StLGS Trading Post Offers Atlases and Maps for Genealogists

Do you know where your family lived in relation to other family members or to the people who signed as witnesses on baptisms, deeds, wills or other documents? Maps help provide answers to where a family lived. And historic maps may include the names of landowners in a place and time. These maps may even help you locate the exact plot of ground where your family lived, so you can stand at their old homestead or even find a family burial ground.

Start by researching land records in the locations where your ancestors lived. Specifically, look for land areas such as township, section, and range. Seek out maps, atlases, or plat books for the counties or towns where your ancestors lived. Do not just look for your ancestors; look at the neighbors in close proximity to your ancestors' houses or farms. Also look for landmarks like cemeteries, schools, and houses of worship. These may help locate important places for your family. 

We have posted many articles about finding and using maps on this blog. To find them, go to stlgs.blogspot.com and at the top left hand corner of the screen look for the search box. Enter the search term "map" or "maps" and it will show posts sorted by relevance for your query word.

Map Books Available in the StLGS Trading Post

One place to find maps for your research is at the St. Louis Genealogical Society. The StLGS Trading Post, our collection of gently used books, has quite a few atlases and maps available for sale. The list below is in alphabetical order by state. If you are interested in any of these, send an email to sales@stlgs.org. If you live in St. Louis, come in and browse the Trading Post during our office hours (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 9 a.m. until noon) and pick up the books that help with your research. If you live out of town or cannot come in, we can ship you the book(s) of your choice for the price of the book plus postage.

• Family Maps of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, by Gregory A. Boyd, J.D., Arphax Publishing Co., Norman, Oklahoma, 2006. $5.00
• 1981 Land Atlas & Plat Book Jasper County, Illinois, Distributed by People’s State Bank of Newton, Illinois. $1.00
• 1840 Atlas of Cass County, Illinois, by Arthur Crumrins, Cass County Historical Society, 1984. $2.00
• Family Maps of Kendall County, Illinois, by Gregory A. Boyd, J.D., Arphax Publishing Co., Norman, Oklahoma, 2005. $5.00
• Historical Atlas of Louisiana, by Charles Robert Goins and John Michael Caldwell, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1995. $5.00
• Plat Book of Christian County, Missouri, 1912, Western Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, reprint 1998, Greene County Archives and Records Center, Springfield, Missouri. $3.00
• Plat Book of Greene County, Missouri, 1904, Missouri Publishing Company, Greene County Archives and Records Center, Springfield, Missouri. $3.00.
• Atlas of Licking County, Ohio, 1866 & 1875, Mayhill Publications, Knightstown, Indiana, reprinted 1970. $2.00
• Maps Showing the Development of Pennsylvania, prepared by The Land Office Bureau, Department of Internal Affairs, 1920. $1.00
• Atlas of County Boundary Changes in Virginia 1634–1895, Michael F. Doran, 1987. Iberian Publishing Company, Athens, Georgia. $15.00
• Wisconsin Atlas & Gazetteer, Topographic Maps, Delorme, Yarmouth, Maine, 2002. $4.00

(Many thanks to StLGS sales director, Viki Fagyal, for writing this week's post. 

Please contact Viki directly at sales@stlgs.org, if you have any questions.)