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The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a free online library that provides access to millions of historical documents, public domain works, vintage photographs, maps, audiovisuals, and more from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States.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….
Online Historic Aerial Maps Aid Delaware Researchers
Aerial maps of Delaware, spanning from 1937 to the present, are available in an online digital archives maintained by the Delaware Environmental Monitoring and Analysis Center. Initially captured during flights flown over the region, the photography shows what the region looked like at various points. Typically termed orthophotography once the data has been geocorrected, the…