Genealogy Research in the GCMC

Finding Your Roots in the Geospatial Center & Map Collection

The Geospatial Center & Map Collection, along with many other areas of University Libraries, is an excellent resource center for the genealogist. The GCMC has many different materials for those researching their family history. Sanborn Fire Insurance maps show depictions of residential sections of various Indiana towns, and the Center just added Sanborn maps for St. Louis and Boston to the Collection. The Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, 1876, provides information not only about different towns throughout Indiana, but also some of the residents of the towns. Genealogists can also review historic county atlases and plat books from various Indiana counties dating back to 1874. The GCMC also has historic resources from other areas around the United States.

Jane Beekman, local genealogist and author, often uses the GCMC to complete her research. Mrs. Beekman has researched areas in Oklahoma, Virginia, and most recently France and Germany. Mrs. Beekman and the GCMC were recently featured in the Ball State Alumnus magazine in an article about genealogy, "Tracing Family Roots" by Leslie Benson. The article can be viewed at the following website:
www.bsu.edu/alumni/january2006/beyondtheclass/

Please contact the GCMC at (765) 285-1097 for more information about genealogy research using maps and atlases.