Column: Using Google Earth for Genealogy Research

Between today and Wednesday, my genealogy column, Roots to the Past, is available in the following Atlantic Canada newspapers:

Saturday: The Citizen (Amherst)

Saturday: Times & Transcript (Moncton)

Wednesday: The Lunenburg County Progress Bulletin (Lunenburg County)

Title: Using Google Earth for Genealogy Research

Snippet: I’m a member of our local writers’ group. We often have writing exercises to stretch our imagination, and we use new tools to help us write better. One of those tools we recently used was Google Maps (https://www.google.ca/maps). Our task was to put a character in a location we’ve never been and write the setting description from their perspective.

I’ve used Google Maps and its partner Google Street View for a few years. Most of the time, I use them to virtually visit a place before I actually go there. For instance, when I attended a Christmas Craft Show last year, I went to Google Maps, typed the address into the search bar and zoomed into the image of the property. I got a view of the building, and saw where it stood in relationship to other structures around it.

Dragging the little yellow figure onto the map and plopping it in front of the building, makes the screen switch to Street View, and allows me to look up and down the road. I can even travel that road virtually to see other landmarks that help me pinpoint the exact location.

. . . To read more, pick up one of the above noted newspapers.