----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Peter:
 
I know your frustration well! This is one of those instances where no
single subject heading will do, you will likely have to work with multiple
headings to bring out a sense of what the map is about and where it is.
Certainly do use the name of the town or "city", subdivided by maps.
There's a start anyway.
 
As for the heading "Extinct cities", your arguments against using it are
good. However, the former heading for this is/was "Cities and towns,
Ruined, Extinct, etc.", which isn't much better, but at least the "etc."
part left the door open for using this in a case such as yours.
Technically, if you wanted to use the old form of the heading you aren't
supposed to, you would have to use "Extinct cities", but, if you do not
intend to mount these records say on OCLC and would maintain them locally
(and depending on how good, or if, your local system has a built-in
reference structure that can take you from one form of a heading to
another) then I personally would feel okay using the older form.
 
On to other possibilities--
 
You mentioned that plat maps exist for these places, even though they were
never populated. In individual cases where this is true the heading "Real
property" subdivided by its name and them "Maps" seems to me would be
acceptable, as long as the map does show plat boundaries and the intent was
to sell the lots and eventually a town, and then a city, would grow at that
location.
 
Also, since the land itself was used for a specific thing, and logically it
was in a "rural" setting at that time, there's always "Land use, Rural",
even though we usually think of this in a contemporary sense rather than
historical. Similarly is the heading "Land subdivision", since thats what
the owners were doing.
 
Headings for specific types of towns that might be helpful include
"Colonial cities" and "Company towns".
 
I also thought about using "Historic sites", although that heading is
typically used for something like a landmark of some kind. LCSH uses as an
example under Oregon the name of a fire lookout tower. At least this would
bring out the "Historic" aspect.
 
Going broader you may want to do something like give the name of the county
that the place would have been located in followed by the free-floating
subdivision of "Historical geography" OR same as above followed by
"History" and further subdivided by the appropriate range of years in which
the town was platted.
 
Anyway, some food for thought. Let me know what you think. AND, other
catalogers out there, especially those of you experienced with historical
maps, PITCH IN! (even correct anything above that may be out of line...)
 
Paige
 
At 12:43 PM 2/12/98 -0500, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Dear Maps-l catalogers,
>
>   We are about to catalog our collection of historic Oregon city plans
>and now need some advice from experienced catalogers on a particular kind
>of city plan -- cities proposed and platted but never built.
>
>   The question:  Is there an LC subject heading that correctly describes
>this kind of town other than the town name itself followed by |x Maps.
>
>There are many such towns in Oregon.  The subject heading "Extinct cities"
>does not really serve here.  These towns never "lived" so could not become
>"extinct."  They did not become part of other towns nearby, and they were
>not wiped off the face of the earth by some natural disaster. Plat maps
>exist for them and these plats were duly filed with the county clerk.
>Perhaps lots were sold, but they were never built upon -- nothing ever
>existed to waste away into a ghost town.
>
>   LC's cataloging manual addresses these towns on Page 1.7, but only in
>regards to classification number assignments, not subject headings.
>
>   Perhaps their is no adequate subject access -- if so, should "Extinct
>cities" be used anyway?  Thank you all.
>               ---------------------------------------------------------
>               Peter L. Stark
>               Head, Map and Aerial Photography (MAP) Library
>               165 Condon Hall, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR  97403
>               (541) 346-3051
>