18th Century Vermont Maps Now Online

Maps dating to the 18th century have been made available online at the Vermont State Archives website the Associated Press reports:

Many have disappeared or been hidden away in dusty vaults in town clerk's offices. But now the Vermont State Archives is using digital technology to make copies of the maps accessible over the Internet so landowners, lawyers, surveyors and historians can use them to analyze colonial-era roads, boundary lines and titles.

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"Some of these records may be based on surveys and maps done 200 years ago, but they continue to have value, legal value and an informational value that has survived the centuries," [State Archivist Gregory] Sanford said.

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Besides their practical value, the Vermont maps offer a glimpse into the past. For example, a 1778 map of Royalton bears notations saying the town's four corners are marked by birch trees. Some of the 54 lots have the names of the original European owners, while others describe property as "good upland" or "level and very good."

See also: Vermont Towns Begin Mapping Ancient Roads
Old Maps Of New England Available On CD