Doesn't Virginia have a department of transportation? The highway
departments of all states are great repositories of land and transportation
information. They are usually in the mix on the condemnation or eminent
domain issues.
Just a thought for another resource.
John Philip Adams
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Janet Hunter
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 11:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Roads and Land Records: Shenandoah National Park
Andrew,
I have read most of the other responses. My own response is a little bit
different, though I think Eric mentioned plat maps. I think that if you
really
want a picture of the location of your roads before the National Park
bought
everybody out, you should consider going to the newspapers, libraries,
genealogy societies, historical societies in the individual counties and
regions
(Virginia is big on regional libraries) that were involved in that buyout
of
the original settlers (which was NOT a pretty picture).
My experience is that these resources are more likely to have older maps,
etc. They also might have old local phone and business directories with
maps
in the front showing the primary arteries in the counties, so that people
can
locate their neighbors. Often plat maps don't highlight roads because they
are designed towards real estate concerns/property lines and not towards
just
being, well maps for the common person travelling. Plat maps also aren't
topgraphical as a rule.
As an online start, I would recommend that you join the rootsweb
(genealogy)
mailing lists for each of these counties and their neighbors. Then place
your query there. Most of these lists have subscribers who are folks who
still
live there or did recently or have good contacts. Who knows. They may
know
people that are still holed up in the Park making moonshine, but I doubt
they'll tell you! (I read too much Sharyn McCrumb).
What I do know is that there are still hard feelings amongst the families
and their descendants who were displaced by the Park. They may be happy to
help you and your project.
Here is the Rootsweb link for the Virginia Mailing lists. Instructions on
subscribing are at each link
_http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/VA/_
(http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/VA/)
Best Regards,
Janet Hunter
In a message dated 9/20/2006 11:19:41 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
. In partiuclar, I'm focusing my work on six roads
located in Warren County, Rappahannock County, Page County, and Rockingham
County.
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