University Libraries
Outside the Neatline
The latest issue of the Connecticut Geo-Focus newsletter is now available. In this issue you will find articles and updates on the following topics:
You can view Aerial Photos directly from our photo indices!
Use MAGIC‘s Google Map indices mash-up to search for aerial photos anywhere in Connecticut.
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Other photo indices are available to preview in Google maps and will soon be enabled for direct photo preview. Also, as an alternative, download Google Earth and preview the indices in conjunction with other KML files from MAGIC’s GIS Data offerings.
When developing research projects, a timeline of events can be extremely helpful for illustrating the sequence and inter-connectivity of concepts. Dipity is an online resource which enables you to create interactive timelines and includes a timeline, flipbook, list and map view. On the main page the site includes a top news story theme and provides an interactive timeline of events. Below are some examples of the Timeline and Map functions in Dipity related to the H1N1 Vaccine.
The dipity website also enables you to create a login where you can add content from Flickr, and RSS feed, blogs, YouTube, Twitter, and several other sources dynamically. You can even create individual events and add them to the timeline. Once you have created your timeline, post the link to Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, or embed the timeline widget on your own website!
Have fun experimenting with this site and share your feedback with us below.
Special Thanks to Steven Park from the University of Connecticut Learning Resource Center for sharing this link with us.
Outside the Neatline (overseen by the University of Connecticut Libraries Map and Geographic Information Center) is seeking a GeoMentor relationship with formal(public/private schools) and informal educators(Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc…) in the state of Connecticut. What exactly does a GeoMentor do?
If you have any interest or questions concerning the program please contact Jeff Dunn at:
Please use “Outside the Neatline” in the subject line for both addresses.
You can track Hurricane Bill and other hurricane activity in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the National Weather Services‘ National Hurricane Center. You can also subscribe to a RSS feed that will automatically update you on changes in the storms status and provide you with GIS Shapefiles.
In 1938 A large hurricane made landfall in New England , visit the following resources for more information:
PBS
NOAA Coastal Services Interactive Map (GIS Data Download)
The University of Connecticut’s 1938 Hurricane Story
The Connecticut State Library 1938 Aerial Photos
Today’s featured map was made in 1838 and shows landowners in Hartford in 1640, shortly after the city was founded. Initially, a pastor named Thomas Hooker led a group of about 100 people from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Connecticut to form a new colony. They chose present day Hartford as their new settlement site.
In 1639, government officials of Connecticut colony, including Thomas Hooker and John Haynes, created a document called the “Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.” It is arguably the first written constitution in Western society, and helped give Connecticut the nickname of “the Constitution State”. The document emphasized individual rights and democracy.
The second map comes from the Connecticut State Atlas in 1893. The 1893 street network in Hartford is generally the same as today, but the river going through the southern part of the city (called the Little River in the historic maps, now called the Park River) is completely removed from maps and aerial photographs today. So what happened to it? In the 1940s, the Army Corps of Engineers rerouted the river through underground concrete channels in an effort to control flooding in Downtown Hartford. Click below to view a recent New York Times article about the underground Park River.
The screen below shows the historic maps from 1640 and 1893, as well as recent aerial photos. Click the box that says “Famous Historical Residents” in the upper right of the screen to view where famous early Hartford residents lived in 1640.
List of landowners and corresponding land parcel numbers for 1640 map (click to enlarge):
To view the 1640 map in flickr, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/uconnlibrariesmagic/3836896031/
To view the 1893 map in flickr, click here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uconnlibrariesmagic/3837687450/
Links about the early settlers of Hartford:
http://www.hartfordhistory.net/faq.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Hartford,_Connecticut
On this map made in 1930 we can see 19 Native American Sachemdoms of 1625 delineated in, and around the state of Connecticut. What exactly is a Sachemdom? It’s the territory of a Sachem. OK, so what exactly is a Sachem? A Sachem is the title of leadership in a Native American Tribe…so tying it all together a Sachemdom is the territory of a particular Native American Tribe under the leadership of Sachem. Got it?
So which 19 Sachemdoms are featured on our map? Here’s a list with links to informational websites. These sites are by no means the singular authorities on each tribe but it should make it easier for you to get a head start when gathering your own information!
Mohicans
Paugussetts
Siwanogs
Agawams
Massacoes
Tunxis
Quinnipiacs
Menunkatucks
Wangunks
Sicaogs
Poquonocks
Podunks
Hammonassets
Nehantics
Uncas
Mohegans
Nipmucks
Pequots
Wutcheken
Along with the tribe names listed above you will notice that there are major trails and pathways delineated on the map as well. What kind of impact do these trails and pathways have today? Examine the following map, toggle on the railroad layer located on the right. Do any of the railroad tracks line up with the trails? What other modern day features do you think would follow these trails?
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| Click the above image to View Interactive Map Mash-up |
Thanks to Benjamin Spaulding for the education and assistance in creating this mash-up!
Also of interest is the following related reading material:
Trumbull, James H. Indian Names of Places, etc. In and On the Borders of Connecticut: With Interpretations of some of them. Hartford : Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1881
Use the search tool to find instances of the tribes or villages that are featured in the map in the text of James H. Trumbull’s book!
James Hammond Trumbull was born in Stonington, Connecticut in 1821 and died in Hartford, Connecticut in 1897. He was the Assistant Secretary of State for Connecticut, the Connecticut State Librarian, President of the Connecticut Historical Society and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
For more information on James Hammond Trumbull, try this link to the National Academies Press.
OK, one map, lots of information. Thanks for stopping by!
~Jeff
How in the world can the average person access GIS data just as easily as mapping professionals?
In the last “Did You Know?” We introduced GIS (Geographic Information Systems), how it works and what it is used for. Today we would like to show you how to retrieve and view GIS data. You might ask yourself how you can do this without specialized GIS software. No worries, we’ll show you how. All you need is your internet browser!
First, navigate a separate internet browser window to http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/ , once there click on GIS Data located on the top navigation bar
On the next page you will see several icons shaped like the state of Connecticut with categories listed beneath. Today we’re not interested in roads or political boundaries, Brandon and Jeff are going fishing! Jeff knows there are lots of boat launches on the coast but he can’t remember if there is one near Point Bluff State Park. To find out if there is a boat launch click on the Places data category on the right hand side:
This will take you to the places data on the GIS Data page where you’ll find a GIS data layer for Boat Launches! Listed information includes the date, the source (in this case the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection), and data formats. Today lets preview this data in Google Maps, so on the right hand side of the screen click on the map preview icon:
Your internet browser will now display all of Connecticut’s boat launches in Google Maps:
Let’s check out if Bluff Pont State Park has a boat launch, look at the listing of boat launches on the left, Click on Bluff Point Boat Launch. A balloon will appear on the map giving the location of the boat launch. So we’re done right? We now know that there is a boat launch at Point Bluff State Park. But what if we need bait or fishing tackle while we’re out fishing? Let’s use Google Maps to find out.
On the Bluff Point Boat Launch Balloon, click search nearby. In the text box type Tackle Shop then click the search button.
Google Maps will now display all the tackle shops in the vicinity of the Bluff Point Boat Launch. By clicking on any of the markers a balloon will display the tackle shops name, address, and phone number. You’ll also have the option to get driving directions!
Congratulations, you are now an experienced GIS user! In this exercise you have loaded, queried, and analyzed a GIS data layer! Now you can experiment with MAGIC’s other data layers and have fun making maps. Now you can love geography as much as Brandon and Jeff do!
