My Go-To Site for Historical Maps
Have you ever wondered what your ancestor’s neighborhood actually looked like? Or tried to locate a family farm that no longer exists? Historical maps can be the key to unlocking these mysteries and filling in crucial gaps in your family history research.
During a recent speaking engagement, I was asked what was my go-to website for maps. Without hesitation I said, “the David Rumsey Map Collection.” If you haven’t used this incredible resource, you’re missing out on one of genealogy’s most valuable tools.
A Treasure Trove of Historical Maps
The collection is the brainchild of David Rumsey, a real estate developer and cartography enthusiast, who has collected and digitized over 150,000 maps, atlases, globes and books and maritime charts. He is one of my heroes because I, too, have many maps including a few old school wall maps. The underlying concept behind Rumsey’s collection was summed up in a 2000 Mercator’s World Magazine article: to democratize access to maps and make them free to the public. That’s right. The maps are free to use for non-commercial purposes. The images can be downloaded as hi-resolution photos (300-800 pixels per inch) that “illustrate the evolution of the country’s history, culture and population.”[1] This level of detail means you can zoom in on individual streets, property boundaries, and even building footprints—essential information when tracing where your ancestors lived and worked.
Why Maps Matter for Genealogy
Historical maps help you:
- Visualize the exact location of ancestral homes and farms
- Understand migration patterns and why ancestors moved
- Identify nearby churches, cemeteries, and community institutions
- Locate property boundaries and neighboring families
- See how communities changed over time due to development, natural disasters, or historical events
County atlases, city directories in map form, fire insurance maps, and land survey maps are particularly valuable for family historians. These detailed records often show individual property owners’ names, making it possible to confirm your ancestor’s exact location.
Searching Made Simple with AI
Using Luna Asset Management Software, the search function on DavidRumsey.com is very agile and easy to use. The site has added an AI assistant that can be asked almost anything. I had to try it out. I started VERY broad as the first test. I asked it to retrieve “Missouri maps.” Luna AI provided a detailed list that I would consider a sampling of the collection. I tried the same search a couple of times and got different options each time. This is the age of Artificial Intelligence! If you need a specific map, you can use the regular search option for more targeted results. But this is a great tool to browse maps in your area of interest.
When you visit the site, you’ll find an intuitive interface that lets you search by location, time period, map type, or keyword. The collection is particularly strong in 19th and early 20th-century American maps—prime territory for most genealogical research.
Here is Are Two Examples from My Research
As you know I do a lot of research in Missouri, where I am from. I looked at several of the Missouri maps suggested by Luna, but here are two that really caught my attention. I downloaded both Missouri maps and honed in on the area in central Missouri that includes Morgan County. The first one was created by Sidney Morse and Samuel Breese in 1845; the second, only three years later by Samuel Augustus Mitchell.[2]
There are two things represented on these maps that affects my family research directly. The first is that the 1845 map illustrates the German Settlement just south of Florence in Morgan County. This is the area my Rasa ancestors settled before this map was charted. That means my family are represented on this map. How cool is that?
The second point is related to town names. Florence, as I have blogged in the past, was platted in 1837 by William Norton. The original name of the town was…[drum roll] Williamsburg. That name was changed to Florence by 1839. My evidence for that story will be a blog for another day. However, I was shocked to see a Williamsburg in Pettis County, only a few short miles from Florence. Hmmm. So many questions arise from that one little name on a map. I had to investigate more. I checked my copy of Robert Ramsey’s Our Storehouse of Missouri Place Names. No Williamsburg or any variation, but then I realized I only have part of the study that was conducted at the University of Missouri 1928-1945. There is a Williamsburg in Callaway County that was founded in 1835, as documented by Nadine Pace in her 1928 M.A. Thesis.[3]
That result makes me wonder if the mapmaker made an error. Perhaps the “Williamsburg” in Pettis County was really the former name of Florence. It is on the same road which had been mapped by the state in 1839. Another possibility is that another town was founded by a Williams a few miles up the road and also changed. One of the driving forces in name changes? A post office. Two localities within a state could not have the same name or post would not be delivered. That is the reason there is a New Florence in Montgomery County, Missouri. The town was founded as Florence, but the postal service required the name change when a post office was established. The ghost of Williamsburg remains a mystery for now. So far, this 1848 map is the only claim to the name in Pettis County.
Beyond David Rumsey
While the David Rumsey Collection is my top recommendation, other excellent resources for historical maps include:
- Old Maps Online – A search engine for historical maps from libraries worldwide
- Library of Congress Geography and Map Division
- State historical societies and government organizations including the collection at the State Historical Society of Missouri and another favorite is the Missouri Dept of Transportation’s Highway Map Archive from 1917 to present.
Take the Next Step
The next time you hit a brick wall in your family history research, try looking at it from a different angle—literally. Historical maps can provide the geographical context that brings your ancestors’ stories to life and helps you understand not just the dates and names, but the actual places where they lived, worked, and built their communities.
Visit davidrumsey.com today and explore the county, town or neighborhood where your great-great-grandparents raised their family. You might be surprised by what you discover. I was!
[1] Sweetkind, Julie. “State of the Art: David Rumsey’s Online Map Collection.” Mercator’s World Magazine, Sept/Oct 2000.
[2] Morse, Sidney E. and Samuel Breese. “Missouri.” NY: Harper & Bros. 1845 and Samuel Augustus Mitchell’s “Map of Missouri,” Philadelphia, 1848. Both were accessed on davidrumsey.com.
[3] Pace, Nadine. “Place Names in the Central Counties of Missouri.” M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1928.