MAPS IN FAMILY HISTORY

AND MAKING YOUR OWN

©2012 by Donald R. Snow

Sections of the Class Notes This page was last updated 2012-04-17.
Go to the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Home Page , Don's Class Listings Page , or Don's Maps Page .

    WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION TO CLASS

  1. Instructors are Donald R. and Diane M. Snow ( snowd@math.byu.edu , dmsnow34@gmail.com ) of Provo and St. George, Utah.
  2. These notes are posted at  http://uvtagg.org/classes/dons/dons-classes.html .  See many additional notes and links about maps on  Don's Maps Page .
  3. Announcements
    1. Family History Update Class Series - all are welcome; 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 1-2:30 PM, Morningside Stake Center RS Room - Wed 02 May class will be on 25 OF OUR FAVORITE FAMILY HISTORY WEBSITES -  last class until the Fall -- details and schedule are on http://uvtagg.org/classes/dons/dons-classes.html
    2. Southern Utah Family History and Genealogy Group meeting this Sat 21 Apr 2012 10 am-noon, St. George East Stake Center (across the street east of the Temple) - Kathy Blake on Little Known Parts of FamilySearch
    3. Register for an LDS account -- go to https://apps.lds.org/sign-in/go/login.jsf -- Same user name and password can be used at FS, nFS, FS Indexing, and ward and stake websites at http://www.lds.org
    4. Use your LDS account to generate a 9-Generation Pedigree Fan Chart of your FS data -- http://www.createfan.com -- Can also generate fan charts for anyone in FS, if you know their PID (their FS Personal Identifier number), by going to http://www.treeseek.com .
    5. Can also register with your LDS account to use the new interface for your nFS data at FamilySearch Family Tree -- Register once at  https://familysearch.org/invite/familytree_tab  with your LDS account.  This is in addition to registering for an LDS Account and you only have to do it once.
    6. Now whenever you go to  https://www.familysearch.org  [Note the "s" after http] and sign in with your LDS account (upper right hand corner) you will see a new tab "Family Tree" next to the FS logo.  That shows you your FS data in the new format -- called FamilySearch Family Tree (FS FT) -- Many advantages to using this interface, e.g. editing is easy, you can edit things you didn't submit yourself, and you can enter URL's for sources and images.  By the end of 2012 this will be the way everyone gets to the nFS data.  The Summary data in nFS will be carried over to FS FT, so if the Summary in nFS shows the correct data, it will be correct in FS FT, but you can always edit it in FS FT.
    7. 1940 US Census was released two weeks ago (2 Apr 2012) and FamilySearch Indexing is working on it -- You can help -- Sign up with your LDS account at  http://the1940census.com/?cid=fsHomeT1940Plt -- Many stakes have set indexing goals, e.g. Morningside Stake has set a goal of indexing 600,000 records this calendar year - see Thermometer Charts on ward bulletin boards
  4. Today's class will discuss online maps for family history and making your own. For more details see Don's Map Page on the UVTAGG website above.

    5. OVERVIEW OF MAPS IN GENEALOGY

  5. Maps give a visual representation of information in compact form -- e.g. locations, distances, relationships of places, geographical features
  6. 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)
  7. GPS tools - very helpful in family history -- even some cameras have them now

    8. GAZETTEERS AND WEBSITES

  8. "Gazetteer" means book or website describing locations in words, including their history and geography
  9. Getty Museum Thesaurus -- http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/tgn/ -- very helpful online gazetteer
  10. Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary (Gazetteer) of England of 1848 (4 vols) -- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=445

    11. WORLDWIDE MAP COLLECTIONS

  11. David Rumsey Map Collection -- http://www.davidrumsey.com -- large collection of historical maps, constantly added to
  12. 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
  13. A to Z Maps Online through Washington County Utah Library system -- http://www.atozmapsonline.com/a-z_maps_online_login.asp
  14. Links to map collections, mostly at colleges and universities -- http://www.libraryspot.com/maps
  15. New York Public Library Digital Collection -- http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?keyword=maps -- and for more info see -- http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com/2008/08/maps-online-from-new-york-public.html

    16. UNITED KINGDOM MAPS

  16. England 1851 Jurisdictions maps -- http://maps.familysearch.org -- shows parishes, locations, information, probate courts, links; interactive and can be used like a gazetteer

    17. UNITED STATES MAPS

  17. US Geological Survey (USGS) -- http://www.usgs.gov/
  18. US National Map by USGS -- http://nationalmap.gov/index.html -- a major website with many helps and links, includes topos, historic, and aerial views
  19. National Atlas -- http://www.nationalatlas.gov/ -- many printable maps
  20. Library of Congress Map Collection -- http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/ and http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ListSome.php?category=Maps
  21. Shows US state and county changes over time, but not complete yet -- http://www.familyhistory101.com/maps.html -- based on Animap
  22. US county boundary changes over time -- http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/ -- Interactive map that you can select year and refresh to see county lines that year
  23. US historical
    1. Growth of the US - 10-minute online video -- http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie2.html
    2. Early US Maps -- http://www.maphistory.info/imageus.html
    3. Historical Map and Chart Collection -- http://historicalcharts.noaa.gov/historicals/search -- Office of Coast Survey (NOAA)
    4. Historic Land Ownership and Reference Atlases ($$$, but free at FHCs) -- http://search.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=List&dbid=1205
    5. Marshall Historic Maps Collection -- http://historical.mytopo.com/ -- Historic USGS topo maps
    6. Historic and bird's eye view maps, primarily New England ($$$, some free) -- http://www.old-maps.com/
  24. Pioneer Library (for Utahns through their public library's website using their library card) -- Pioneer Library Map Links and Historical Maps Links on Pioneer Library
  25. LDS Church history maps -- http://scriptures.lds.org/en/chmaps/contents

    26. SURNAME DISTRIBUTION MAPS

  26. Surname distribution maps -- http://pricegen.com/localizesurname.htm
  27. Dynastree surname maps -- http://www.dynastree.com/maps

    28. GOOGLE MAPS

  28. http://maps.google.com/ or http://www.google.com > Maps (upper left side)
  29. 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)
  30. Your Virtual Turnpike -- http://www.vpike.com/ -- type in an address and it goes there immediately and shows you the map and street view
  31. Making a Google map on My Maps
    1. Log in with your free Google account, e.g. when you got a gmail address
    2. Click on Maps > My Places -- lists the maps you have created and there is a button to create a new one
    3. To follow the Interactive Tutorial click on it > then on Start Mapping and follow the directions; be sure to save each location to the map you are creating
    4. Can make your map public so everyone can see it or unlisted so only the people who know the URL can see it -- to  get the URL click on "Link" [upper right hand corner of the panel]
    5. Examples of maps you can make: chronology map of yours or an ancestor's life, where they lived, important events, travels, where groups of your ancestors lived, FH trips 
  32. Examples of Google maps that Snows have created 
    1. Timeline map of Ann Stafford Snow Condie's life -- Click here
    2. Helpful locations near the London Family History Centre at Hyde Park Chapel -- Click here
    3. Places Don and Diane have lived -- this one is Unlisted
  33. Google Earth -- http://earth.google.com/ -- free program, very powerful
Go to the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Home Page , Don's Class Listings Page , or Don's Maps Page .