain reference files of the published maps of the U.S. Geological Survey. In Alaska, maps are deposited in the libraries of the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys in Anchorage, Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys at College, the University of Alaska at Fairbanks; the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, both in Juneau; the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys and the public library in Ketchikan; and the Matanuska-Susitna Community College in Palmer.

The National Archives/Alaska Region has a large collection of Alaskan maps indexed in the “Guide to Cartographic Records in the National Archives” (Special List #13). They include railroad maps, federal lands, various historical maps, mining areas, judicial district maps, mineral claims, steamship routes, early Eskimo and Russian settlements, and topographical maps. One map of special interest in conducting native research is an 1875 map showing the distribution of native tribes in Alaska and the adjoining territories. The Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston has an unusual collection of Alaska historical maps dating from 1865 to 1888 that should not be overlooked.

Back to top

Arizona - All of the Sanborn maps of Arizona are on microfilm and are not available for interlibrary loan. They can be photocopied for a small fee from the Arizona State Archives. County and city maps in various sizes may be purchased from the Arizona Department of Transportation, Highways Division, 206 South Seventeenth Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. First order the general Highway Map Brochure for the latest listings offered.

Map collections are also found at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, and the University of Arizona at Tucson, Arizona 85721. The Arizona Historical Society, 949 East Second Street, Tucson, Arizona 85719 lists several thousand maps from the Spanish era to the present.

Back to top

Arkansas -   The Arkansas State Highway Commission, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, prepared a complete set of Arkansas county maps entitled General Highway and Transportation Maps of Counties of Arkansas.  These detailed maps show such landmarks as roads, cemeteries, towns, railroads, watercourses, dwellings, farms, churches, schools, businesses, factory or industrial plants, and sawmills for each county in the state. Copies of this softbound compilation, no longer available for purchase, are available for research at the Arkansas History Commission, which also houses a fine collection of maps pertaining to Arkansas.

Back to top

California -   Warren A. Beck's Historical Atlas of California (Oklahoma Press, 1974), available in many libraries, provides a basic map reference at different points in California's history. Other useful references in maps and guides to California place-names and published atlases are the following:

  • Durrenberger, Robert W. Pattern on the Land: Geographical, Historical, and Political Maps of California. Palo Alto, Calif.: National Press Books, 1965.
  • Gudde, Irwin G. California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names. 3d ed. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 1969.
  • Gudde, Irwin G. California Gold Camps: A Geographical and Historical Dictionary of Camps, Towns, and Localities Where Gold was Found and Mined … (Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 1975).

Sanborn maps are available for California. Most libraries in California have both political and geographic maps for the state. Particularly noteworthy is the collection at the Map Center, 2440 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, California 94704.

Back to top

Colorado - Colorado Geological Survey Maps are available from the National Archives/Rocky Mountain Region. The Western History Collection at the Denver Public Library has an extensive map collection of over 2,000 maps which include explorations, surveys, railroad maps, trails, mining expeditions, and land grants. Included in their collection is a reference by George R. Erchler called Colorado Place Names (Boulder, Colo.: Johnson Publishing, 1980).

Good map collections are also located at Norlin Library of the University of Colorado, Boulder, 80224; Colorado State Archives; and the School of Mines' Arthur Lakes Library.

Guide to the Colorado Ghost Towns and Mining Camps (4th ed. rev., Athens, Ohio: Shallow Press, 1974), compiled by Perry Eberhart, dicusses an important aspect of Colorado's political geography.

Back to top

Connecticut - Essential companions to place name directories in Connecticut are the fine series of Beers Atlases produced in the 1860-70s detailing structures, property owners, places of business, schools, cemeteries, and churches in each town. Bound in folio-sized books by county, many Connecticut libraries, in addition to the Connecticut State Library, have these excellent resources. The earlier, 1852 Clark's County Maps are equally available at the same locations.

Back to top

Delaware - Although somewhat dated, another good collection of maps is the Atlas of the State of Delaware by Daniel G. Beers (1868; reprint, Georgetown, Del.: Sussex Prints, 1978). For quick reference, maps of Delaware hundreds are on the inside back cover of the Delaware Genealogical Society Journal and in Hancock's The Reconstructed Delaware State Census of 1782. One of the best collections of Delaware maps is at the Delaware State Archives.

Back to top

District of Columbia - The largest collections of District of Columbia maps are found at the National Archives and the Library of Congress. Joseph Martin, A New and Comprehensive Gazetteer of Virginia and the District of Columbia (Charlottesville, Va.: the author, 1835), is available at the Library of Congress, the FHL in Salt Lake City, and the University of Virginia Library in Charlottesville. See also the National Geographic Society (U.S.) Cartographic Division, Round About the Nation's Capital (Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1956). The FHL has a series of Washington, D.C., ward maps dating from 1829 to 1868. Some Maryland and Virginia gazetteers, maps, and atlases include sections for the District of Columbia.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Washington, D.C., 1888–1950, are housed at the Library of Congress and microfilm copies are available at the District of Columbia Archives (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies). Real estate atlases and plat maps dating from 1887 to the present may be found at the Washingtoniana Division of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 900 F Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. The Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies), has a collection of maps and atlases. Both the Washingtoniana Division and the Historical Society have a complete set of local city directories dating from 1822.

Back to top

Florida - Noteworthy collections of early-to-modern Florida maps are held by the Florida Historical Society Library headquartered at the University of South Florida Library, Tampa, FL 33620; the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History and the Map Collection, University of Florida Libraries, Gainesville, FL 32611; the Robert Manning Strozier Library, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306; Special Collections, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124; and the John C. Pace Library, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL 32514.

Back to top

Georgia - Early Georgia maps are crucial for tracing colonial families. The Georgia Department of Archives and History has maps of Georgia for sale showing the land lottery and the militia districts.

   The largest collection of historical Georgia maps includes some 30,000 items, with many county maps and large, detailed state maps. The Georgia Surveyor General Department, Floor 2V of the Georgia Department of Archives and History , has the collection and will make copies for a fee. Modern maps of Georgia counties and some cities can be ordered for a fee from Map Room, Georgia Department of Transportation, 2 Capitol Square, Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Back to top

Hawaii - The United States Geological Survey publishes a catalog of topographical maps covering the state of Hawaii (also American Samoa and Guam). Ask for the publications entitled “Hawaii Catalog of Topographical and other Published Maps,” and “Hawaii Index to Topographical and other Map Coverage.” The catalog lists over-the-counter dealers of U.S. geological maps in Hawaii. Many libraries maintain reference files of the published maps of the Geological Survey. In Hawaii the maps are deposited in the library at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, the Hamilton Library at the University of Hawaii, Manoa and at the Joseph F. Smith Learning Resource Center on the Brigham Young University - Hawaii Campus.

The Hawaii State Archives has detailed “fire maps” of Honolulu dating back to 1879. Urban areas on other islands also begin as early as 1912. These maps were made for fire insurance purposes, and show the placement of buildings on lots and the type of construction.

Back to top

Idaho - Maps are essential in conducting on-site research, locating towns and cemeteries, and plotting mining claims. Several maps are available for Idaho which are helpful in conducting on-site or historical research.

The United States Geological Survey maps are available for Idaho. Two catalogs will help locate the needed sections: “Idaho, Index to Topographical and Other Map Coverage” and “Idaho, Catalog of Topographic and Other Published Maps.” These catalogs give the current cost of each topographical map and provide a listing of over-the-counter map sellers in Idaho.

Major libraries in Idaho have been designated by the U.S. Geological Survey as map depository libraries. They include: Boise State University in Boise; University of Idaho in Moscow; Idaho State University in Pocatello; Public Library, 812 East Clark Street, Pocatello; and Ricks College in Rexburg. The first three, along with the Library and Archives of the Idaho State Historical Society are the major map repositories in the state.

Ralph N. Preston's Maps of Early Idaho (Corvallis, Oreg.: Western Guide Publishers, 1972) is an excellent collection of early Idaho maps beginning with the 1804 Lewis and Clark trail map to a present-day map of the state. The various maps detailing the history of Idaho are valuable for genealogical research as they show overland stage routes, old military roads, Indian battle grounds, old forts, old mining areas, and early towns. Another set of historical maps has been published by the Idaho State Historical Society and annotated by Meryl W. Wells is An Atlas of Idaho Territory, 1863-1890 (Boise, Idaho: Idaho State Historical Society, 1978).

Back to top

Illinois -    County atlases and plat books are at the Illinois State Historical Library. They cover a period of ca. 1870 to 1930 and give details of each township and indicate ownership. Plat books may not be photocopied or loaned. Excellent map collections can also be found at Illinois State Library, Galesburg Public Library, Chicago Historical Society and the map library of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

Illinois highway maps are available free through either of the following offices: Illinois Secretary of State, Communications Department, Springfield, Illinois 62756; or Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, 620 East Adams, Springfield, Illinois 62701.

The earliest Sanborn map for Illinois in this collection is 1884. Suggested references are: Adams, James N. Illinois Place Names. Springfield, Ill.: Illinois State Historical Society, 1968. Addendum by Lowell M. Volkel. Springfield, Ill.: Illinois State Historical Library, 1989. Mitchell, S. Augustus. County and Township Map of the State of Illinois. N.p., 1979. Newberry Library. Checklist of Printed Maps of the Middle West to 1900. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1980. The eleven volumes list all known pre-1900 plat maps and plat books for the state of Illinois.

Back to top

Indiana -   County maps can be found in the surveyor's office of most courthouses and may sometimes be purchased or photocopied. They include historical county maps and contemporary county, township, and city maps.

Maps of Indiana Counties in 1876, a reprint of the 1876 Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana has been published by the Indiana Historical Society.

The earliest Sanborn Fire Insurance Map available for the state of Indiana is 1883. The Indiana State Library has a few Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps on microfilm; the Indiana University Geography and Map Library in Bloomington, however, has an almost complete collection of these maps. Atlas and plat maps for each county and township dating 1875 to present are at the Indiana State Library.

Back to top

Iowa - Among the standard map references for Iowa, in addition to the numerous county atlases for all areas of the state, is Alfred Theodore Andreas's Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875. 1875. Reprint. Iowa City: State Historical Society, 1970) which superbly illustrates towns and farms, specifically locating patrons to the publication. An indexed patron's list with place of residence, county and state of birth, and year of emigration is included.

The earliest Sanborn Fire Insurance map of Iowa is 1883. The State Historical Society of Iowa publishes and sells Fire Insurance Maps of Iowa Cities and Towns: A List of Holdings, compiled by Peter H. Curtis and assisted by Richard S. Green and Edward N. McConnell (Iowa City, Iowa: Iowa State History Department, 1983), which lists the society's collection. All fire insurance maps (Sanborn and others) have been compiled into one microfilm collection that is at both branches of the State Historical Society research library, the University of Iowa, and the Library of Congress. Of the approximately 4,000 Iowa maps included in both locations of the State Historical Society of Iowa library, the Des Moines branch has original plat maps created by the territorial land surveyors.

Newberry Library's Checklist of Printed Maps of the Middle West to 1900, 11 vols. (Boston: G. K. Hall, 1980), lists all known pre-1900 plat maps and plat books for the state of Iowa.

Current county maps for Iowa can be ordered by sending check or money order to the Iowa Department of Transportation Office Supplies, Ames Storeroom, Ames, Iowa 50010. A “small” map is fifteen cents, the “larger” map is twenty-five cents. The larger map is 17 x 22 or 17 x 28 inches, depending on the particular county. The maps are fairly easy to read, divided by townships and sections, and show highways, railroads, cities and towns, and rivers and streams.

Back to top

Kansas - Robert W. Baughman's Kansas In Maps, 104 pages, first published in 1969 by the Kansas State Historical Society, contains ninety maps. It was reprinted in 1988 by the Patrice Press in St. Louis.

A good series of maps showing the expansion and development of Kansas counties was published in Kansas State Historical Society's volume 8 of Transactions. These maps were later reprinted by Kansas Genealogical Society, Dodge City in the TreeSearcher, April 1966–January 1967.

The map collection at Kansas State Historical Society includes 21,000 maps and architectural drawings. The maps were produced by government agencies, railroads, map publishers, and individuals. Researchers may requests information regarding specific geographic locations and time periods, including the Kansas Dead Town List for those towns no longer in existence.

Back to top

Kentucky - One of the earliest known maps printed of Kentucky is John Filson's, dated 1784. Helpful in locating early land grants is Luke Munsell's map printed in 1819 entitled “Map of the State of Kentucky together with parts of Indiana and Indian Territories.” A copy of this map can be obtained from the Library of Congress, Photoduplication Service, Washington, D.C. 20540.

The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives houses a collection of Kentucky maps for the period 1784–1818, including agency-sponsored late nineteenth and early twentieth century maps, but this collection is largely unprocessed. Maps for the state are also available at the Kentucky Historical Society, University of Kentucky Library, and the Filson Club Library. These collections include state, county, and city maps. Cadastral maps show land owners, drawn from official registers, used in conjunction with the appropriation of taxes, which list quantity, value, and ownership of real estate.

Back to top

Louisiana -    Most of the larger libraries (public and university) have excellent map collections. Superb maps can be found in the many historic and archive collections throughout the state — for example, the Historic New Orleans Collection in that city's French quarter includes the Bouligny Family Papers and the d'Auberville-Bouligny Family Papers, which document life during both the French and Spanish colonial regimes in Louisiana and have an extensive cartographic collection numbering more than 400 items.

Maps created during Louisiana's changing regimes, by Spanish, French, and American sovereignty give information beyond that obtained from documents and books: the Pierre Clement de Laussat Papers and the Claude Perrin Victor Papers are good examples. Maps of the antebellum era reveal the settlement of population and the growth of transportation systems throughout the state. These also are a part of the Historic New Orleans Collection, one of many repositories in Louisiana.

The State Land Office located in the State Land and Natural Resources Building in Baton Rouge has all of the original and official field notes, survey plats, and maps made by early U.S. surveyors in Louisiana. Plat maps (showing ownership) can also be found in each parish, in the clerk of courts office located in the parish courthouse.

Back to top

Maine -  One superb map can be extensively used for research and traveling, detailing town divisions, geographical details, road surface types, routes of transportation, and locations of cemeteries. It is The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer which is published in updated versions by Delorme Publishing of Freeport, Maine.

Atwood's Length and Breadth of Maine includes helpful maps of towns. Maine State Archives has a computerized index of its fine map collection for Maine after statehood, but it is the Massachusetts State Archives which holds the important lotting maps for the pre-statehood development of Maine. Included in many of the maps are the location of residences and the names of owners.

Back to top

Maryland - ?

Back to top

Massachusetts - ?

Back to top

Michigan - A John Farmer 1855 Wayne County plat map was the first Michigan map to show land ownership. H. F. Wallings' 1873 Atlas for the entire state was reprinted in 1977 by The Bookmark, in Knightstown, Indiana. Many county maps indicating ownership were published as part of the 1876 centennial. Extensive map collections are available at the Library of Michigan and the Burton Historical Collection.

Consult Robert W. Karrow's Checklist of Printed Maps of the Middle West to 1900 (Chicago: The Newberry Library, n.d.). This fourteen-volume set lists all known pre-1900 plat maps and plat books for eleven states, including Michigan.

Back to top

Minnesota - A. T. Andreas, An Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Minnesota (Chicago: the author, 1874) was the first county atlas of Minnesota. It includes the county maps, cities and townships, illustrations of private homes and businesses in the state, portrait sketches of important citizens, and statistical information. The original atlas is quite scarce, with the only existing copies sometimes available through dealers of rare books. It has, however, been republished as Winona County Historical Society's Atlas of the State of Minnesota, Andreas, 1874 (Evansville, Ind.: Unigraphic, 1976), providing an excellent genealogical reference tool. A companion to it is Paul J. Ostendorf's Every Person's Name Index to An Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Minnesota (Winona, Minn.: St. Mary's College, 1979).

County atlases for Minnesota include maps for the respective county and for townships within that county. The names of property owners are frequently included on these maps. The Minnesota Historical Society has microfilmed many of these atlases which makes them accessible on interlibrary loan.

Library of Congress Fire Insurance Maps in the Library of Congress; Plans of North American Cities and Towns Produced by the Sanborn Map Company (Washington D.C.: Library of Congress, 1981) states that the earliest map of this type for Minnesota is for 1884. There is, however, a Sanborn map for the city of St. Paul for 1875; this map is located at the map library of the Minnesota Historical Society.

The map collection of the Minnesota Historical Society consists of over 35,000 individual maps and 1,300 atlases, the majority of these for Minnesota and the Midwest. The society is a five-state, regional depository for the U.S. Geological Survey maps. They have extensive collections of Minnesota territory and state maps, county and city maps, and fire insurance maps of over 950 Minnesota towns and cities. There are random maps and plat maps in the county records at the Minnesota Historical Society Research Center. The map library of the Wilson Library at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, is an outstanding cartographic repository, not restricted to Minnesota. It includes worldwide maps and associated material. For further information see the following references:

Upham, Warren. Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. 1920. Reprint. St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Historical Society, 1969.
Treude, Mai. Windows to the Past: A Bibliography of Minnesota County Atlases. Minneapolis, Minn.: University of Minnesota, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, 1980.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation, Room B-20, St. Paul, Minnesota 55155, provides a series of current state, county, and city maps.

Back to top

Mississippi - Historical maps found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History can be accessed through the Chronological Listing arranged by date and situation of the map. Included in this list are numerous maps dating from 1500 to 1984. This selection contains all accessioned maps, including some produced by governmental agencies such as the U.S. Geological Survey and the Mississippi State Highway Department. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps help identify location of structures.

County highway maps, produced by the Mississippi State Highway Department, Map Sales, P.O. Box 1850, Jackson, Mississippi, 39215-1850, are available for a nominal fee. These maps are useful when trying to locate cemeteries in the state.

Information in respect to state and federal legislation of land is uncovered in the Mississippi Historical Records Survey, State and County Boundaries of Mississippi (Jackson, Miss.: Historical Records Survey, 1942). This publication presents, in summary form, all the laws affecting the boundaries of the state of Mississippi, the counties in the state, and the judicial districts that were changed either by law, treaty, or proclamation.

Back to top

Missouri - One of the best publications for Missouri maps is Milton D. Rafferty, Historical Atlas of Missouri (Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, 1981). Detailed county maps showing cemeteries, houses, churches, schools, and all county roads are available from the Missouri State Highway Department, Division of Planning, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101. The researcher should ask for “General Highway Map of _____ County.” The cost is minimal.

Other maps which will be helpful to the Missouri researcher are:
Campbell, R. A. Gazetteer of Missouri. St. Louis, Mo.: R.A. Campbell, 1874.
Ramsey, Robert L. Our Storehouse of Missouri Place Names. 1952. Reprinted. Columbia, Mo.: University of Missouri Press, 1973.
Selby, Paul O. “A Bibliography of Missouri County Histories and Atlases. ” 2d Edition. Kirksville, Mo.: Bulletin of the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College. Vol. 66, No. 12 (1966.)
Wetmore, Alphonso. Gazetteer of the State of Missouri. St. Louis, Mo.: C. Keemle, 1837.

Back to top

Montana - Maps can be very useful in conducting Montana research, especially in light of the now extinct communities. Several kinds of maps are available which can help in locating land, mining claims, ghost towns, or ranches.

The U.S. Geological Survey topographical maps for Montana (see Introduction) can be ordered from the two following publications: “Montana, Catalog of Topographical and Other Published Maps,” and “Montana, Index to Topographic and Other Map Coverage.” The catalog will provide the current cost for each topographical map and a listing of over-the-counter map dealers in Montana.

The libraries in the state designated by the U.S. Geological Survey as map depository libraries are Eastern Montana College, Billings; Montana State University, Bozeman; Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology, Butte; Northern Montana College, Havre; Montana Historical Society and Montana State Library, Helena; Lewistown City Library, Lewistown; and the University of Montana, Missoula.

The state lacks a historical atlas; however, Roberta Cheney, Names on the Face of Montana, rev. ed., (Missoula, Mont.: Mountain Press, 1987), can prove helpful in locationg places during specific time periods.

Back to top

Nebraska - The Nebraska State Historical Society holds the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Nebraska. Early county atlases are on microfilm for all counties except Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Garden, Hooker, Kimball, Logan, McPherson, and Thomas.

Everts and Kirk. The 1885 Official State Atlas of Nebraska. Reprinted in 1976 with 10,000 name index by Margie Sobotka. Fremont, Nebr.: Eastern Nebraska Genealogical Society, 1976.
Nimmo, Sylvia. Maps Showing County Boundaries of Nebraska 1854–1925. Papillion, Nebr.: the author, 1978. It is available from 6201 Kentucky Road, Route 21, Papillion, Nebraska 68133.

Back to top

Nevada - A wide variety of maps are offered by the Nevada Department of Transportation, Map Section, Room 206, 1263 South Stewart Street, Carson City, Nevada 89712. They will send a catalog and price list of the maps that they have available. There are thirty-minute quadrangle maps of the entire state, a bound volume of all of these and others comprising an atlas of 168 maps, a geographic names directory containing 11,000 place-names, area maps, and maps of the following cities: Boulder City, Caliente, Carlin, Elko, Ely, Fallon, Gabbs, Lovelock, Wells, Winnemucca, and Yerington.

The United States Geological Survey will supply any of their maps for a nominal fee (see Introduction). Addresses of local map reference libraries and local map dealers are available from them as well. Request their index for Nevada and then determine which maps will be of assistance.

Back to top

New Hampshire - New Hampshire is a state with excellent map sources, making it possible to follow migration trails with the use of political divisions and geographic features. David A. Cobb, New Hampshire Maps to 1900: An Annotated Checklist (Concord, N.H.: New Hampshire Historical Society, 1981), helps to identify and locate many maps for research purposes.

An excellent, currently published atlas for the entire state is The New Hampshire Atlas and Gazetteer (Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Publishing, 1986). It is continually updated and has excellent cartography of New Hampshire features including roads (indicating type of surface), structures, some cemeteries, and churches. Although slightly oversized for easy carrying, its usefulness outweighs this hindrance.

As with other New England states, obtaining a copy of the town's lotting map (the way land was divided before being granted or sold) can be extremely beneficial in solving genealogical problems. The most comprehensive collection of these can be found at the New Hampshire Records and Archives. The layouts are cataloged by town and include the numbering process of lots and, in many cases, name of the original proprietor, which can help backtrack land holdings and provide a chain of title for problem solving. Many of these are found in the New Hampshire State Papers as well.

Back to top

New Jersey - Useful highway maps are available in all or most counties and older maps have been published, mostly from the 1840s to the 1880s, in county histories, atlases, and in individual sheets. Excellent collections of maps are at the New Jersey Historical Society, the New Jersey State Library, and the New Jersey State Archives. At the state library are some modern city maps marked to show ward boundaries. These are helpful for locating persons in census records when an address is known. The state archives has many maps for locating roads described in the county road returns.

Back to top

New Mexico - Both a good atlas and place-name index exist for research in New Mexico:

Beck, Warren, and Ynez D. Haase. Historical Atlas of New Mexico. Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, 1969.
Pearce, T. M. New Mexico Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1965.

Back to top

New York - The first place to obtain a map is in each county, usually in the county treasurer's office for a dollar or two. Most maps are large enough to show all county roads, and a further benefit is that most show the towns in different colors, making them easily distinguishable. Many more maps can be found at the courthouse in the county clerk's or tax offices. They can be useful for locating a specific piece of property; but the further back in time, the fewer maps will be available. A map is sometimes included with a recorded deed. More detailed maps are available for cities, villages, and towns, and a good place to look for these would be local libraries. U. S. topographical maps are useful for locating cemeteries. Excellent map collections are at the New York Public Library, the New York State Archives, and the New-York Historical Society.

Numerous county maps are found in county histories and county atlases. For a list of these, see Albert Hazen Wright, A Check List of New York State County Maps Published 1779–1945 (Ithaca, N. Y.: Cornell University, 1965).

On a larger scale, David H. Burr's An Atlas of the State of New York (New York, N.Y.: David H. Burr, 1829) and Joseph R. Bien's Atlas of the State of New York (New York, N.Y.: J. Bien & Co., 1895) are useful; the latter work includes some original land patents. For patents, 1624–1800, and a series of maps showing county formations and migration routes, consult the excellent Richards Atlas of New York State, 2d ed., edited by Robert J. Rayback (Phoenix, N.Y.: Frank E. Richards, 1965). A state map showing all counties and towns can be obtained from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

David Kendall Martin, “The Districts of Albany County, New York, 1772–1784,” The NYG&B Newsletter 1 (1990): 9, 12–13, while covering only one section of the province, includes maps that help show that county's divisions prior to the creation of towns in 1788.

A “Map of the Meetings constituting New-York Yearly Meeting of Friends,” 1821, by Dr. Shadrach Ricketson, is found facing page 263 in volume 45 of The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (1914).

Back to top

North Carolina -    Excellent maps, atlases, and gazetteers for North Carolina are readily available. The best gazetteer available for North Carolina is William Stevens Powell, The North Carolina Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places (Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1968). The Gazetteer includes historical definitions, derivations of place-names, and exact locations. It is cross-indexed well and gives references for the first use of place-names. An important historical publication is Richard Edwards, ed., Statistical gazetteer of the states of Virginia and North Carolina (Richmond, Va.: Published for the Proprietor, 1856).

There are several excellent atlases and map guides available for North Carolina. James W. Clay, Douglas M. Orr, Jr., and Alfred W. Stuart, eds., North Carolina atlas: Portrait of a changing southern state. (Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1975), is perhaps the best atlas available. Fifteen North Carolina maps are included in William P. Cummings, North Carolina in Maps, (Raleigh, N.C.: State Department of Archives and History, 1966). See also Garland P. Stout, Historical Research Maps: North Carolina Counties, 5 vols. (Greensboro, N.C.: Garland P. Stout, 1973).

The North Carolina Department of Archives and History has revised David Leroy Corbitt, The Formation of the North Carolina Counties 1663 to 1943 (1950; 2d printing, Raleigh, N.C.: State Department of Archives and History, 1969). This guide is essential for determining the historical boundaries of North Carolina's counties.

Back to top

North Dakota - The State Archives and Historical Research Library holds a one-reel microfilm index (series 1121) to Cartographic Records of North Dakota that are in the custody of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

County plat books and atlases from 1884, including Andreas's Historical Atlas of Dakota, are also housed at the archives as well as other repositories with North Dakota collections.

See William C. Sherman, Prairie Mosaic: An Ethnic Atlas of Rural North Dakota (Fargo, N.Dak.: North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies, 1983), which will be most helpful, as will Northwestern Gazetteer: Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana Gazetteer and Business Directory (St. Paul, Minn.: R. L. Polk and Co., 1914).

Back to top

Ohio - The earliest Sanborn Map for Ohio is an 1875 map for Zanesville, held by the Ohio Historical Society. Consult the Newberry Library Checklist of Printed Maps of the Middle West to 1800 (2 vols. Boston, Mass.: G. K. Hall, 1980), although this is not an inclusive listing for maps in Ohio. It does not, for example include those held by the Western Reserve Historical Society. Other excellent sources include:

   Brown, Lloyd A. Early Maps of the Ohio Valley: A Selection of Maps, Plans and Views Made by Indians and Colonials From 1673–1783. Pittsburgh, Pa.: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1959.
   Kilbourn, John. The Ohio Gazetteer, Or, Topographical Dictionary Containing A Description of the Several Counties, Towns, Etc. Columbus, Ohio: J. Kilbourn, 1826.
   Smith, Thomas H. The Mapping of Ohio. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1977.
   Walling, Henry F. Atlas of the State of Ohio. 1867. Reprint. Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1983. Delineates townships, railroads, roads, and geographical features as of 1868.

Back to top

Oklahoma - Maps are particularly important in identifying the previous jurisdictions of the two territories that preceded present-day Oklahoma. The University of Oklahoma Library's Manuscripts Division and the Oklahoma State University Library at Stillwater, Oklahoma, maintain excellent collections for the state and its earlier territories. Guide to Cartographic Records in the National Archives indicates availability of GLO maps which are particularly helpful for Indian Territory.

County maps may be purchased from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Reproduction Branch, 200 N.E. 21st Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105-3204. Fees are minimal.

Some valuable compilations have been published including these:

Boundaries of Oklahoma. Oklahoma City, Okla.: Oklahoma Historical Society, 1980.
Explains the changing borders within the territory and state.
Ghost Towns of Oklahoma. Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, 1978.
Historical Atlas of Oklahoma. 2d ed. Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, ca. 1986.
Historical data and accompanying maps for the various developmental stages of the territory and state.
Oklahoma Department of Highways. Town and Place Locations. Oklahoma City, Okla.: Oklahoma Department of Highways, 1975. Alphabetically arranged listing showing place-name, county, section, township, and range. Includes towns and cities of today as well as towns that have vanished, names of known landmarks, road junctions, or railroad sidings. Lists over 4,200 places in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Place Names. 1965. 2d ed. Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press, 1974. Alphabetically arranged, it begins with “A County” and concludes with “Zybra.”

Back to top

Oregon - Maps are essential in conducting on-site research, plotting mining claims, and in discovering cemeteries and towns. Several helpful maps are available for Oregon.

Ralph N. Preston's Historical Oregon: Overland Stage Routes, Old Military Roads, Indian Battle Grounds, Old Forts, Old Gold Mines (Portland, OR: Binford & Mort, 1978, is an excellent collection of early Oregon maps beginning with the 1804 Lewis and Clark trail map to a present-day map of the state. This collection is valuable for genealogical research because they show overland stage routes, old military roads, Indian battle grounds, old forts, and old mining areas.

Two other important works should be referred to: Erma S. Brown's Oregon County Boundary Change Maps, 1843-1916. (Salem, OR: Erma Brown, 1970), shows the changes in county boundaries; and Lewis A. McArthur's Oregon Geographic Names 5th Ed. (Portland, OR: Oregon Historical Society, 1982) which lists Oregon place names, gives location and history.

City and county maps of Oregon can be obtained by writing the Oregon Department of Transportation, State Highway Division, Map Distribution Unit, Transportation Bldg., Salem, OR 97310.

The United States Geological Survey (see Introduction) will send a free index and catalog of their topographical maps. To obtain these booklets for Oregon, ask for the following two publications: “Oregon, Index to Topographical and Other Map Coverage” and “Oregon, Catalog of Topographic and Other Published Maps.” The catalog will advise as to the current cost for each topographical map, as well as provide a listing of over-the-counter map sellers in Oregon.

Major libraries in Oregon have been designated by the U.S. Geological Survey as map depository libraries. They include: Southern Oregon State College in Ashland; Central Oregon Community College in Bend; Oregon State University in Corvallis; University of Oregon, Law Library and Map Library in Eugene; Pacific University in Forest Grove; Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls; Eastern Oregon State College in La Grande; Linfield College in McMinnville; Western Oregon State College in Monmouth; Lewis and Clark College, Library Association of Portland, Oregon Historical Society Library, and Portland State University in Portland; and the Oregon State Library, State Library Building in Salem.

Back to top

Pennsylvania - County road maps are available in most if not all courthouses. Older maps are published in county histories, county atlases, and in manuscript collections such as at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the state library, and the state archives. Useful city maps can sometimes be found in city directories. An interesting map showing the development of the commonwealth's counties is available for a nominal fee from the land records office (see Land Records). See also Henry F. Walling and O. W. Gray, 1872 Historical Topographical Atlas of the State of Pennsylvania (1872; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977), which has business directories and a place-name index.

Available at the state archives (with copies at the state library and the respective county recorder of deeds) are warrantee maps for twenty-four counties. Those for Fayette, Greene, and Washington were also published and indexed in volume 3 of The Horn Papers by W. F. Horn (New York, N.Y.: Hagstrom Co., 1945), but the preceding two volumes of text are mostly fiction (see William & Mary Quarterly, series three, 4 [1947]: 409–451).

Back to top

Rhode Island - An excellent map of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, 1636–65, makes clear the location and dates of purchase for all of the early settlements. Land disputes and dates of boundaries of resolution are included. A copy can be found in James Truslow Adams, ed., Atlas of American History (New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1943). Two other excellent published map resources are John Hutchins Cady, Rhode Island Boundaries, 1636–1936 (Providence, R.I.: State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, 1936), and Marion I. Wright and Robert J. Sullivan, Rhode Island Atlas (Providence, R.I.: Rhode Island Publications Society, 1982).

Perhaps the largest collection of maps in the state can be found at the Rhode Island Historical Society, although some of these are on microfilm through the FHL. Among the more relevant to genealogical research are the Wallings Series and the Beers' Atlas of 1870, the first one produced for the state. Over 200 categories of maps are listed in the checklist. Town offices usually have lot maps, although no statewide survey exists.

Back to top

South Carolina - Early South Carolina maps are crucial for locating families. The South Caroliniana Library of the University of South Carolina at Columbia has the best collection of early South Carolina maps (see also Manuscripts). The South Carolina Department of Archives and History publishes a free pamphlet, “The Formation of Counties in South Carolina,” which traces the evolution of political subdivisions in the state. The Department also publishes a set of ten guide maps illustrating the development of parishes, districts, and counties.

There is no gazetteer for South Carolina, but a useful substitute is Claude Henry Neuffer, ed., Names in South Carolina, 30 vols. (1954–83; reprint, 4 vols., Spartanburg, S.C.: Reprint Company, 1976–84). See also Joseph B. Martin III, “Guide to Presbyterian Ecclesiastical Names and Places in South Carolina 1685–1985," South Carolina Historical Magazine, 90 (October 1989): 4–215; and Works Progress Administration, Palmetto Place Names (1945; reprint, Easley, S.C.: Reprint Company, 1975).

Robert Mills, Atlas of the State of South Carolina (1825; reprint, Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1980), is fully indexed and mentions many landowners. Thorndale and Dollarhide, 1987 (see Introduction—Census) illustrate the changing boundaries of South Carolina's districts and counties at each decennial census and includes census districts in 1790 and 1800 that were not legal polities. The Map of the States of North & South Carolina published in 1831 by Hinton & Simpkin & Marshall has been reproduced by Jonathan Sheppard Books (Box 2020, Albany, NY 12220).

Back to top

South Dakota - R.L. Polk and Company, Northwestern Gazetteer: Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Montana—Gazetteer and Business Directory (St. Paul: R.L. Polk, 1914) is of great benefit to the Dakota researcher. A good gazetteer containing much local history is Black Hills Ghost Towns by Watson Parker and H.K. Lambert (Chicago: Swallow Press, 1974).

A number of county atlases have been filmed and are available on inter-library loan from the South Dakota State Historical Society. Those accessible to the researcher include the counties of Aurora (1909), Beadle (1906 and 1913), Bon Homme (1912), Brookings (1909), Brown (1905 and 1911), Brule (1911), Campbell (1911), Charles Mix (1906 and 1912), Clark (1929), Clay (1901 and 1924), Codington (1929), Davison (1901 and 1929), Day (1909 and 1929), Deuel (1909), Douglas (1901 and 1910), Edmunds (1905), Faulk (1910), Grant (1910 and 1929), Gregory (1912), Hand (1912), Hanson (1902 and 1910), Hughes (1916), Hutchinson (1910), Hyde (1911), Jerauld (1909), Kingsbury (1909 and 1929), Lake (1911), Lincoln (1910), Lyman (1911), Marshall (1910 and 1924), McCook (1911), McPherson (1911), Miner (1917), Minnehaha (1903), Moody (1909), Potter (1911), Roberts (1910), Sanborn (1912), Spink (1909), Sully (1916), Tripp (1915), Turner (1893 and 1902), Union (1924), Walworth (1941), and Yankton (1910).

Other atlases on microfilm include Andrea's 1884 Historical Atlas of Dakota and Peterson's 1904 Historical Atlas of South Dakota. The Sanborn fire insurance maps (see Introduction) are located at the South Dakota State Historical Society as well.

Back to top

Tennessee -    The McClung Collection at the East Tennessee Historical Center includes a set of maps for the state dating from 1777. This series depicts the development of east Tennessee over twenty years of county organization and jurisdictional changes 

The Tennessee State Library and Archives holdings include historical and current maps, including the U. S. Geological Survey topographical maps. It maintains maps of some Mountain District grants and Ocoee District plat books.

Back to top

Texas -    The General Land Office houses original plat maps for the state. The Texas State Library, archives division, maintains an excellent collection of Texas maps. Original, photocopies, and compiled maps include general state, county survey, road and highway, United States Geological Survey, coastal and nautical, street, town plats, and Birdseye maps with card index to the collection, arranged by date or location. James M. Day's Maps of Texas, 1527-1900: The Map Collection of the Texas State Archives. (Austin: Pemberton Press, 1964) describes maps in the collection acquired prior to 1965.

Back to top

Utah - Divison of Community Relations, Department of Transportation, 4501 South 2700 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84119, provides modern county maps which include locations of residences, cemeteries and land grid, range, and township divisions. The U.S. Geological Survey maps (see Introduction) supplement with additional geographic details.

For historical maps see:

Greer, Deon C., Klaus C. Gurgel, Wayne L. Wahlquist, Howard A. Christy, and Gary B. Peterson. Atlas of Utah. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1981.
Miller, David E. Utah History Atlas. Salt Lake City, Utah: the author, 1964.
Moffat, Riley Moore. Printed Maps of Utah to 1900. Santa Cruz, Calif.: Western Association of Map Libraries, 1981.

The collection of the FHL provides a large group of early maps. See Utah/Maps in the card catalog.

Back to top

Vermont - Excellent maps exist for use in solving genealogical problems in Vermont. Because it is still a sparsely settled state, it is possible literally to retrace many an ancestor's steps, or at least residences.

For research and traveling, one superb atlas details town divisions, geographical details, road surface types, routes of transportation, locations of buildings (including those no longer occupied), and cemeteries. It is The Vermont Atlas and Gazetteer (Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping, 1987), published in updated versions.

The Beers Atlas, detailing the structures and owners in the late nineteenth century in every county, has been reissued in the original county editions by Tuttle Publishing, Box 541, Rutland, Vermont 05701. Only Bennington, Chittenden, and Windsor maps still remain in print, but the entire series is available at the Vermont Historical Society and other research libraries. Originally published by F. W. Beers between 1869 and 1873, these atlases provide a valuable portrait of communities. The same details exist in a set of maps ten years earlier, but the Wallings Map Series from 1858 is only available for reference in large, wall-sized versions at the Vermont Historical Society and other research libraries.

For solving early genealogical problems in Vermont, the most important maps are the town lotting maps. When each town was granted, the land was divided into lots and numbered. Either the lot's number or the original proprietor are so often used in land descriptions that they are essential for locating a family in relationship to neighbors and the broader community. Lot maps may be found in town offices, the Vermont Historical Society, the Vermont Public Records Division, or other state agencies

Back to top

Virginia - The cartographic history of Virginia begins in the early sixteenth century, and maps, atlases, and gazetteers of the area have been produced ever since. Eugene Michael Sanchez-Saavedra, A Description of the Country: Virginia's Cartographers and Their Maps, 1607–1881 (Richmond, Va.: Virginia State Library, 1975) offers a brief history of Virginia's cartographic trends and early maps. James W. Sames III, comp., Index of Kentucky and Virginia Maps 1562 to 1900 (Frankfort, Ky.: Kentucky Historical Society, 1976), indexes the maps on file at The Library of Virginia and the Virginia Historical Society.

The map collection of The Library of Virginia is described in Earl Gregg Swem, comp. Maps Relating to Virginia in the Virginia State Library and other Departments of the Commonwealth... (Reprint, Richmond, Va.: Virginia State Library, 1989). This volume also cites maps in other repositories.

The changing boundaries of Virginia's counties are illustrated in Michael F. Doran, Atlas of County Boundary Changes in Virginia, 1634–1895 (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Publishing Co., 1987). This atlas is a must for Virginia research. See also John S. Hale, A Historical Atlas of Colonial Virginia (Staunton, Va.: Old Dominion Publication, 1978).

Maps showing watercourses are necessary for locating land grants and property described in deeds. See County Road Map Atlas: Commonwealth of Virginia (Richmond, Va.: Department of Transportation, 1987), which can be ordered by individual county, free of charge, from the Department of Transportation, 1401 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219. Detailed topographical maps of Virginia are published in Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer (Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping Company, 1989).

Back to top

Washington - Topographical maps for Washington are available from the U.S. Geological Survey (see Introduction). Ask for the following two publications: “Washington, Index to Topographical and Other Map Coverage” and “Washington, Catalog of Topographic and Other Published Maps.” The catalog states the current cost for each topographical map and provides a listing of over-the-counter map sellers in the state of Washington.

Major libraries in Washington have been designated by the U.S. Geological Survey as map depository libraries. They include the Public Library in Bellevue; Western Washington State University at Bellingham; Eastern Washington University at Cheney; Central Washington University in Ellensburg; Washington State Library in Olympia; Washington State University in Pullman; Public Library and the University of Washington in Seattle; Public Library in Spokane; Pacific Lutheran University, Public Library and the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma; and Whitman College in Walla Walla.

Several publications dealing with historical and reference maps of Washington are available to the public. Among these are: James R. Scott's Washington: A Centennial Atlas. (Bellingham: Western Washington University, 1989); James W. Scott and Roland L. DeLorme's Historical Atlas of Washington. (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1988); and Ralph N. Preston's Early Washington: Overland Stage Routes, Old Military Roads, Indian Battle Grounds, Old Forts, Old Gold Mines (Corvallis, Oreg.: Western Guide Publishers, ca. 1974).

Back to top

West Virginia - Early Virginia maps are crucial to tracing colonial families on the Virginia/West Virginia frontier. See Virginia—Maps for a selected bibliography of early map sources. See also New Descriptive Atlas of West Virginia (Clarksburg, W.Va.: Clarksburg Publishing Co., 1933).

Present-day county road maps are available from West Virginia Department of Highways, Map Sales, 1900 Washington Street East, Charleston, West Virginia 25305, which include many cemetery locations.

The West Virginia and Regional History Collection and the FHL have substantial collections of West Virginia maps, including nineteenth century land ownership maps. See Edgar Barr Sims, Making a State: Formation of West Virginia... (Charleston, W. Va.: E. B. Sims, 1956).

Back to top

Wisconsin - The State Historical Society of Wisconsin has microfilm copies of Wisconsin county plat books, ca. 1870–1900, which are accessible on interlibrary loan. Earlier county plat maps are not microfilmed but can be photocopied on request. State atlases were published for Wisconsin in 1876, 1878, and 1881, and include county maps. They show post offices, schools, churches, and road systems, all valuable information in locating an ancestral family in Wisconsin.

Michael Fox's Maps and Atlases Showing Land Ownership in Wisconsin (Madison, Wis., 1978) is very important in determining precisely what maps are available at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

Aerial photographs of Wisconsin are in the collection of the Arthur Robinson Map Library, Science Hall, University of Wisconsin, Madison. The first topographical map of Wisconsin, of the Stoughton quadrangle, is dated 1889. Bird's-eye view maps are significant for Wisconsin research, inasmuch as they cover the period from 1867 to the end of World War I. There are over 200 for Wisconsin towns and villages. Most are listed in Elizabeth Maule, Bird's Eye View of Wisconsin Communities (Madison, Wis., 1977), and available at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. The maps were drawn with great attention to the buildings existing at the time.

The Golda Meir Library at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, holds the map collection of the American Geographical and Statistical Society. The worldwide collection includes thousands of bound books, maps, gazetteers, and photographs. A unique cataloging program at this repository references maps that appear in books. Queries by mail or phone are answered, most material can be photocopied, and some holdings may be borrowed on interlibrary loan. The library is located at 2311 E. Hartford Avenue, Milwaukee; the mailing address is the American Geographical Society Collection, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Library, P.O. Box 399, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201.

Robert E. Grad and L. G. Sorden, The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names (1968. Reprint. Minocqua, Wis.: Heartland Press, 1988), has an alphabetical list of towns and cities, county in which they are located, and a brief history. The earliest Sanborn map for Wisconsin is 1883.

Back to top

Wyoming - The United States Geological Survey (see Introduction) publishes catalogs of topographical maps covering the state of Wyoming: “Wyoming Catalog of Topographic and other Published Maps” and “Wyoming Index to Topographic and other Map Coverage.” The catalogs list over-the-counter dealers of U.S. Geological maps in Wyoming.

The U.S. Geological Survey has designated certain libraries in Wyoming as map depositories. These include Casper College and Natrona County Public Library in Casper; Wyoming State Library in Cheyenne; Campbell County Public Library in Gillette; University of Wyoming, Coe Library and Geology Library in Laramie; Central Wyoming College in Riverton; Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs; and Sheridan College in Sheridan.

Back to top

 

l Hosted by HostMonster.COM l SiteMap l Copyright © 2008 Genealogy Inc,