#genchat Challenge: Mapping Your Ancestors

Tonight on #genchat, we discussed US Migration Routes. Although this chat was specifically discussing the United States, numerous area's around the world experienced land rushes, massive migration, and other significant moments of human movement.

Tonight's challenge, should you choose to accept it:


Map your families migration around the globe. 


This could be done on paper, electronically, or using a good old fashioned map and push pins. Create a visual representation of how your family ended up where it did, depending on what you know already.


What can you learn from this process? What do you see on the map that you may have missed otherwise?


Does it have to be global?

Well, no. Focus on the ancestor or ancestral line that will benefit your research the most right now. I say global because not all of us have US migration routes to map, nor do we all have far to travel. Think about putting your map,  your ancestor, on a very detailed level. County boundaries, even town boundaries, can make a difference and lead you to another clue.



Share what you find! Share your maps! Think about where they might have stopped along the way, what they might have seen. I'm looking forward to your creations!

Using a county map such as this one may prove beneficial. 

Maps, Manufacturing and Museums, Oh My!

In my mind, researching your family and their stories means more than just understanding individual life. It also means understanding the general history, economics, diversity and other unique features of a community. And that is why I believe every serious Colorado researcher needs to own a copy of the Historical Atlas of Colorado, by Thomas J. Noel, Paul F. Mahoney and Richard E. Stevens (University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma. 1994). It should be a part of your genealogical library.

The text covers everything from boundaries through land grants and territorial purchases, to specialized museums and tourist attractions, and has proven invaluable more than once in my personal and professional research.

For those looking for their “lost” ancestor who came to Colorado as part of the 1859 gold rush, this is a must have resource. The map and descriptions of “Lost Mines and Buried Treasures” will give many a new lease on “dead ends” from newspaper clippings and other records. They also continue to ignite your curiosity, referring to the “Cement Creek Caves,” where “…stolen loot was found in 1883.” From the map, these are not too far west of my current home, and it’s a tempting summer adventure in the making!

The “Transportation” section includes commentary on mountain passes, fur traders, major stagecoach lines and pioneer railroads. Some of these routes have not been modernized today, and the only way to truly experience them is the same way that our ancestors did: on foot or on donkey. Imagine climbing over 14,000 foot mountains with provisions, a change of clothes or two, and hopefully a pick or shovel. In winter.

Planning a research trip to Colorado? Use the “Denver Metro Museums and Historic Accommodations” section to make it as memorable as possible, and learn as much as possible.

If you have any interest at all in the history and development of the State of Colorado, you should put this text on your list. If nothing else, inter-library loan this so you can see the amazing collection of maps within its pages.

Oh, yes. One last thing. 

This post is officially number 200 for my blog! Most of that occurred in 2012, and I thank all of you for reading, commenting, making suggestions and following along on my genealogical journey this year. Have a very wonderful holiday and may we all have an incredible 2013, filled with kind acts, laughter and love. 

Geography in Genealogy

They go hand in hand. Geography and genealogy are - must be! - intertwined in your research journey. Following the path of an ancestral line opens new doors, exposes new details and provides new ideas on every branch of the family tree.

Let's go back to Oscar for a great example of what I mean. We'll stick to the geography specific information here.

• Born in New York. 
• Moved to Michigan as a toddler.
• Lived with sister and family in Missouri as a young adult.
• Enlisted in Union forces in Missouri Cav, originally. 
• After the war, he went back to Missouri for a couple of years.
• Homesteaded in Nebraska, spent the remainder of his years in a three county area.

Part of Oscar Brown's Homestead file.
Personal holdings of author.

I know the family moved to Michigan because Oscar ran for state senate at one point, and that tidbit was included in his political ticket in the local newspaper. From there, I was able to locate possible property records held by his assumed father, and the grave of his sister, leading to her family. I never would have found any of that if I had not known he spent time in Michigan.

On the 1860 census, he is listed in the household of his sister in Missouri. When I first found him here, I did not realize it was his sister, but was later able to match the family connection using documents in his pension file. From that information, I searched the Shelby County, Missouri area much more thoroughly, and was able to find employment records for him there after the war. We always assumed he went immediately to Nebraska, but that was not the case. Again, without the geography, those records would not have been located.

His homestead records, the remainder of his census records and other family information tell me about his life in Nebraska, along with that of his wife and children.

Even with all the records in the world, knowing what they experienced in their day to day is so meaningful to so many of us. I have a secret weapon in this part of the search: National Geographic.

The photos, the maps, oh my! A true world treasure, National Geographic has been documenting history since 1888.

This year, I obtained a copy of The Complete National Geographic software. Love it! Immediate access to every issue, every page, right on my desktop! If you have not explored this resource, I highly recommend it. (Note, National Geographic and its affiliates and I have no connection. I am not being compensated in anyway for this mention in my blog.) Simple searches on the software cd's provide exciting and informative background information on many facets of my ancestors' lives, and the places they lived. I have been able to fill my tree with amazing facts, and those maps! I could go on and on about the maps...

Have a great geography resource? I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!

Colorado & Wyoming International Boundary Lines

Historical maps can provide a wealth of information, beyond the basic, "on the surface" geography lesson. Recently, I discovered International Boundary Lines Across Colorado and Wyoming; A Lesson in Geography by Erl H. Ellis in my local library (Johnson Publishing Company, Boulder, Colorado; 1966.)  The text covers much more than just boundary lines, and I grabbed it off the shelf on a whim. I'm certainly glad that I did.

Image courtesy of Old World Auctions

The author, Erl H. Ellis, begins with a short review of four discourses that deal with the boundary lines in the Wyoming and Colorado area of the United States. He continues through discussions on Native Americans, the earliest explorers and their claims, and "The Pope's Title" of 1493.

Recall the title here; and realize that the more significant word is "International". International boundaries through Wyoming and Colorado, two of the interior west's land locked states?  Why, yes, indeed. The issue centered around the building of our country, certainly, but more recently, the Town of Breckenridge was questioned in August of 1936. A group of residents, part of the Women's Social Club, realized there was a map of the area from the 1819 secession from Spain to the US, that excluded the town. They proceeded to conduct a formal ceremony, finally putting Colorado's No Man's Land on the United States map, and *finally* officially a part of the country. The story is discussed at some length in the essay, and who would expect a story like that to be highlighted in a geographical publication? We continue to celebrate this occasion with our yearly "Kingdom Days" celebration, honoring our past as the only town in Colorado which was once its very own kingdom and not truly a part of America. Oh, and you can look up the title of Colorado's No Man's Land, it's been written about in several sources.

The point here, of course, is to check your library. A series of maps can tell you much about the history of the community you are researching than just how to get from point A to point B.