CartOld Town Maps
Ancient world maps give us insight into what the ancient world looked like. Over time, many civilizations have occupied the area that we know as Europe. With the help of ancient maps, we are able to see how the area looked during each time period.
Browse Our Selection of Old Town MapsHistoric Landmarks
Most towns change over time. When historic societies decide to restore the historic part of old towns, they consult the old maps to give them the location of buildings in the town. These maps traditionally showed where the local businesses were housed. The saw and gristmills are easy to distinguish on many of these maps. Often these maps are used to clear up any confusion as to when additional buildings and business were added to the town. Most railroad tracks and stations are noted on these maps as well.
Many authors will use old town maps when writing historic fiction to give the story an added level of accuracy. By including copies of the old town maps in their books, authors give their readers an added level of believability. When reading literary works by historic authors, the old maps add a level of clarity to the reader as well.
Family History
Many older maps will show where the old homesteads were located. Most will also list the family's name next to the site of the original structure. Some people know the town that their ancestors lived in, but not the actual location of their home. These old maps often show the exact location of the original structures.
Other people that have purchased older homes will use these maps much like historians will use old maps of the world to gather information. Different maps will show how the ownership of property changed over the years. By consulting these maps, the home owners can gather plenty of historical information about their property. These maps will also often show the sites of cemeteries, allowing families to locate their ancestors as well as their property. When looking for family history, maps of old towns are a valuable source of information.
Databases
Many organizations have taken old maps and combined them into databases where the general public can access them. Many of these databases are available for online research. For a small fee, these sites provide the history seeker with a vast amount of information in the form of historic maps for every region of American. Membership at one of these sites will provide access to millions of old world maps and local town maps.
By preserving these historic maps in databases, these organizations are ensuring that these historic resources are available for generations to come. By converting the old maps into digital images, they are preserving the history of America. Some of these organizations also have some original maps for sale. You can also purchase replicas of many of the maps that are included in the databases.
Whether you are researching the history of a town, looking for lost ancestors or trying to gather information concerning the history of your home, old town maps are a great resource to utilize.