Researching Property History
In general, a limited amount of information on the history of specific privately owned properties can be found online. Deeds, survey maps and other records are held by local county record offices. The records are public information, but you'll probably need to visit the office in person to see them. Old city directories are also helpful, but it's possible that you may have to visit a public library to find those in your area. Here are some sources that describe the basics of property research:
Useful, if not historical, is Zillow, which contains current information on individual properties.
For additional research tips, consult: Hone, E. Wade, Land and Property Research. Salt Lake City, Utah : Ancestry, c1997. (Olin library stacks, Call Number: CS49 H66 1997 +)
Olin Maps Collection
Located on the lower level of Olin Library, the Map & Geospatial Information collection houses a geographically comprehensive collection of over 240,000 maps, 3,200 books and atlases, 500 compact discs, and many other related research materials.
Using Subject Headings for Local History
Library Catalog Search Tips
Using Library of Congress (LC) Subject Headings in the library catalog to find books about a given topic can be productive.
Search the Library Catalog to locate published county and town histories will also reveal maps, statistical sources and other material on a particular place, Use the pull-down menu to select [subject]. See the examples, below:
City and state combinations:
- scranton pa
- portland me
For states with 2-word names, insert a space in the state abbreviation:
- kings county n y
- new york n y
- berlin n h
For areas within New York City, the form of the heading is, for example,
- brooklyn new york n y,
Some headings use "old style" state abbreviations rather than the two-letter postal abbreviations, e.g,:
- tucson ariz
- birmingham ala
- boulder colo
See the list of state abbreviations
Many old local histories are also available online via Google Books
Historical Map & Directory Resources
- Ancestry.com
In addition to census data, Ancestry also includes land ownership maps. This is not immediately obvious, though, so follow this search strategy:
1. From the Ancestry home page, click on the "all databases" link that appears under More Collections.
2. In the Database Title search box, enter land ownership maps.
3.On the next screen, click on the U.S. Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 link. From the next screen you can search by state, county, town or landowner name. Note that states west of the Mississippi are included. - Digital Sanborn Maps 1867-1970
Includes more than 660,000 Sanborn maps charting the growth and development of more than 12,000 American towns and cities. Includes textual information on construction details, building use, and other building features (such as pipelines, railroads, wells, dumps, and heavy machinery). - Bureau of Land Management General Land Office Records
Provides access to Federal land conveyance records for the Public Land States, including image access to more than five million Federal land title records issued between 1820 and the present. Also has images related to survey plats and field notes dating back to 1810. Due to organization of documents in the GLO collection, this site does not currently contain every Federal title record issued for the Public Land States. - Land Ownership Maps (United States) The maps held in Olin Library have been copied from maps held in the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress and are reproduced on microfiche. At present our holdings include only those states lying east of the Mississippi River. The best way to locate them is to search the Library Catalog advanced search option. Enter "land ownership maps" as a PHRASE in the first search box, and the name of a county (e.g., Tompkins, Allegheny, etc.) in the second search box.
NOTE:
In the Library Catalog, the subject sub-heading maps may be used after the name of a locale, for example: Iowa City (Iowa)--Maps.
Another useful subject heading to search in the Library Catalog is real property, followed by a location, followed by the sub-heading maps, for example: Real property > New York (State) > Cayuga Heights > Maps
Related Reference Resources
The list below includes material shelved in Olin Library Reference, but much more is available in the Map Collection, located on Olin's Lower Level.
- American Indian Reservations and Trust Areas[Washington, D.C.] : Economic Development Administration, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 1996.
Olin Reference E93 .T68 1996 + - Atlas of North American EnglishProvides an overall view of the pronunciation and vowel systems of the dialects of the U.S. and Canada.
Print copy: Olin Reference PE2808 .L26 2006 ++ (atlas case) - Atlas of the New WestNew York : W.W. Norton & Company, 1997.
Olin Reference G1380 .A74x 1997++ - Encyclopedia of Urban America : the Cities and SuburbsSanta Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, c1998. 2 volumes
Olin Reference HT123 .E5x 1998 - Mapping America’s Past : a Historical AtlasNew York : H. Holt, c1996.
Olin Reference G1201.S1 C28 1996++ - Native American Placenames of the United StatesNorman : University of Oklahoma Press, c2004.
Olin Reference E98.N2 .B75 2004 + - New historical atlas of religion in AmericaNew York : Oxford University Press, c2001.
Olin Reference G1201 E4 N4x 2001 ++
City Directories
On Microfiche
- American Directories Through 1860Call Number: Olin Library Microfiche 23Research Publications [1966].
Also titled "City and business directories, United States, through 1860." - City Directories of the United states, 1860-1901. Guide to the Microfilm Collection.Call Number: Olin Library Reference Film Guide 4104Research Publications, 1983. Guide to a microfilmed collection of US city directores of the late 19th century.
Please note:The Library has only the directories for New York State, 1860-1901 (Film 4104), and St. Joseph, Missouri, 1887-90 (Film 8618).
Online
- HeritageQuest OnlineOffers research materials for tracing family lineage and American culture. Features United States census records, city directories family and local histories, and primary source material.
NOTE:
Many 19th century city directories have been digitized and are available online. Try searching for the phrase "city directory" in the Internet Archive or Google Books. Also, scattered print copies of city directories may be found by searching the Library Catalog for the subject heading Cities and towns > United States > Directories.