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Research Notes

From the specialists in genealogy and local history for Minnesota and the surrounding area

Minnesota Maps in Family Research

A brand new book looking at Minnesota maps was published this fall. Entitled Minnesota on the Map and written by David A. Lanegran with the assistance of Carol Urness, it brings together for the first time stunning but rarely seen maps of Minnesota through five centuries, showing what happened in the past and what was planned for the future.

It also reminded me that every family historian needs a good grounding in geography. After all, we all look for records about our specific family at a specific point in time, in a specific location. That's how records were created: a particular church, school, club, governmental body, or other group determined to note a particular event. And those records can be traced using an understanding of maps and geography. If they aren't located now where they were made, one can even begin to figure out where to look for them, just by knowing who created such records at that time and location.

Sometimes, just looking at the right map will provide the information needed to break down a 'brick wall.' Perhaps the family always lived in Minnesota, but close to the border with Wisconsin or Iowa. Since borders aren't really walls, could that record be in the neighboring state? Looking at a map to determine just how far away and what land features exist will give a researcher a new perspective and several new places to look for that key. Sometimes, a researcher will become even more confused, because a given map doesn't agree with 'known' facts. Putting together a family history is like solving a jigsaw puzzle -- sometimes what seem to be discrepancies can be overcome by turning the piece in a slightly different direction.

Cartographers (a fancy name for map makers) have always created maps filling in gaps with experience rather than knowledge. Even the early surveyors marking off township lines marked wetlands and other features with their best guess. And sometimes a map will include features that are only in the planning stages during the preparation of the map. In the case of the Minneapolis map used to divide the City into Enumeration Districts (E.D.s) for the 1930 Federal Census, features shown on the map were actually built in entirely different locations. The map maker included future buildings, intending the map to be up to date for several years after its publication; instead it shows a school which was actually built several blocks away! (The wrong location of the school doesn't make the map less valid for purposes of taking the census. It does, however, affect us today. We have to know the actual addresses to find the families on the census, and can't depend on the families' proximity to the particular school.)

Finding maps that can answer our questions requires skill and attention to detail, too. Here are some considerations in selecting the 'right' map to solve your research problem:

• Problem definition: While it might be tempting to look for one map and only one map, several may be needed. For example, in attempting to locate a family on a census, a map illustrating the counties as they existed for the particular census is needed before you can find which township applies. Early Minnesota citizen Alexander Faribault lived in only one house, which, though stationary itself, was located in four different counties over time! Be sure to carefully list the information you need so that you can evaluate and choose an appropriate map.

• Time period: It's usually best to find a map for the same year or era for your problem. A modern map of Minneapolis won't show you Wonderland Amusement Park, or the streets removed for freeway construction. If the family lived in an area for a very short period of time, you might not find them on a published map, but you may find the people who previously owned the property, or those to whom it was sold. A progression over time showing how the property was divided and developed can provide an interesting glimpse of family values.

  It is interesting to note that many settlers directly affected by the Dakota Conflict in 1862 didn't arrive on the prairie until after the 1860 census was taken, and were already gone before Minnesota took its first state census in 1865. Census alone can't always provide migration history. Land information or maps of the battles can be used in conjunction with family stories to add interest and credibility to the family history.

• Why was map created: The ideal map to solve a problem is the one that was created to answer a similar question at the same time. The ideal map to use to find landowners is one done at the same time, perhaps used in the county recorder's office, to record land sales. The best map for determining which urban school a family attended is one created by the school authorities for the same period, illustrating bus routes or attendance areas. The one to use to determine where a family will appear on a given census was also used to draw the lines that separated the assignments for the enumerators.

• Necessary detail: Determining who the neighbors are at a particular point in time could be found on a landowners map. Some also provide locations for churches, schools and cemeteries. However, a topographical map can show how steep the hills were, where water gathered, and why roads were twisty and curvy. The detail on the two maps combined can provide a geometric increase in knowledge!

• Sources: The biggest map libraries in Minnesota are the John Borchert Map Library at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Historical Society. But don't overlook other sources as well. Reference books will often contain maps, and local libraries and historical societies keep collections of local maps. They Chose Minnesota, an excellent source for information about the immigrants who made Minnesota their home, also includes excellent maps of migration routes, chain migration patterns and ethnicity. Sometimes even commercial placemats from restaurants may provide just the help you need. Consider each new map as another layer of information adding to your overall knowledge of the life of your family.

• Accuracy: As you compare maps, consider accuracy as well. Just as a planned school didn't change where E.D. border was drawn, researchers may need to adjust to what appears to be discrepancies on maps. Careful analysis and attention to the discrepancies can keep you on the right track.

Maps can suggest the closest newspaper, the nearest church, the most likely place for filing naturalization papers or to buy a marriage license. Give it a try!

© 2008 Park Genealogical Books, Roseville MN

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