Understanding old maps?

[1shotwade]

Here's the deal folks. I am studying four old maps of my area.They are,1853,1858,1883 and 1900.All of these maps show roads and homesites that are not in the same location as the other maps.
The property I live on has an old road going up the creek,from one side to the other in different places on each map. The homesites are in different locations.I remember this old abandoned road from the 50's and would like to ID it's actual location along with original homesites along it before all knowledge of them are lost.
I have found at least 20 homesites that no longer exist and would like to ID the actual sites to preserve for the future.I have been all over google earth trying to ID features of roads and sites but am not doing much good.It only goes back to 1998.
As it stands now I am thinking the only way I can do this is to actually walk the fields swinging the MD until hopefully I hit ald nails,glass,whatever that might give up some info.Is there something else that might help that I'm overlooking?And what about actually ID'ing the old road beds? Would you expect to get metal "hits" on old road beds from 1853 that was still in use in 1900?
I know I'm reaching here but don't know where to go from here.
Thanks for "anything".

Wade

 

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[redbeardrelics]

Most maps before the late 1930's or early 1940's were not aided by aerial views of the terrain, therefore earlier maps could all show the same roads and same houses as being in slightly different locations, due to inaccuracies in the maps. Have a look at Historic aerials.com if you haven't already. It should give you a variety of maps from the late 1800's up to current. and there is a "slide" feature that allows you to pretty much overlay or compare any two of the maps side by side. Also on that site are aerial views of the land, usually from the 1950's up to current, that you can compare side to side with any of the maps.
Many old dirt wagon roads and horse trails changed over time, and people would travel from farm to farm, or town to town, by several different paths depending upon, weather, neighborhood and family relationships etc. I would suspect there to be artifacts in old dirt roadbeds, but it is probably going to be pretty hit and miss. People had to spend time clearing trees and brush from the paths, stopping to get their buggies unstuck from mud or snow, falling of their horses, or herding their livestock up the trails. Lots of potential, that only a thorough detection will reveal. Good luck.

 

[Inspector]

Maybe try this site. You can do overlays from old to new. I think it may help. Good luck HH

http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?op=home

 

[1shotwade]

Thanks for the info guys. The earliest map available from this site for my area is 1990 so not a lot of help thus far but I do have it bookmarked.I have been able to ID parts of the old road system thru the change in aerials from google earth but have not found anything that would ID old homesites. It's quite interesting to look at property you have lived on for 60 years and see the changes from 160 years ago!

Wade

 

[Ahab8]

Wade if you can find something on the old map that you know is there today you can overlay the Google earth map on to the old map and better pin down the locations. There's also something called Lidar imaging that pics out foundations and stone walls easily. There's a guy in my area who used it. I will show you some examples. But it will pick up a square or rectangular shape of it is built up at all. So any old stone foundation is easy detectable. Let me be clear about this....I have never used it and can't tell you how. But I will show you what it looks like.


It's really an amazing tool when you learn what to look for

 

[Mackaydon]

You might consider contacting your county historian (through your local library) and ask that person for early maps and photos of the area you are researching.
Don..

 

[creade]

You might consider contacting your county historian (through your local library) and ask that person for early maps and photos of the area you are researching.
Don..

thats where I get my best stuff.