Interactive map of Gettysburg

[mhands]

Hey all,

Working on a project that requires synthesizing and reconciling photos, maps and source accounts in an attempt to reconstruct the 1863 battlefield in detail.

There are some great interactive maps of Gettysburg online, but none that included all the above in adequate detail for a nerd. Found a nifty interactive mapping tool that's been helpful with the personal project, and figured I'd share in case it's of any interest or value: 1863 Gettysburg Interactive Map

• It's a work in progress (migrating from my Google Earth notes), so many markings, citations, notes, links and photos are still missing or not organized in the filter folders
• One of the more useful features to me has been adding old photos and location-angles to the map. You can click a photo arrow, the link associated with it, and (in general) see a upscale and colorized version of the photo--ideally the contents of 1863 photos should be reflected in the map (e.g. fences, roads, vegetation, buildings, etc.) but always on the lookout for missed details and inaccuracies so would appreciate any catches where the maps missing details from a photo
  • 
• If anyone finds this useful in general for their own interests/studies, I can work with anyone interested to make this editable for a group and we can combine efforts to synthesize any of our findings/interests to it--there are so many great individual contributions about Gettysburg on the internet, but very few attempts to combine, collate, reconcile, crowd-source into single detailed sources-of-truth.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

I bookmarked this - thanks!

 

[infomanpa]

Interesting. I've never seen anything like this.

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

A possible correction?

You have the photo of Brady's assistant on a fence looking Northeast (I think) toward the Lutheran Seminary. Per an earlier thread by @Gettysburg Greg linked below, the assistant is actually sitting on a fence along Chambersburg Pike looking Southwest toward what I would call the back of the seminary.

I'm not sure about the angle, but that could place him in the vicinity of Carrie Shead's house perhaps?

Per Gettysburg Greg:

The image was taken from the Chambersburg Pike looking SW towards the Seminary in mid-July 1863 when the building was full of wounded from both sides.
Please see:

Interesting Details Found in Mathew Brady's Seminary Photograph | Gettysburg

I know I have made the point previously, but I just love having most of the historic Gettysburg photos now available to download in hi res (tiff) format. This enables you to magnify the image multiple times and clearly see background details otherwise never noticed. You never know what...

civilwartalk.com

 

[Gettysburg Greg]

A possible correction?

You have the photo of Brady's assistant on a fence looking Northeast (I think) toward the Lutheran Seminary. Per an earlier thread by @Gettysburg Greg linked below, the assistant is actually sitting on a fence along Chambersburg Pike looking Southwest toward what I would call the back of the seminary.

I'm not sure about the angle, but that could place him in the vicinity of Carrie Shead's house perhaps?

Per Gettysburg Greg:

The image was taken from the Chambersburg Pike looking SW towards the Seminary in mid-July 1863 when the building was full of wounded from both sides.
Please see:

Interesting Details Found in Mathew Brady's Seminary Photograph | Gettysburg

I know I have made the point previously, but I just love having most of the historic Gettysburg photos now available to download in hi res (tiff) format. This enables you to magnify the image multiple times and clearly see background details otherwise never noticed. You never know what...

civilwartalk.com

First, yes, Brady's vested assistant is looking SW towards the Seminary from the Chambersburg Pike, I'm thinking across the street from the Sheads' is probably correct. In Brady's photo of his assistant on the board fence, there is a post and rail fence running perpendicular to the Pike seen in the top photo. Continuing on to Brady's panorama of the town below that, you see the Sheads' house in the foreground and the white board fence across the Pike. At the end of the board fence is the post and rail intersecting right where I believe the photo of the assistant was taken right where I placed the arrow.

 

[Molchman]

This is amazing! I can't wait to see more of the long lane area. This is so helpful!

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

This is amazing! I can't wait to see more of the long lane area. This is so helpful!

Some info on Long Lane is in the thread linked below. The pictures mentioned in this thread are on Chambersburg Pike.

Long Lane at Gettysburg | Gettysburg

Have looked for the uses of, and also battle info around what is called Long Lane and found little. Can I assume this Lane was used for travel by local farmers before and after the battle? How long was the Lane and who were it's primary users? It looks to be in the vicinity where Picketts charge...

civilwartalk.com

 

[Ethan S.]

Very interesting! I'd love to see the progress this makes over time.

 

[Militarybooks]

I am working with a fellow that has finished a complete minute by minute software map of Gettysburg with more information than you can imagine. It is mind blowing. Now I am trying to figure out how to use it.

 

[Chattahooch33]

What is the earliest picture we have of the wheatfield?

 

[mhands]

@Reconstructed Rebel, @Gettysburg Greg, thank you both greatly for the correction! I was never able to get fences to line up in my head in my original location, as soon as you pointed out the correct location it fit like a puzzle piece. You should now see it fixed.

Does anyone else know what house that is on the left?

@Chattahooch33, I'd be curious to know the answer as well- looked into it once upon a time, but gave up the search.

 

[mhands]

All, many on this forum are experts who may be kind enough to correct any inaccuracies on this list (such as names, dates, provenance), for the rest of us--figured I'd share my list of historic maps I've been cross-referencing trying to synthesize for the interactive map in case it's helpful or saves time as a rough starting place for anyone else's research interests.

Date	Title	Creator	URL	Text
1786	Town Lot Map of Gettysburg
1858	Map of Adams Co., Pennsylvania Copy 1 + Old Town Map	Philadelphia : M.S. & E. Converse, Publishers, 1858	https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3823a.la000697/
1858	Map of Adams Co., Pa.	Pennsylvania?	https://www.loc.gov/item/2012592149/
1863	*Bird's-eye view of Gettysburg battlefield, showing positions of Union & Confederate armies during the battle	Bachelder, John B. (John Badger), 1825-1894, artist	http://www.codex99.com/cartography/images/gettysburg/bachelder_1863_lg.jpg
1863	Cope Map (Gettysburg and Surrounding Area)	Cope, Emmor B.	https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~26869~1100168
1863	Field of Gettysburg, July 1st, 2nd & 3rd, 1863	Ditterline, Theodore	https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3824g.cw0331000/
1864	Elliott's Map of the Battle of Gettysburg	Elliott, S. G. & Co.	https://catalog.archives.gov/id/17370358	RG 77, Civil Works Map File, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/17370358
1864	Elliot Burial Map (Gettysburg and Surrounding Area)	Elliott, S. G. & Co.	https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3824g.cw0332000/?r=0.123,0.498,0.672,0.574,0	RG 77, Civil Works Map File, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6860337
1868	Warren Maps of the Gettysburg Battlefield
1868	Map of the Battle-field of Gettysburg, 1868–06/1873	GK Warren and William Chase	http://www.codex99.com/cartography/images/gettysburg/warren_1868_lg.jpg	http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/ 305571
1869	*Map of the battle-field of Gettysburg	Warren, G.K.	https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~26924~1100223:Engineer-Department,-U-S-A---Bvt--M
1870	*Circular Gettysburg Map with Warren annotations	Cope, Emmor B.	https://i0.wp.com/unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/07/E105a-2.jpg?ssl=1	RG 77 Civil Works Map File E 105a-2.
1872	County Atlas (All of Adams County)
1873	Battle field of Gettysburg	Warren, G. K. (Gouverneur Kemble), 1830-1882	https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3824g.cw0353500/?r=0.407,0.361,0.251,0.215,0
1876	*Map of the battle field of Gettysburg. July 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 1863	Boston : John B. Bachelder, 1876	https://www.loc.gov/item/lva0000067/
1883	*Large oval map "Battlefield of Gettysburg, Pa."		https://i0.wp.com/unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/07/e72-1.jpg?ssl=1
1886	Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Gettysburg)
1888	Birds' Eye View Illustration (Gettysburg)
1888	Elevation map of Gettysburg	Woeltje and Cutting	https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3824g.cw0357200/?r=0.325,0.94,0.251,0.214,0
1900	Map of the Gettysburg Battlefield	Cope, Emmor B. & Mattern, H. W.	https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3822g.cw0351700/?r=0.174,0.002,0.495,0.579,90
1916	Map of the battlefield of Gettysburg from original surveys by the engineers of the Commission	Philadelphia, John T. Palmer Co.	https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3822g.cw0351550/?r=0.093,0.409,0.906,0.775,0
	Battlefield of Gettysburg, Pa., 1st, 2nd, & 3rd of July 1863		https://catalog.archives.gov/id/305570
			https://i0.wp.com/unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/07/E105a-1.jpg?ssl=1
			https://i0.wp.com/unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/07/RG77_CWMF_E73-1.jpg?ssl=1
			https://i0.wp.com/unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/07/RG77_CWMF_E73-1.jpg?ssl=1
			https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3824g.cw0333000/?r=-0.235,0.142,1.515,1.295,0
			https://i0.wp.com/unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/07/E105-4-1.jpg?ssl=1
	Battlefield of Gettysburg, Pa.	https://catalog.archives.gov/id/305570	https://i0.wp.com/unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/07/e72-1.jpg?ssl=1	RG 77, Civil Works Map File, E 72 (1)
	Crop Map		https://civilwartalk.com/threads/cyclorama-compared-to-tipton-photo-at-the-angle.199534/

 

[mhands]

Hey all,

Here's a new version: 1863 Gettysburg Interactive Map

Haven't made tons of progress, but a few updates:

• Starting add links to reports on key areas. (however, not a fast or strong writer and it's mostly incidental to my passion of understanding the battlefield through visuals, so any advice or if anyone wants access to add/update these, it'd be greatly appreciate)
  • 
• Although they haven't made their may into the map yet, lots of backend progress on the cataloging, editing and indexing of photos--it'll require a little more work but hope to soon have features like hovering over a building in photo and highlight building on map.
  • 
• Moving away from using building icons and toward outlining the footprints of buildings for improved accuracy. (green means high certainty on location, owner, type, etc., red for low verification)
  • 

@Molchman offered to partner on research/helping maintain, which will help greatly. If anyone else is interested, would really appreciate. Otherwise please use and enjoy if helpful-- only ask that you report any inaccuracies you find!

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

I will defer to the locals on the forum, but I believe you have placed the Welty House (#438 S. Weldy House?) on the wrong side of Locust Ave. It was on the south side of the street nearer the cemetery.

Keep up the good work. I'm excited about this project!

 

[Bass50Ga]

Great maps, the only time I got to Gettysburg was August 2001, it was so hot, and I saw all these huge rocks just out on the ground. So it was sort of hot like when my ancestors were there 138 years before. So I'm going to map out where my ancestors were at the Rose Farm, thank you.

 

[121st PA Vols]

I will defer to the locals on the forum, but I believe you have placed the Welty House (#438 S. Weldy House?) on the wrong side of Locust Ave. It was on the south side of the street nearer the cemetery.

Keep up the good work. I'm excited about this project!

That's correct RR. South side, behind my childhood house on Hillcrest Place to its east. Beautiful building.

 

[mwalker6043]

@Reconstructed Rebel, @Gettysburg Greg, thank you both greatly for the correction! I was never able to get fences to line up in my head in my original location, as soon as you pointed out the correct location it fit like a puzzle piece. You should now see it fixed.

Does anyone else know what house that is on the left?
View attachment 509431

@Chattahooch33, I'd be curious to know the answer as well- looked into it once upon a time, but gave up the search.

Some maps have it as Samuel Foulk.

 

[mhands]

@Reconstructed Rebel and all, thank you for the correction- it's been fixed!:

When it came to town building placements, many were based soley on the 1858 town map (unless I found a reference to a building's modern address/coordinates).

1858 town map has the Rupp house just south of Welty across Baltimore. But this might be a cases where the older maps are inexact or derived from each other.

For anyone who wants a copy, the only "free" high quality version of 1850 Sidney town map I could find was on the wall at the Heritage museum:

The heritage museum also had this incredible modern map of 1863 Gettysburg with full buildings outlined and outbuildings/barnes delineated. No sources on it, but I've assumed it to be accurate where I can find corrboration from the 1858/1850 maps:

In general, I've found surprisingly few town maps with citations/names of owners exist out there--apart from the above. If anyone knows of any other sources, please share! Feels like I'm missing something obvious...

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

The Welty House is the one at the corner (444). The one you have marked as S. Welty (why is it S. ?) is the Brickhouse Inn, a Victorian built after the battle. Don't despair! This is well worth the efforts you are putting in.

 

[mwalker6043]

Hey all,

Here's a new version: 1863 Gettysburg Interactive Map

Haven't made tons of progress, but a few updates:

• Starting add links to reports on key areas. (however, not a fast or strong writer and it's mostly incidental to my passion of understanding the battlefield through visuals, so any advice or if anyone wants access to add/update these, it'd be greatly appreciate)
  • View attachment 514552
• Although they haven't made their may into the map yet, lots of backend progress on the cataloging, editing and indexing of photos--it'll require a little more work but hope to soon have features like hovering over a building in photo and highlight building on map.
  • View attachment 514553
• Moving away from using building icons and toward outlining the footprints of buildings for improved accuracy. (green means high certainty on location, owner, type, etc., red for low verification)
  • View attachment 514551

@Molchman offered to partner on research/helping maintain, which will help greatly. If anyone else is interested, would really appreciate. Otherwise please use and enjoy if helpful-- only ask that you report any inaccuracies you find!

1. R. Dustman should be Casper Henry Dustman
2. Across the road from Mary Thompson is the A.(Alexander?) Riggs house where John Burns crawled to the night of July 1. He laid on the cellar door. Riggs had a small shoe shop somewhere to the south of the house.
3. Across from the Dustman house in James Thompson (son of Mary). This would be the stone portion of the modern house.
4. Mary Thompson had a stable on her property, I am not sure of it's location compared to the house. It may be your unknown building.