-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: A Genealogy Map Story
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:54:20 +0000
From: Hadden, Robert L AGC <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship <[log in to unmask]>
A Genealogy Story
I got a request several years ago about maps from the 19th century that
showed the location and layout of a textile mill town in North Carolina
that has since been abandoned. The mill site was not on any modern maps.
The person had an ancestor who died while working there, and wanted to
see if there was a tombstone or other marker at the gravesite. I found
him a copy of the USGS topo map from the period that showed the town's
basic layout.
The library patron actually called me back some months later to tell me
his story. He went out to the site which had not been inhabited for over
a hundred years, and all that was left at the site was an open field.
The weeds were waist high, and he could not get his orientation from the
map to show where the streets had been, even with a compass and the map.
While standing there in the field, he saw a bit of color. Walking over
to it, he saw that it was a rose bush. Looking further around, he saw
another one. Then a third. It dawned on him that the wives of the mill
workers had planted these bushes at the front of their houses to
beautify what was probably a very ugly mill town. Although there was
nothing left of the houses, not even a door stop, these bushes had lived
and survived over the century, even though the women who planted them
are long gone.
From the line of roses, the library patron could then orient himself
the street, and was then able to find what he needed. It is a good story
that the mill and houses built by the men are long decayed away, but the
roses planted by the women still remain, showing where and how they lived.
I have heard of benchmarks and landmarks, but this was the only case of
"bloom marks" I have ever heard of. Perhaps it is a new variation of the
compass rose.
Lee Hadden
R. Lee Hadden
Army Geospatial Center
ATTN: WSGRLH (Hadden)
7701 Telegraph Road
Alexandria, VA 22315
(703) 428-9206
[log in to unmask]
"Shaving my head for research funds for bald kids with cancer" See:
http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/522678/2012
-----Original Message-----
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Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:28:20 -0500
From: "Angie Cope, American Geographical Society Library, UW Milwaukee"
<[log in to unmask]>
Subject: naming natural features
I have been recently involved in some research on local history and
local geography involving some streams and mills that were once located
in the area. The attempts to locate these places have proved
interesting, but at times challenging. One of the largest challenges is
that the modern topographic maps might show some of the streams, but
these streams are not labeled with any name at all. Some older locally
produced maps do name some of these features.
I have found the Policies and Procedures of the US Board on Geographic
Names, and the form Domestic Geographic Name Report which is provided as
Appendix C of the manual. Does anyone have any experience or insights
regarding proposing names for natural features where the features are
not named on government produced maps? I think, based on some obvious
local usage, with names historically associated with the farms, mills
and streams, that it would be worthwhile to have these names recorded
and to become part of the database of names. It is also worthwhile to
have these features named on later editions of the topographic maps. I
am not seeking to change existing names, but simply to have names
recorded where none currently appear.
Ken Grabach <[log in to unmask]>
Maps Librarian Phone: 513-529-1726
Miami University Libraries
Oxford, Ohio 45056 USA
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Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
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