Mapping Ancestors

One method of correlating your evidence is plotting your ancestor’s known locations on a map. This can show their whereabouts in relation to their extended family and friends, and to places like churches and schools. This process can give you clues about what areas you should research next, and also help give you context into your ancestor’s daily lives.

Maybe you’ll discover your ancestors lived very close to their parents, or that they lived in housing provided by the factory where your grandfather worked, or that their was only one church in town at the time they lived there. You can map one family or ancestor at a time, or map multiple related families together to look for overlaps. You may discover trends or patterns, like many of your ancestors moving to a certain area.

Depending on how far back your ancestors lived, you may need to research historical maps and property records. If you’re researching in the past 100 years or so, you can use online mapping tools and current maps but be aware that the names of cities and streets may have changed over time, and boundaries may have shifted. Town histories and city directories (link) can be very helpful. Find old street names and addresses in city directories, then locate that address on a historical map of that area. Look for plat records that show property boundaries and owners names.

Before you create a map, try creating a Timeline of Known Residences worksheet (PDF link) beforehand, so you can simply add your locations and events in the map.

Things to map:

Birth places
Burial locations
Known residences (use information from vital records, census records, draft registrations…)
Location of parents and other relatives
Nearby churches that existed at the time and known churches attended
Nearby schools and known schools they attended
Places of birth of children
Places of employment
Places of interest for further research
Place of marriage(s)

How to Make Maps: Google Maps

The genealogy software or website you use may have tools that help you make maps, but our preferred method is utilizing Google Maps.

Before starting, think about what information you want to include, and how you want to view it. With Google Maps you can create different groups, or layers. You can select each layer to view separately, or select multiple layers to view at the same time.

Some options include: a layer for each ancestor in the family; a layer for each group of locations (cemeteries, residences, homes, etc); or a layer for each decade of the family. Also consider what time period you would like to explore. For example, do you want to track your ancestor’s whole life, their childhood, or their adult life after marriage?

Register for a free google account, or sign in.
Go to GoogleMyMaps
In the drop down menu on the top left, click “Create a new map”
Click on “Untitled map” and enter a Map title and Description, then hit Save.
You should include the names of those you are mapping, along with the events. It may be helpful to include the Family Group Sheet Number of the family in the description, if that’s something you use to help organize your records.
Add each layer, or group title, and edit the name.
Select the layer you would like to add an address to, then search for and add the address. Edit the name and description of the address, adding any links or images as well.
Continue to add all of your known addresses and all the genealogy information you wish to record. Don’t worry if you save an address to the wrong layer group, you can easily drag it to the appropriate one. You can also rename and edit as you go.
Optionally change the icons and color of each item to help you easily identify similar items on the map.

After you create the map, what have you uncovered?

Look at the geography and topography - are there any large mountains or things that would have made travel in a certain direction difficult?
Do you see any patterns with the locations that shows they likely traveled by train, or even by river? Maybe other possible transportation routes?
Did you find people with the same surname on a nearby plot of land, that could perhaps be related?
Was your ancestor’s plat part of a land grant for military service or homestead grant?
Notice any boundary changes or name changes that might help your record search?

Various Kinds of Maps and References:

Aerial Maps
Atlases and historical atlases
Census maps and demographic maps
City directories: maps, street names
City and town maps
Land maps, surveys, and plats: tell historical ownership of properties, can be found in local town halls or county courthouses, some records available online
Property tax records
Province, county, and parish maps
Real estate transactions
Sanborn and other company Fire Insurance maps
Topographic maps
Ward maps