I Just Love a Good Map

Over Christmas I received Google Earth for Genealogy, Vol 1 and 2. This is a great CD set developed by Lisa Louise Cooke of Genealogy Gems. Lisa’s CD’s showed me how to use Google Earth to map my ancestors. Yes, I probably could have figured it out on my own, but Lisa showed me the ins and outs of Google Earth is a simple and organized format. I always like simple and organized.


So, I gave it a try……

This is the Google Earth map I made for my GGGG Grandfather George Howard/Harward of Lee (then Moore) County, NC. Mapping the approximation location of George’s land showed me where he was in relationship to other important landmarks to my ancestors.


For example, see that yellow pin showing George’s location? It may be difficult to tell, but he lived on the Wake, Lee (then Moore) and Chatham County lines. He really was not all that far from the other Howard/Harwards of Wake County.

See the yellow pin for Baptist Chapel Church? That was originally land belonging to Tillman Thomas that was later given by a Thomas/Howard descendant to build a church building. George’s son Caswell married Tillman’s daughter Mary Adline Thomas. It turns out they were neighbors.


Buckhorn Dam? That was built on the Cape Fear River after George’s time. The Maddox family owned land on that part of the river and attended Moore Union Christian Church (another yellow pin). The Maddox and Howard families intermarried through the generations.

Oh my! I’m starting to see that Google Earth for Genealogy and cluster genealogy my help to break down a brick wall!