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Maps

Online Resources

• See United States Maps for more resources.
• Geographical Names Information System
• Maps of New York from MapofUS.org. Includes boundary changes map.
• Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
• University of Texas
• digital-topo-maps.com
• NY Gen Web
• New York State Library
• New York State Archives
• New York Public Library
• New York Historical Society
• Historic Cities

Printed Publications

Richard W. Stephenson, Land Ownership Maps: A Checklist of Nineteenth Century United States County Maps in the Library of Congress (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1967) FS Catalog book 973 A3Loc

• Wright, Albert Hazen. A Check List of the County Atlases of New York. Ithaca, New York: A. H. Wright, 1943. FS Library fiche 609391 (244 fiche); book 974.7 This is study number 4 of New York Historical Source Studies.
• Burr, David H. An Atlas of the State of New York. New York, NY: David H. Burr, 1829. Reprint, Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 1970. FS Library film 813651 items 3–4
• Bien, Joseph R. Atlas of the State of New York. New York, New York: J. Bien and Company, 1895. FS Library film 1870120 This includes some of the original land patents.
• New York State Atlas. Albany, New York: New York State Department of Transportation, 1983. FS Catalog book 974.7 E7n
• DeLorme Mapping Company, New York State Atlas & Gazetteer. report, Maine: DeLorme Mapping, 1988. FS Catalog book 974.7 E7
• DeLorme Mapping Co. Upstate New York Street Maps. Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping, 1988. FS Library Q book 974.7 E7d This is an atlas of upstate urban areas from Middletown north to Plattsburgh, and Albany west to Buffalo. It has more than 80 cities and towns in all.
• Hagstrom Map Co., Hagstrom New York City 5 Borough Atlas, 22 edition. Maspeth, New York: Hagstrom Map, 1987. FS Library Q book 974.71 E7h
• Thorndale, William and William Dollarhide. Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790–1920. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1987. FS Catalog book 973 X2th
• County Formations and Minor Civil Divisions of the State of New York. Series B, Number 4. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Genealogical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1978. FS Library fiche 6046845; book 929.1 G286gs
• Thorne, Kathryn Ford, compiler. New York Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. FS Catalog book 974.7 E7t.) Maps show when and where each county changed boundaries from colonial times to 1990.
• Albert Hazen Wright, A Check List of New York State County Maps Published 1779–1945 (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University 1965) At various libraries (WorldCat)

Background

• See Maps for more information.

The New York State Library, New York State Archives, New York Public Library, New-York Historical Society, and most university and public libraries in major cities have extensive map collections. The FamilySearch Library has few original maps but has many on microfilm and microfiche.

• An important set of maps at the Library of Congress is available at the FamilySearch Library on microfiche. The Land Ownership Map Collection contains 109 maps for New York counties, showing the names of landowners and the location of their property FS Library fiche 6079710–818 They date from 1668–1899 but most are from the 1850s. They are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog Locality Search under UNITED STATES - MAPS.

• A description of each map is found in Richard W. Stephenson, Land Ownership Maps: A Checklist of Nineteenth Century United States County Maps in the Library of Congress (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1967) FS Catalog book 973 A3Loc A digital version is available through the FamilySearch Catalog entry.

• United States Census Bureau State and County Map. This map will allow you to zoom in on any state or county in the United States and read the names of all of the neighboring counties.

Street and Ward Maps

Street and ward maps are extremely helpful in doing research in city records. Successful census research often depends on finding maps that show ward boundaries, enumeration districts, or election districts.

• A large collection of pre-1900 ward maps for every major American city, including Albany, Brooklyn, Buffalo, New York, and Rochester, is Ward Maps of United States Cities FS Library film 1377700; 6016554–782

City and County Maps

You can buy modern commercial maps of New York cities and counties from the following:

• Hagstrom Map Company, Incorporated
  46-35 54th Road
  Maspeth, NY 11278
  Telephone: 718-784-0055

• Jimapco
  Box 1137
  Clifton Park, NY 12065
  Telephone: 518-899-5091

• Marshall Penn-York Company
  538 Erie Boulevard West
  Syracuse, NY 13204
  Telephone: 315-422-2162
  Fax: 315-422-2181
  

• A simple outline map of New York counties is provided by the University of Texas, or by digital-topo-maps.com, or by NY Gen Web.

• You can order free maps of individual counties from local tourist bureaus and chambers of commerce. Most county highway departments sell county maps for a dollar or two. You can obtain a current price list with addresses called "Information on County Highway Maps" from:

• Mapping Services Bureau
  New York State Department of Transportation
  Building 4, Room 105, State Office Building Campus
  1220 Washington Avenue
  Albany, NY 12232
  Telephone: 518-457-3555

County and Town Formation and Boundary Changes

• For maps showing county and town formation in New York, see:

• Thorndale, William and William Dollarhide. Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790–1920. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1987. FS Catalog book 973 X2th

County Formations and Minor Civil Divisions of the State of New York. Series B, Number 4. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Genealogical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1978. FS Library fiche 6046845; book 929.1 G286gs

• For maps showing the county boundary changes in the New York City area, see:

Thorne, Kathryn Ford, compiler. New York Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. FS Catalog book 974.7 E7t.) Maps show when and where each county changed boundaries from colonial times to 1990.

Atlases

• Wright, Albert Hazen. A Check List of the County Atlases of New York. Ithaca, New York: A. H. Wright, 1943. FS Library fiche 609391 (244 fiche); book 974.7 This is study number 4 of New York Historical Source Studies.

• Burr, David H. An Atlas of the State of New York. New York, NY: David H. Burr, 1829. Reprint, Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 1970. FS Library film 813651 items 3–4

• Bien, Joseph R. Atlas of the State of New York. New York, New York: J. Bien and Company, 1895. FS Library film 1870120 This includes some of the original land patents.

• New York State Atlas. Albany, New York: New York State Department of Transportation, 1983. FS Catalog book 974.7 E7n

• DeLorme Mapping Company, New York State Atlas & Gazetteer. report, Maine: DeLorme Mapping, 1988. FS Catalog book 974.7 E7

• DeLorme Mapping Co. Upstate New York Street Maps. Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping, 1988. FS Library Q book 974.7 E7d This is an atlas of upstate urban areas from Middletown north to Plattsburgh, and Albany west to Buffalo. It has more than 80 cities and towns in all.

• A helpful atlas for New York City research is Hagstrom Map Co., Hagstrom New York City 5 Borough Atlas, 22 edition. Maspeth, New York: Hagstrom Map, 1987. FS Library Q book 974.71 E7h

Patent Maps

Detailed patent maps may show where early settlers lived. An inventory of these is David Ellicott Evans Mix, Catalogue of Maps and Surveys in the Offices of the Secretary of State, State Engineer and Surveyor and Comptroller and the New York State Library Albany, New York: Charles van Benthuysen, 1859. FS Library film 947104 item 5, 947853 item 2 The New York State Archives also has a finding aid that lists the location of specific patent maps.

Topographic Maps

To find 7.5-, 15-, and 30-minute topographic quadrangle maps for New York published between 1884 and 1972, use:

United States Geological Survey. Topographic Maps of the United States: Historical Reference File. Suitland, Maryland: National Archives and Records Service, 1978. The maps are arranged alphabetically by the name of the quadrangle:

• Adams-Buffalo 1433814
• Buffalo-Cambridge 1433815
• Cuyler-Grindstone 1433816
• Grindstone-Ithaca 1433817
• Kasoag-Monticello 1433818
• Mt. Marcy-Owla Head 1433819
• Oxford-Port Jarvis 1433820
• Rochester-Roxbury 1433821
• Stoney Creek-Yankee Lake 1433822

To get the name of the quadrangle, use the Omni Gazetteer of the United States of America, mentioned in New York Gazetteers.

You can order topographic maps from:

• Branch of Distribution U.S. Geological Survey
  507 National Center
  Reston, VA 22092
  Telephone: 703-648-6045

• United States/Canadian Map Service
  P.O. Box 249
  Neenah, WI 54957-0249
  Telephone: 414-731-0101

Bibliography

A bibliography of atlases and maps found in county histories is Albert Hazen Wright, A Check List of New York State County Maps Published 1779–1945 (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University 1965) At various libraries (WorldCat); not at FamilySearch Library).

• Printable maps are available from the National Atlas of the United States

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.