Leveraging Google Maps in Genealogy

I posted about this a few years back, but after meeting up recently with my cousin Sara (great granddaughter of my great-great grandmother's brother Meyer), I realized it bears repeating and updating.

You've probably used Google Maps to get directions.  But did you know that you can create personal maps of places your ancestors have lived to help visualize their migration and how close various branches lived to one another?

Locations in which my family members have lived

In addition to being able to customize the look and color of the various "pins," the pins can also be put into different layers, allowing only certain layers' pins to be displayed.

The same map above but with two of my layers turned off

In addition to being able to customize the way that the pins look, you can add text &/or pictures to describe what each is representing.

Showing the text associated with one of my family towns

You can look at topographic and satellite views of the area to better understand why people lived--and moved--where they did.

Some of my family towns in the Carpathians.  Note how they're in villages along the valleys

While you're creating your map, look at what other information Google has about each town.  They may well have photos of the town--or if you're really lucky, they'll have StreetView, which allows you to virtually stroll around town.

Photo of the Kolodne Area via Google Maps

How do you make such a map?  Start by going to https://www.google.com/mymaps and selecting "Create Map."

Pick a name for your map and choose your privacy settings.  Then click on Done.  Your map has been created!

Now you need to add places.  Just search for a location in the search bar near the top of the page.  Once it finds your location, click on the location pin in the map, click "Save to map," then make sure the correct map is selected.  Press "Save" and it will be added to your map!  Do this for each location you want to save.

Adding a site to my map

You can now customize your locations.  Go back to "My Places" and then click on your blog name.  You'll see all of the locations that you have added.  Click on any location to edit, and you can change what the marker looks like, what is displayed, and you can also add notes and pictures.

Any other ideas of how to use Google Maps to further your genealogy research?  Please comment below!

(What are Google's rules for publishing their maps?  See here: https://www.google.com/permissions/geoguidelines.html)

Note:  I'm on Twitter.  Feel free to follow me (@larasgenealogy).

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