Legacy Tree
Contact Us
x
  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Blog
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian
Contact Us
Contact Us
x
  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Blog
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian
Contact Us
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • .
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian

Dealing with Shifting County Boundaries

October 31, 2014 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Shifting County Boundaries

The state of New York in 1785. Modern county boundaries are under-laid in white.

Maps can be the very tool for breaking through your brick wall… or causing one. County boundaries that have changed over time can be overwhelmingly frustrating in your genealogy research. Here’s a deeper look at understanding and dealing with shifting county boundaries. 

As anyone who has ever delved very deep into American research knows, the shifting boundaries of counties and even states can complicate research. You want to get right to the source, to know where to look for records of your ancestor, since many key American record types are often kept at the county level – civil vitals, probate, and deeds, to name a few. But what happens when it’s not your family member that did the moving, but the county line? This was extremely common in the earlier days of the United States as it experienced rapid growth and constant reorganization.

The Frustrating Reality

The state of New York is a prime example. By 1785, less than ten years after Independence, almost all of New York was in Montgomery County. By the turn of the century only fifteen years later, it had split into over ten new counties and would only continue to fracture further over the next century. A man could have been living in Montgomery County in 1785, Chenango County in 1800, and Madison County in 1815 – and all without having moved ten feet over that thirty-year span.

Not Just the North

Another example from my own tree: my great-grandmother who just died this year at the age of 107 was born in 1906 in what is today the city of Erick in Beckham County, Oklahoma. The problem? The day she was born, neither the county nor state existed. It was then known as Indian Territory and didn’t become a state until the next year, when Beckham County was also created. It has taken some explaining to clarify why I can say she was born in Erick, Greer County, Indian Territory and my family can say Erick, Beckham, Oklahoma, and we can both be technically talking about the exact same place!

The Perfect Tool

How could you possibly keep all of this straight? One great (and free!) tool to help with the shifting lines is available online through the famous Newberry Library of Chicago. Called the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, this super-visual site allows you choose a state, then choose a year and it will generate a map of what the boundaries looked like that exact year. You can even overlay the modern county boundaries and names, check out the bibliography that led to its creation, or view chronologies for each individual county.

Although admittedly it is not the most immediately user-friendly tool out there, a little experimentation will bring you up to speed in no time. Access it online here. Start by clicking on the state of interest. From there, select method you’d prefer – to get the visual, simply click “View Interactive Map.”

If you’re from the U.S., give it a try to find yourself learning even more about the history of the United States and how it affected your family! If you’re researching European ancestors, check out our article on a great free resource for European research: Mapire: A Free Tool for Historical Maps of Europe.

Legacy Tree Genealogists provides the research necessary to bring your family tree to life. Contact us today for a free quote.

 

County boundaries that have changed over time can be frustrating in your genealogy research. Here's how to work with shifting county boundaries. 
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
Legacy Tree Genealogists

Legacy Tree Genealogists

The team at Legacy Tree Genealogists has been helping clients worldwide discover their roots for over a decade. We're based near the world's largest Family History Library and connected with genealogists and archives around the world, and we love doing what we do! We also love sharing our genealogy tips with our readers.
Legacy Tree Genealogists

Latest posts by Legacy Tree Genealogists (see all)

  • RootsTech 2023 Recap: Uniting and Learning In Genealogy Family Research - March 10, 2023
  • Legacy Tree Genealogists RootsTech 2023 Schedule - February 9, 2023
  • Irish Family History: Online Resources to Help Find Your Irish Ancestors - January 26, 2023

Filed Under: Land Records Tagged With: county, family history research, genealogy records, map, records, United States

Previous article: Finding the Owner
Next article: 5 Great Records About Your Military Ancestor

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Posts

Scottish Ancestors

5 Keys to Finding Scottish Ancestors with Genealogist Jamie Kay

March 6, 2023 By Jamie - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 4 Comments

Legacy Tree Genealogists RootsTech 2023 Schedule

February 9, 2023 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 4 Comments

Scenic Ireland_Irish Family Hisroey

Irish Family History: Online Resources to Help Find Your Irish Ancestors

January 26, 2023 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 4 Comments

portuguese geneaology

3 Tips and Tricks to Kickstart your Portuguese Genealogy Project 

October 10, 2022 By Becca- Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 4 Comments

British Isles

Uncovering Hidden Jewels in British Isles Genealogy Research

April 26, 2022 By Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

Map of Finland

Ask a Genealogist: Interesting Facts about Finnish Genealogy Research

March 29, 2022 By Legacy Tree Genealogists 12 Comments

Brick Walls in British Genealogy Research

British Genealogy Brick Wall Breakthrough: A Case Study

March 8, 2022 By Jamie - Legacy Tree Genealogists Researcher 4 Comments

CATEGORIES

SEARCH

SUBSCRIBE

  • Home
  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Careers
Terms of Use Privacy Policy

© 2004 - 2023 Legacy Tree Genealogists. All rights reserved.

  • Services
  • Highlights
  • About
  • Press
  • Blog
  • .
  • English
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese (Brazil)
    • Swedish
    • Danish
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Russian