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Try our ColonialRoots.Net Customized Google Genealogy Search
Disclaimer: please note that this is a research project that makes no claim that the information offered here is accurate or true. The nature of genealogy is based on a scientific process of seeking evidence and proof. Secondary sources such as the ones we cite here may not be accurate. The info here is offered for entertainment purposes and to offer clues and previously published info to help others in their research.
Welcome to ColonialRoots.Net
We apologize for the mess, but we're still under construction and trying to define the basic structure here. I'm in the process of sorting out some of the mapping and timeline tools we want to use here, and I'm scanning some boxes of genealogy files and photos that I inherited from my grandfather, Malcolm Howard Dill.
At this point much of the American content is heavily slanted towards Pennsylvania because much of my research focuses on this state. I'm also quote interested in seeing this expand to include all of the original American colonies, and much info on England, Scotland, Ireland and the rest of the world in the 17th and 18th century.
We're in the process of scanning books we own, photos, and sorting out how this will all link together. we're also adding some content from Wikipedia to help frame the context of the early settlements. while we are using a Wiki engine we are not trying to create an Encyclopedia. We're trying to understand the land our ancestors migrated to and where they came from and why, and to get a feel for what life was like back then.
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[edit] About the ColonialRoots.net Wiki
This site was created as a living research tool for me to link my research into genealogy, history and maps in a multimedia format. think of this as my ever-expanding notebook of research in progress, shared so that others can see it and perhaps interact with me to clarify and add details.
Information here may not be accurate and is offered for your entertainment value, and in the hopes of offering some history and some clues and leads that may help others in their research.
I have some ambitious ideas about merging genealogy data, local history books and other source of history and genealogy info, and merging that with some mapping and time-line tools to offer a better perspective of the context of the times my ancestors lived in. I'd like to extend the maps to include historical church and cemetery markers, current regional history museums and libraries, and to merge old maps with current ones to offer a view of migration trails an early roads.
Additions and edits to these pages are currently restricted as I define the initial site and project. I'll extend user login and editing rights to people interested in contributing if you contact me.
Initially this project will be oriented towards early American settlers in Colonial Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and North and South Carolina. Scope also includes an interest in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, Holland and France in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly as related to trade companies and early colonies.
[edit] Map tools
SiteFinder Map Tools You can plot any point from the Gold Bug's SiteFinder database onto Google Maps.
Google Maps Local searches for terms like church, cemetery, museum, library and historical society and help locate useful map points.
US Maps, Locations, and Directions for Genealogy Various tools include:
- Search for US state or town on the 1895 US Atlas,
- Search for US state or town in the Library of Congress Collection, &
- RootsWeb County Finder (Enter a town name to find county),
- Google Search by location
- United States Feature Finder -- Enter town to search for town features such as cemetery, church or mine or search for the many natural features. Results include county and coordinates that can be used on maps on GPS for exact locations.
USGS Names database The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is the Nation's official data base of place names. The GNIS is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and can often provide information on name changes. This data base contains 2 million entries, including the names of places that no longer exist, as well as variant names for existing places.
This automated system also contains the names of every type of feature except roads and highways. It is especially useful for genealogical research because it contains entries for communities, as well as for churches and cemeteries, even those that no longer exist.
TopoZone Every USGS topographic map, orthophotomap, and aerial photograph in the entire United States. Just type a place name in the search box and go! Use the "View Maps" menu for more search options.
Google Earth Free software download that extends Google Maps to allow you to fly over regions. If you turn on various sets of map points you can find many markers for historic libraries, churches, old inns and taverns, names of valleys, islands and much more. These can be saved to custom files that make it easy to copy the coordinates for use in other mapping systems such as custom Google Maps. You also can overlay historic map images over current maps. Also there are some users sharing projects such as migration path mappings.
BrainyGeography.com has map coordinates for many churches and other landmarks around America.
[edit] E-Books
Scotland's Mark on America, by George Fraser Black
A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume I (of 3), by Thomas Clarkson
A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 2 by Thomas Clarkson
A Portraiture of Quakerism, Volume 3 by Thomas Clarkson
[edit] Interested in contributing to this project?
If you are interested in participating please email colonial<at>ColonialRoots.net and tell us about yourself and your interest in this project. I could use some help on this project, and I think it could be fun. One of the easiest ways to extend what's here is to add selected Wikipedia pages to help pad out the historical context and references, offering a broader context of the local history and family history accounts I am adding here. Also I can use some help linking the various overlapping histories and pages, and formatting text for easier to read presentation. The scope of this project could increase to be much broader if others help by contributing.
Under the carpet I swept all the loose ends under for now
[edit] Copyrights
Contents of this web site are copyrighted by ColonialRoots.Net 2007, unless otherwise noted. These materials may not be reproduced for commercial use or republication.
One exception to this is any material marked as sourced from [Wikipedia], which is used as permitted under the GNU Free Documentation License which allows the material to be used freely under circumstances as described at Wikipedia's site, and as outlined in the Text of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Much of the material here is sourced from materials where the copyright has lapsed into public domain. Other material come from personal records, in some cases passed down for generations. We've attempted to cite sources for all material when available.
Any questions related to copyrights of material on this site can be directed via email to colonial @ ColonialRoots.Net.
[edit] Donate
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