Researchers have an almost unimaginable quantity of online resources to help with local and family history studies, these days. And the historical materials grow rapidly with each passing year, creating treasure-troves of sources waiting to be harvested by inquiring types. This information revolution makes volumes of virtual records easily findable, sharable, and accessible. But this data explosion,…
U.S. Coast Survey Maps Available on the Web Help With Local History Research
I often need to access historical maps produced by the Office of the U.S. Coast Survey. The agency started drawing charts in 1807 once President Thomas Jefferson created the division. Over time the agency, now a part of NOAA, produced an enormous quantity of highly technical maps, including products that aren’t typically thought of as being part of this work. As…
Free Historical Topo Maps Help Local & Family History Researchers Understand the Past
If you are looking for old maps on the Delmarva Peninsula, or anywhere in the nation, be sure to check out U.S. Topo Maps. These valuable research tools show physical and cultural features of the landscape and contours of the land, beginning in the 1880s when the topographic program began. Because the sheets are regularly issued, they are…
Digital Public Library of America Announces Second Class of Community Reps
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a free online library that provides access to millions of historical documents, public domain works, vintage photographs, maps, audiovisuals, and more from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. In one place a visitor is able to easily find items from a wide range of institutions….