Groundspeak Portal

I've been having good luck finding the old County History Books at books.Google.com

Around about the 1880's and later, companies went around to each County, and wrote a book on the county. A lot of good information plus biographies. Genealogists consider them both good and bad. Good because they give some hints, but bad because they are unsourced. They are called vanity books, because the bios were included to people who paid for and submitted them.

Given all that, I am still finding them to be the only source for some old information, every now and again.

For example, I was looking for info on an old Methodist church in Dexter. The church website didn't include history. Google search turned up nothing. I went to Books.Google.com and found it in http://books.google.com/books?id=dww82ti-GM4C&printsec=frontcover The past and Present of Washtenaw County.

So, my suggestion is to search for the county History book of the County your waymark is in for more information.

Here is another example where the County History Book provided valuable information

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM4EBP

I was really impressed to see that reference in your waymark. It's really a special treat when someone takes that extra step to bring in information. It makes reviewing waymarks a really fun part of the hobby.

- Elle

This information needs to be out on waywardwaymarking.

0ccam:

This information needs to be out on waywardwaymarking.

I wonder if there is a clean and organized way to list counties within states. It would be a mammouth task to update a grid of all counties in the US with 0-3 book links for each.

I did an advanced search on books.google.com for all books with full text available and county history in the name, and got back some good hits.

http://books.google.com/books?as_q=&num=10&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_brr=1&lr=&as_vt=county+history&as_auth=&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb=c&as_miny=&as_maxy=&as_isbn=

When I added Michigan, I got a prtty managable list of books I have seen at the library

http://books.google.com/books?as_q=&num=10&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_brr=1&lr=&as_vt=county+history+michigan&as_auth=&as_pub=&as_sub=&as_drrb=c&as_miny=&as_maxy=&as_isbn=

Maybe a better choice for wayward waymarking might be to point to the books.google.com advanced search page, with some suggestions on how to get to the County History Books

 

It is hard enough to just maintain the list of American Guides which are listed on Wayward Waymarking.  Seems occasionally books with full view get changed back to no view or limited view and then back again.  I assume it is while copyright issues are resolved.  (BTW all the state Guides do have an on-line source except Alabama at this time, and all are listed on WaywardWaymarking)

BruceS:

It is hard enough to just maintain the list of American Guides which are listed on Wayward Waymarking.  Seems occasionally books with full view get changed back to no view or limited view and then back again.  I assume it is while copyright issues are resolved.  (BTW all the state Guides do have an on-line source except Alabama at this time, and all are listed on WaywardWaymarking)

Google just doesn't know the impact they have made on Waymarking!

Did you know they have a Fairy Door in their Ann Arbor office? It says Giggle. I was thinking of waymarking it.

Here is another good search on Books.Google.Com

 

Go to advanced search, select full view, put in the title box

 

CITY DIRECTORY

 

The City Directory is what they used before the phone book.

 

This is good for documenting what or where buildings used to be, for categories that allow building that used to be that category. Here is a few that came back on my search.

 

 The Utica City Directory for the Year 1883: With a General and Business ...

by Charles N. Gaffney - Utica (N.Y.) - 1883 - 605 pages

 

Includes additional title pages with titles: The Frankfort directory for the year 1883 ; and, The Ilion directory for the year 1883.

  Geer's Hartford City Directory

Hartford (Conn.) - 1899

The Salt Lake City Directory and Business Guide for 1869

by Edward L Sloan - Salt Lake City (Utah) - 1869 - 219 pages

 

Folded plate is a view of Salt Lake City; folded map is a plat guide of Salt Lake City.

Full view - About this book - Add to my library  

  Nashville city and business directory ...

Tennessee - 1855

 

Longworth's American Almanac: New-York Register and City Directory.

1834

 

Title varies: -1818/19 Longworth's New York register, and city directory.

General Directory and Business Advertiser of the City of Chicago for the ...

by J. W. Norris - Chicago (Ill.) - 1902 - 116 pages

 

Cover title: Norris' Chicago directory. Reprinted 1933 by W.L. Mccullouch as "Chicago-then and now."

Madison City Directory, a City and Business Directory for 1866: A City and ...

by B. W. Suckow, John Y. Smith - Madison (Wis.) - 1866 - 175 pages

 

Music Publishers in New York City Before 1850: A Directory

by Mabel Almy Howe - Music trade - 1917 - 18 pages

 

"Reprinted November 1917 from the Bulletin of the New York Public Library of September 1917."

The Rocky Mountain Directory and Colorado Gazetteer, for 1871: Comprising a ...

by Samuel S. Wallihan, T. O. Bigney - Colorado - 1870 - 442 pages

 

The Directory of Directors in the City of Boston and Vicinity

Corporations - 1905

 

Latest issue consulted: 18th ed. (1986).

 

 

 

I found a good reference for Sundials at

http://sundials.org/registry/