Lithograph Maps..Accurate?

[NETXSOONER]

Good afternoon,

I have recently found out through some fluke research that my family owns the first homesite ever constructed in my home town in 1839. This got me too researching how the city was constructed from then on, and currently the best map I have been able to find is a Lithograph Map of the town from 1885. I was wondering if anyone has used one of these at part of their research while trying to find places to hunt, and if so are they accurate enough to use as a starting point to do more research on places that seem intriguing? Thank you for any feedback it is much appreciate, just getting started into metal detecting and have been having a blast just researching areas in my home town.

 

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[Frankn]

Basically, a lithograph map is a printed map. It is probably more accurate than a hand drawn map. Frank...

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Hello NEXSOONER. Welcome. This is a wonderful site!
Contact your local historical society. They will have detailed info, including maps, on your property. I also recommend the library. If you don't find what you need at these locations, county archives is best. Peace

 

[Follows Camp Craig]

Lithography is a form of printing, so we are talking about a printed copy of a map drawn by a cartographer in 1885. It might not be 100% accurate but it it could contain some information relevant back then, where those details may have been omitted from a modern and more accurate topographical map of today.

So a building might have existed and was featured in the first map at the time it was drawn but burned down after the fact and its stone foundation dismantled to be used for other purposes.
Many years later a second map is drawn but it obviously wont include a building that no longer exists. right.

So heck yeah an old map could help, old photos of your town with prominent landmarks in the background could help even more.

 

[Follows Camp Craig]

This might be a stretch of the imagination for some.

Wells Fargo

Just about every Wells Fargo branch takes pride in their local communities by decorating with enlarged images of "Your Town" (when possible)
taken from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Imagine making the find of a lifetime thanks to a bank that has a "thing for history".