-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        US historical transportation GIS?
Date:   Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:33:48 -0400
From:   Mark A. Thomas <[log in to unmask]>
To:     Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]>



Dear Maps-L:

A prof here is interested in producing some maps (page-size) that
include historical transportation routes in the US mid-Atlantic states
from the late 18th century to about the Civil War.  He's specifically
interested in the "Great Wagon Road" that ran from central PA down
through the Shenandoah Valley into western VA and NC.  Also, the
pre-Civil War railroads in that region.  Finally, cities of importance
at that time.

It's now easy to find historical country boundaries (eg., NHGIS) in
shapefiles. The wagon road could be drawn by hand, but it would be nice
to have something already available.  We could take a modern layer of
RR's and create a layer from just those that the prof is interested in,
but there are some lines that were around back then that have since been
abandoned and won't show up in modern layers. Once again, could just
draw.  I don't see any problem with just creating a layer of
cities/towns from a modern layer, since I don't think any disappeared.

Any suggestions are welcome.

thanks,
   Mark
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mark A. Thomas, Map, GIS, & Federal Documents Librarian
Subject Librarian for Economics, Geology and Geography
226 Perkins Library / 919-660-5853 / [log in to unmask]