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Where in the world did this happen?

The other day I found another feature of Google Maps.  You can Use Google Maps to find Latitude and Longitude (Lat / Long) of a point, and its pretty easy.  This is a great feature that can be used to add Lat / Long information to your gedcom file.  The software that I use (PGV) has a Google Maps module built into it, so this feature is not as important to me, but other may find it interesting.

The Baskin and Forster Atlas was packed with interesting items for me.  One of the maps that I found surprised me.  It was a detailed map for the city of Hope, Bartholomew County, Indiana in 1870.  I have several members of my line that lived in the town at the time, so I was curious about the map.  Upon closer inspection it turns out that the map has some pretty significant information for me.

The surnames that are linked to the City of Hope are maternal lines, and center on the Spach/Spaugh and Arbuckle surnames.  The map in particular is significant to the Spach/Spaugh name. 

A little history about the Spach/Spaugh surname.  Adam Spach is the patriarch for the Spach/Spaugh surname in the United States.  Adam was deeply involved in the Moravian Church, and even helped start a Church in North Carolina.  A few generations after Adam Spach died, the Spach/Spaugh's moved to Indiana.  I am failry certian that they moved because of the Moravian Church, but I am not sure if the Church founded the City of Hope.  The Spach/Spaughs that I am related to were active members in the Hope Moravian Church, and may have been "founding Members". 

As I mentioned in my last post I purchased a digital copy of the 1876 Baskin and Forster Indiana State Atlas.  The atlas covers Indiana, and has maps of the counties and Cities that were in the state at the time.  In addition to the maps that are specific to the state, there are some maps that are of general interest.  These general interest maps include a world map, a railroad map etc.

One of the general interest maps that I found interesting was a map of the German Population living in the United States.  The map was based of the 1870 US census, but none the less it gives you a good idea about where people of German descent tended to gather.  The map to the left is a view of the entire United States, with German Population's marked in red (click on it to see it larger).  The darker the red the higher the concentration of German's.  As you can see the German population stayed in a pretty tight area, and did not really seem to venture south.  Of note are some of the "Big" German population centers, New Jersey, New York City, Erie PA, Buffalo NY, Chicago, Cincinnatti. 

I have always found maps interesting, and since I started working on my genealogy, they have become an important tool.  One of the maps that I have come across in my research is the 1876 Indiana State atlas.  It is a great atlas, but has become hard to find, and if you can find it, it is an expensive book to purchase.  The book was about 290 pages long, and it is bound in half leather black cloth covered boards.  The words "Illustrated Historical Atlas Of The State Of Indiana 1876" are stamped in gilt on the cover. Most of the maps are printed in full color, with a few being hand colored. 

The book was originally published in 1876 by Baskin, Forster and Company.  The title page reads:

Illustrated historical atlas of the State of Indiana. Published by Baskin, Forster & Co. Lakeside Building Chicago, Ills. 1876. Engraved & Printed by Chas. Shober & Co. Props. of Chicago Lithographing Co.

Interestingly enough, it appears that the author of the book / map is an Alfred Theodore Andreas.  According to the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection, Mr. Andreas was a "Hidden" author due to a bankruptcy issue.  I am not sure what happened, but it is an interesting little side note.  From what I gathered Mr. Andreas lived from 1839-1900.