The Wilmington Library, a newly renovated center city landmark, has been collecting Delaware materials for centuries, and it has many useful resources in the “Delaware Room.” Genealogists, local history researchers, and the public will find gems that should not be overlooked in this reference department. City directories (beginning in 1814), newspapers on microfilm, bound print…
Year: 2014
Explorer Makes Access to USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection Easy
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Esri, a geographic information technology company, have partnered to make the enormous collection of the Survey’s map readily available to everyone. While these resources have been downloadable on the Internet since September 2011, this new, user-friendly website provides convenient access to the “Historical Topographic Map Collection.” This new interface or…
Cecil Maps, a Helpful, Interactive Product Will Support Local Old House, Property & Community Research
The Cecil County Department of Planning and Zoning has a helpful product for researchers, “Cecil Maps.” This highly interactive geographic information system enables those searching for local information to access an array of county maps via the Internet. Users are able to view aerial and topographic maps, property ownership information, environmental features, the locations of…
Delaware Bird’s Eye Views Available on the Web
Bird’s-Eye-Views, a popular cartographic form during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were painstakingly drawn by sketch artists. Although they were not drawn precisely to scale, they provided helpful snapshots of towns frozen in time. Showing busy communities, the artistic renderings revealed streets filled with carriages, stores surrounded by activities, and trains approaching stations. They…