Maps, Gazetteers,Directories Presented by DeAnne Shelley

1. Maps, Gazetteers,Directories Presented by DeAnneShelley

2. The Key Word here is Locate How can Maps, Gazetteers and Directories (MGD) help us find our Ancestors? • Directories can help locate ancestors in larger towns and cities • Gazetteers can help locate ancestors in smaller towns • Maps can help locate surrounding towns and geography

3. These locations can then help us find other records about our ancestors such as • Census Records • Vital Records • Probate Records • Land Records

4. On the Internet On the Internet The Internet is Key to Finding MGDs How do we Find MGDs? • Research Outlines • FHLC • Do a Place Search • Look for M, G, or D in the Subject List • Internet

7. How do we get Research Outlines? • Purchase from SLFHL cost is minimal • FamilySearch Internet Site, free • Order from Church Distribution

8. invented 1876 Directories Why search Directories? • Were there directories before telephones? • Telephones were not widespread until after the 1930s. • Some Directories date back to the 1700s. • They were created for business purposes, but now serve as valuable research tools.

9. [See Reference book 973 E43c . This is an Index to the complete collection.] Directoriesp24 “The Family History Library has a comprehensive collection, City Directories of the United States, …” • This Collection includes 336 cities and regions from the late 1700s to 1935. • The pre-1860 city directories are on more than 6,000 microfiche. • Directories for 1861 to 1935 are on 1,118 microfilms...” There were many Directories before telephones.

10. Directories • A Little Math Shows that this Collection of City Directories contains over 100M names. • There are more directories for other countries • Your ancestor could be listed in one of them

11. What do Directories show? • Name, place of residence, and often the occupation of the resident.

12. This information can help: • Find nearby churches where family members may have been baptized, married, or buried. • Find when the family arrived or left, or when the father died • Find the family in a census – Census Indexes are not always accurate or available.

13. GAZETTEERS What is a Gazetteer? “A gazetteer is a list and description of places.... usually listed in alphabetical order similar to a dictionary.” – It is a Dictionary of Places

14. Gazetteers recommended by the U.S. Research Outline, p28-29 • Bullinger's Postal and Shippers Guide… since 1871 • American Places Dictionary • Omni Gazetteer of the U.S. Most comprehensive with 1.5M places • The National Gazetteer. Most useful – Towns as they were in 1884 – population as of 1880

15. Examples from National Gazetteer • Castle Rock, Mo. p.v. (post village) in Jackson tp., Osage co., 9 mi. S. of Jefferson City. Pop. 28. • Koeltztown, Mo., p.o., Osage co. Pop. 84 Other Gazetteers list towns as of 1797, 1834, 1853, & 1855

16. MAPS How can Maps help us find our Ancestors? • People usually traveled the path of least geographic resistance, following rivers and valleys & roads. • Before modern transportation people usually married someone from within a 20-mile radius of their home. • Maps can provide clues where to look next. • Use Google Earth for world research

17. Maps described in U.S. Outlinep36-38 • Plat Maps - maps of property boundaries • Ward Maps of major cities – census districts & political divisions of large cities • Topographic Maps – many USGS maps • Atlases • Historical Atlases – useful for finding places that no longer exist. • Township & County Boundaries • Land Ownership Maps

18. Go to familysearch.org, then click on How to Find Research Outlines on the Internet • Search • Research Helps • Sorted by Type • Research Outlines • All Research Outlines are listed in Alphabetical order

27. Directories From England Research Outline: • Directories Exist from 1760. • A link is given to the GENUKI web site where volunteers will search some directories for you free of charge.

28. Gazetteers From England Research Outline: • The place-names used in the FHLC are the names and spellings used in: The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales. This gazetteer lists place-names as they were in the 1860s. • In 1974, England realigned its county boundaries and renamed many counties. More county boundary changes were made in 1996. • County names in the FHLC are those used before 1974, with references made to new names.

29. Maps From England Research Outline: • Since 1800 the Ordnance Survey has been the major source of topographical maps. English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish maps are available in high resolution. • Ordnance Survey Maps are available on the Internet by clicking on a link to their site.

30. From German Research Outline: • See #23 in Handout for Summary of valuable information found in Research Outlines for Germany. • Similar information is found in other Research Outlines.

31. From German Research Outline: Directories • Directories Begin in the 1700s. Most date from the 1830s to early 1900s. • Telephone Directories on the Internet

32. Regardless of the various jurisdictions a place may have been under at different times, all German places are listed in the FHLC by the jurisdictions used in the following reference: • Uetrecht, E. (Meyers commercial gazetteer of the German Empire). Ref book 943 E5mo • This book lists the names of places as they existed in Germany from 1871 to 1918. From German Research Outline: Gazetteers

33. From German Research Outline: Maps • Map of the German Empire, A detailed map of the German Empire as it existed 1871-1914. (Geography used in FHLC) • The Great V.A.G. Atlas, An Atlas of Germany with an index of cities and towns that make finding locations easy. • Westermann Atlas of World History, An excellent historical atlas.

34. Go to familysearch.org, then click on – Another great site is Cyndi’s List How to Find Other Key Genealogical Sites on the Internet that have MGDs • Search • Web Sites • Key Genealogical Sites (Road Map to the Best MGD Sites)