Friday, August 22, 2014

Why Genealogists Should Use ACME Mapper

Genealogists are always looking at maps and for mapping tools that help them find locations related to the lives and stories of their ancestors.  As a single category, I've saved more map related bookmarks than for any other topic.  Why?  Because of my need to understand how locations related to events in the lives of the people at the focus of my research.

My most frequently used mapping site is ACME Mapper.  Mapper includes a number of tools that help in research including a location feature name search tool. 

 

acmemapper_control

 

For example: Finding small rural cemeteries is often impossible on normal mapping sites, yet is relatively easy using the tools on Mapper.

 

acmemapper_standardmap

 

If I needed to look for the location on a Topo map, that format is only a click away.

 

acmemapper_topo

 

Satellite photos often help us find features like cemeteries but we have to spend a lot of time scrolling across surface images to to find the feature.  In the case of cemeteries or locations that are dependent on visual topographical clues, photos from space don’t necessarily show features that we recognize unless we accidentally happen across the exact location in the photo.

 

acmemapper_moraycemetery

 

Standard maps offer no references to this cemetery.  Mapper usually comes to the rescue with it plethora of tools and map types.

Mapper includes the marker, links and tools that are familiar to us on other mapping sites, plus a lot more.

 

acmemapper_maptypes

acmemapper_links

acmemapper_options

 

 

Try ACME Mapper in your own ancestral quest and see if you also appreciate its power.  It will probably become one of the most used tools in your genealogy quiver.

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