Help with researching old maps

ToddAdams

Tenderfoot
Mar 17, 2014
6
12
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hello Friends, I was looking to see if any of you had any suggestions on certain websites or specific keys words to look for when trying to find old home sites. I live in Massachusetts and have tried to type in "old home sites Worcester county" and get no real hits per se. Normally I would just go to the Library and try the research there but due to Covid that's not an option. Any help guys would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!!
 

Hello Friends, I was looking to see if any of you had any suggestions on certain websites or specific keys words to look for when trying to find old home sites. I live in Massachusetts and have tried to type in "old home sites Worcester county" and get no real hits per se. Normally I would just go to the Library and try the research there but due to Covid that's not an option. Any help guys would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!!


Old Maps Online
 

if you try searching old plat maps of your area that may help. lots of libraries and counties have these resources available online
 

Try your local historical society. Mine sells the 1854 and 1875 county maps (4 bucks each) and also has a really good map with all the 1600s-1700s houses still standing and the sites where they once stood.
 

ToddAdams,

What year?? What town?? Outside of the city or inside a town somewhere...Depending on the answer you provide will determine which maps you might be able to find online.

Got-Good-Tones
 

Here's what I did. I went to the county courthouse and they copied the oldest (1875) plat for my township. Then they copied the 1895 plat for me. I compared them. I targeted the houses that were on the '75 plat, but gone by '95. This gave me the oldest house sites shown in the township to hunt. Permission was easy to get and I found the house sites fairly easily. Lots of relics and iron on the old farms but few coins. I need more practice! Gary
 

Many times you can just Google (google text) “your county” maps. You should get many choices from many years. Be careful about going to “buy maps” sites as much of those maps are scanned in by libraries and nonprofits and are available for free.
 

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