United States Historical Geography

Internet Maps[edit | edit source]

Free interactive maps for 36 states—highlighting county creations and boundary changes year-by-year—are online at MapofUS.org, along with census maps, road maps, and maps from prior centuries.

Boundary and Name Changes[edit | edit source]

Because counties were often divided and their names and boundaries changed, you may need to determine previous boundaries and jurisdictions to locate your ancestors' records. A county history is the best source of information about a county's origin. Other sources that can help you determine the origin of a county are:

Kane, Joseph Nathan. The American Counties: Origins of Names, Dates of Creation and Organization, Area, Population, Historical Data, and Published Sources. Fourth Edition. Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 1983. (Family History Library book 973 E2ka 1983.)

The Handy Book for Genealogists. Eighth Edition. Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1991. (Family History Library book 973 D27e 1991.)

Other sources about boundary changes are found in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under UNITED STATES - HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY. The historical atlases described in United States Maps contain maps depicting county formations, migration and settlement patterns, military actions, ethnic distribution, religious trends, and population trends.