Research Help Needed

[johnrab54]

I am interested in finding abandoned and old homesites to detect and need help doing research. What are the best map sites to use? I live in North Carolina and interested in Randolph and Davidson counties. Any help in how to begin my research and actually doing some hunts would be appreciated.

 

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[RTR]

This has come in handy at times >> https://web.lib.unc.edu/nc-maps/interactive/overlay.php

 

[johnrab54]

Thanks, good resource !

 

[Prairie Prowler]

John...Local Libraries or historical societies will sometimes have a reference section ( They usually dont allow them to be signed out)..these will have old plat books /maps some reproduction ...most time you can copy them.. these show most old homesites roads details / compare them to modern day maps..Good luck

 

[crashbandicoot]

Historic aerials is another good one.

 

[Crowfriend]

I am interested in finding abandoned and old homesites to detect and need help doing research. What are the best map sites to use? I live in North Carolina and interested in Randolph and Davidson counties. Any help in how to begin my research and actually doing some hunts would be appreciated.

Try “topo view” for old topos. The topos come in several formats. The “ KMz” format will attach as a layer over google earth! The little black squares are old homes, farms and ranches that do not appear on newer topos.

Get Maps

Explore, interact, and download USGS topographic maps free of charge from topoView.

ngmdb.usgs.gov

Try “search GLO” by the state and county you are interested in. You can access original plats and homestead entries and land patents.

Search - BLM GLO Records

From the outer edges of the topo maps you can obtain the township and range, and section. You can then use that in the GLO site.

It also helps to find an overlay with township, range, and sections, to use on google earth.

I am self-taught with these methods and it took many, many hours of trial and error to figure this out.

 

[Mackaydon]

Ask each county's Historian for assistance.
You can find that person through your local library's Reference Desk.
Don,.......

 

[Gare]

An easy item to use is Gaia Gps pretty good and accurate also