Genealogy Resources: Maps and Atlases

Finding Your Roots in the Geospatial Center & Map Collection

Genealogists from the Ancestor Hunters of Delaware County visited the GCMC on Monday, February 26, to review the genealogy resources in the Center. The GCMC includes many maps and atlases that can aid in the search for ancestors or information about family history.

The Map Collection includes county maps for all Indiana counties and most counties from around the United States. Historic county atlases are also available in the GCMC and the Atlas Collection, some dating back to 1874. The atlases include property ownership information, illustrations of settlers and homesteads in the county, and biographical information about certain settlers. Another resource is the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, which is available for Indiana, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi in the Atlas Collection.

Genealogists will also find soil maps of Indiana counties and other counties around the United States, historic aerial photography of some Indiana counties, and orthophotoquads from around the United States. Plat books of most Indiana counties and other areas of the United States are available in the Atlas Collection.

Historic state atlases are also available in the Atlas Collection. Some states offer more specific volumes: Virginia in Maps: Four Centuries of Settlement, Growth, and Development. An Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana is available in the GCMC. This atlas provides information not only about different towns throughout Indiana, but also some of the residents of the towns.

A wide variety of historic maps of states is available in the GCMC. An interesting map for the study of Indiana is Indiana, the Influence of the Indian upon its History: Indian and French Names for Natural and Cultural Locations. Historic topographic maps are available, some dating back to the late 1890's through the 1950's. The GCMC includes Sanborn insurance maps of St. Louis and Boston, as well as twenty-three Indiana cities. Bird's-Eye View maps offer a unique panoramic view of cities, and these historic maps are available in the Center, including copies of the entire Library of Congress Panoramic Cities of Indiana set.

Contact Melissa Gentry in the GCMC if you would like more information about these genealogy resources or to schedule an informational session or tour of the Center.