The Wedge and the Delaware Divide
- A brief history of the Mason-Dixon LineJohn Mackenzie's brief history of the Mason-Dixon Line forming Delaware's iconic borders.
- Cresap’s WarNow I Know Archives describes an 1720s border dispute between Pennsylvania and Maryland resolved using Mason and Dixon's line.
- Delaware HundredsCompiled by the Delaware Genealogical Society, site includes a map of Delaware's hundreds and a map of the hundreds for 1875 to the present.
- Mitchell Station -- Part 1. Wedge & Horn (The Mill Creek Hundred History Blog)This page has several maps.
- Wedge (border) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaNow recognized as part of Delaware, the Wedge is a small tract of land along the borders of Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Ownership of the land was disputed until 1921.
- PA/DE/MD Genealogy and “The Wedge”Information and maps of the sliver of land that has been counted as part of other states.
Large Format Printing
Anyone wishing to take an online map into the field should consider printing a copy. Commercial providers, such as FexEx Office, offer large format printing services in person and online. University of Delaware users may consider two on campus locations for printing large format materials.
- FedEx OfficeVendor included for informational purposes.
Subject Guide
Kaitlyn Tanis
she/her
Scanned Historical Maps
Links to pages which offer scanned printed maps of Delaware. Current and archived PDF Delaware topographic maps (from DataMIL) are linked from the State Maps & Data guide.
From: D.G. Beers, Atlas of the State of Delaware, 1868. University of Delaware Library Digital Collection.
- Delaware 1868 Hundreds MapsIncludes maps from the Pomeroy and Beers Atlas of 1868. Each hundred is available in Georeferenced Tiff format and in plain PDF format.
- DEDOE Historical Data [Delaware Department of Education]Selected maps and historical school district data from 1849 to 1974.
- Delaware 1899, Matthews-Northrup Company, 1899Prepared especially for the Mercantile Guide and Bureau Co. Publishers of Railway, express and postal shipping guides. American Memory (Library of Congress).
- Delaware Maps - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection - UT Library OnlineSelected maps available from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection (University of Texas at Austin).
- Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867–1970 (Delaware) This link opens in a new window
Sanborn maps, produced by the Sanborn Map Company, the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years, are valuable historical tools for urban specialists, social historians, architects, geographers, genealogists, local historians, planners, environmentalists, and anyone who wants to learn about the history, growth, and development of American cities, towns, and neighborhoods. The maps are large scale and were used to gauge the fire risks for urban structures.
The maps in the database are black and white. Print copies of the original hand-drawn color maps are available at the University of Delaware Library, the Delaware Historical Society, and the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress has the maps as an online digital collection.
Sanborn maps, produced by the Sanborn Map Company, the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years, are valuable historical tools for urban specialists, social historians, architects, geographers, genealogists, local historians, planners, environmentalists, and anyone who wants to learn about the history, growth, and development of American cities, towns, and neighborhoods. The maps are large scale and were used to gauge the fire risks for urban structures.- Elkton-Wilmington folio ; Maryland-Delaware-New Jersey-PennsylvaniaFolio 211 was published 1920, as part of The Geologic Atlas of the United States, includes both topographic and geologic maps for each quad represented in that folio, as well as description of the basic and economic geology of the area. The Geologic Atlas collection is maintained by Map and GIS Collections and Services within the TAMU Libraries.
- Historic Map Collection: Maps of Delaware & the Mid-Atlantic RegionA digital map collection at the University of Delaware Library. Includes several hundred sheet maps representing Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Includes four atlases of the state of Delaware. The digitized maps are from the 17th through 20th centuries, and include transportation, regional, municipal, manuscripts, historical maps, and nautical charts of the Delaware Bay.
- Old Maps OnlineAn easy-to-use gateway to historical maps in libraries around the world.
- Shepherd’s Historical Atlas (online)From the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection (University of Texas, Austin).
- National Geospatial Program: Historical Topographic Maps - Preserving the PastDelaware is among the first states completed in this national collection.
- Map of New Castle County, Delaware : from original surveys (1849)Map scanned by the Library of Congress.
- Map of New Castle County, Delaware : from actual surveys & recotds [sic] (1881)Map scanned by the Library of Congress.
- Map of Kent County, Delaware : from actual surveys (1859)Map scanned by the Library of Congress.
- Artstor This link opens in a new windowArtstor includes scanned items from the UD Library Historical Map Collection, including maps of various areas within Delaware.
- American MemoryHistorical Collections of the Library of Congress National Digital Library. Maps listed below (in chronological order) are included in American Memory..
- Caert vande Svydt Rivier in Niew Nederland.[1639?] "Relief shown pictorially. Depths shown by soundings. Shows the region of the Delaware Bay and river, natural features, and other geographical entities. Pen-and-ink and watercolor. Attributed to Joan Vinckeboons by comparison with his other Dutch maps in Henry Harrisse collection."
- [Maps of the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary used as trial exhibits in the 1735 court suit brought by the Penns against Lord Baltimore to determine the official interprovincial boundary line].1740. "Map prepared as an exhibit in the suit brought by the Penns against Lord Baltimore to determine the boundary line [in pencil in lower margin] -- A map of Virginia according to Captain Iohn Smiths map published anno 1606 : also of the adjacent country called by the Dutch Niew Nederlant anno 1630 / by Iohn Senex 1735. "
- Pensylvania, Nova Jersey et Nova York cum regionibus ad Fluvium Delaware in America sitis[1748?] "Relief shown pictorially. Also covers New England (distorted) and northern Chesapeake region. Title in Latin; notes in German and Latin; legend in Latin, German, and English. Unidentified meridian. Provinces indicated by col. washes; province and county boundaries emphasized by dark watercolors."
- A map of Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New-York, and the three Delaware counties.1749. "Scale ca. 1:960,000. Hand colored. Has watermark. Relief shown pictorially. Depths shown by soundings. Prime meridian: Philadelphia and London. Shows trails."
- A map of Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New-York, and the three Delaware counties.1749. "Scale ca. 1:960,000. Hand colored. Relief shown pictorially. Soundings shown in fathoms. Prime meridian: Philadelphia and London. Shows trails. Includes descriptive notes and distance chart."
- Speciel Land Charte von Pensilvanien, Neu Jersey, Neu York, und von denen drey Land-schafften an dem Delaware Fl. In America in Englischer Spr. gedruckt A. 1749.1750. "Scale ca. 1:1,000,000. Hand colored. Relief shown pictorially. Soundings shown in fathoms. Prime meridian: Philadelphia and London. Shows trails. Includes descriptive notes and distance chart."
- A map of Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New-York, and the three Delaware counties.1752. "Scale ca. 1:960,000. Relief shown pictorially. Soundings shown in fathoms. Prime meridian: Philadelphia and London. Shows trails. Includes descriptive notes and distance chart."
- A general map of the middle British colonies, in America; viz Virginia, Màriland, Dèlaware, Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New-York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island: of Aquanishuonîgy, the country of the confederate Indians...1755. 'Scale ca. 1:2,250,000. Cover title: Middle British colonies in America: Original wrappers. Hand colored, coloration does not agree with legend. Relief shown pictorially. Shows "Longitude west of London" and "from Philadelphia." "Sold by R. Dodsley in Pall-Mall, London." Includes text, distance charts, historical notes, and inset of "A sketch of the remaining parts of Ohio R. &c."'
- A map of Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland with part of New Jersey &c.1755. "Shows provinces, coastal towns and a few frontier settlements, Indian villages and tribal territory, English "Factories" among the Indians, mines, rivers, numerous place-names. Covers also part of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Relief shown by contours."
- Partie occidentale de la Nouvelle France ou du Canada1755. "Scale ca. 1:3,500,000. Relief shown pictorially. LC Maps of North America, 1750-1789, 19 Covers the area from Lake Superior to Kaskaskia and from Delaware Bay to the Mississippi River. Shows a few towns, missions, forts, Indian villages and tribal territory, rivers and lakes, portages, and early place-names."
- Plano de Philadelphia.[177-?] "Scale ca. 1:220,000. Manuscript, pen and ink. Copied from Joshua Fishers' "To the merchants & insurers of the city of Philadelphia, this chart of Delaware Bay and river." Depths shown in fathoms. Oriented with north to the right. Shows shipping channels."
- A general map of the middle British colonies in America: Viz. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New-York, Connecticut, and Rhode-Island: Of Aquanishuonîgy the country of the Confederate Indians comprehending Aquanishuonigy proper, the1758. "Scale ca. 1:2,250,000. Hand colored. Prime meridian: Philadelphia and London. Relief shown pictorially. Includes historical notes, text, 3 distance charts, and inset of "A sketch of the remaining part of Ohio R. &c." Shows western boundary of Maryland as a vertical line Shows western boundary of Fairfax proprietary line, connecting the headwaters of the Rappahannock and Patomac Rivers."
- To the Honourable Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Esqrs., true & absolute proprietaries & Governours of the Province of Pennsylvania & counties of New-Castle, Kent & Sussex on Delaware this map of the improved part of the Province of Pennsylvania.1759. "Scale ca. 1:250,000. Sectioned and mounted on cloth backing with reinforced edges. Relief shown pictorially. Shows county boundaries."
- Carte de la Nouvelle Angleterre, New York, Pensilvanie et Nouveau Jersay suivant les cartes angloises.1764. "Scale ca. 1:2,000,000. Covers the area from Penobscot Bay to Delaware Bay and west to the middle of Lake Ontario. Shows provinces, towns and cities, forts, and few roads, the dividing line between East and West Jersey, harbors and a few navigational hazards along the coast, rivers, and relief. Relief shown pictorially. "Tome I, no. 29." in upper margin. From author's Le petit atlas maritime, 1764."
- A general map of the middle British colonies in America viz. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New York, Connecticut & Rhode-Island: Of Aquanishuonigy the country of the confederate Indians comprehending Aquanishuonigy proper, their p[1765?] "Scale ca. 1:2,250,000. Cover titles: An analysis of a map of the middle British colonies in America. Middle British colonies in America. Hand colored. Prime meridian: London and Philadelphia. Relief shown pictorially. "London, printed for John Bowles at the Black Horse in Cornhil, & Carington Bowles in St. Pauls Church Yard." Includes text, historical notes, 3 distance charts, and inset of "A sketch of the remaining part of Ohio R. &c." Accompanied by the author's: Geographical, historical, political, philosophical and mechanical essays."
- A plan of the west line or parallel of latitude, which is the boundary between the provinces of Maryland and Pensylvania : a plan of the boundary lines between the province of Maryland and the Three Lower Counties on Delaware with part of the parallel of1768. "Shows the Mason and Dixon line. Relief shown pictorially. First part of title appears at left margin, second part at right margin. Originally issued on 2 sheets."
- A draught of Delaware Bay.[177-] 'Scale ca. 1:127,000. Title on verso: Delaware River from Capt. Hamond. River Delaware, 226. Manuscript, pen-and-ink and watercolor. Oriented with north toward the lower right. Depths shown by soundings. Shows ship channels. Includes "A tide table."'
- [Map of proposed roads through the southeastern part of Pennsylvania, the northeastern part of Maryland, and the northern part of Delaware].1771. "Scale ca. 1:506,880. Title from LC's Trails bibliography, no. 131. Hand colored. LC copy annotated in ink to show additional roads and place-names. Appears in American Philosophical Society Transaction. 1771. v. 1. Also shows proposed canals. Includes distance chart."
- A general map of the middle British colonies in America, viz. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New York, Connecticut & Rhode-Island: of Aquanishuonigy the country of the confederate Indians comprehending Aquanishuonigy proper, their1771. 'Scale ca. 1:2,250,000. Hand colored. Relief shown pictorially. Shows "West longitude from London" and "from Philadelphia." Differs from other copies in absence of Connecticut River north of "Great Falls." Also differs in coloration of boundaries: Ohio and Kentucky River are colored as boundaries; Pennsylvania extends north to a line at approximately 42⁰40ʹ; Maryland extends west to "Yochio Geni," Canada is colored as having a boundary west of Lake Ontario, etc. Includes text, historical notes, distance charts, and inset of "A sketch of the remaining part of Ohio R. &c."'
- A general map of the middle British colonies in America, viz. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New York, Connecticut & Rhode-Island: Of Aquanishuonigy the country of the confederate Indians comprehending Aquanishuonigy proper, their1771. 'Scale ca. 1:2,250,000. Hand colored. Relief shown pictorially. Shows "West longitude from London" and "from Philadelphia." Differs from other copies in extension of the Connecticut River north beyond "Great Falls." Differs also in coloration of boundaries: Ohio River is colored as a boundary: Pennsylvania is shown as extending north to Lake Ontario, etc. Includes text, historical notes, distance charts, and inset of "A sketch of the remaining part of Ohio R. &c."'
- A chart of Delaware Bay and River : containing a full and exact description of the shores, creeks, harbours, soundings, shoals, sands, and bearings of the most considerable land marks, from the capes to Philadelphia1776. 'Scale ca. 1:275,000. Oriented with north to the right. Depths shown by soundings. Shows ship channels. Includes list of subscribers and "Tide table."'
- A general map of the middle British colonies, in America. Containing Virginia, Maryland, the Delaware counties, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. With the addition of New York, and the greatest part of New England, as also of the bordering parts of the provin1776. "Scale ca. 1:2,300,000. Hand colored. Relief shown pictorially. "The seat of war in the middle British colonies, containing Virginia, Maryland, the Delaware counties, & ca." Inset: A sketch of the upper parts of Canada."
- [Map of the country between and bordering the Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay, showing roads to Philadelphia and localities.][1776?] "Scale ca. 1:670,000. Title from P. L. Phillips' List of maps of America. Manuscript, pen and ink and pencil. Label on verso has title: Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey showing roads."
- A chart of Delaware Bay and River, containing a full & exact description of the shores, creeks, harbours, soundings, shoals, sands, and bearings of the most considerable land marks, from the cape to Philadelphia.1776. "Scale ca. 1:280,000. Oriented with north to the right. Depths shown by soundings. Includes text and "Tide table." Accompanied by: Directions for navigating up Delaware-Bay from the capes to Reedy-Island by Capt. James Campbell. 2 p."
- A chart of Delaware Bay and River : from the original[1779?] " Nautical chart showing shoals, tidal flats, ship channels, shoreline anchorages, and port towns up to Philadelphia."
Featured Resource: Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Newark, New Castle County, Delaware. Sep 1891. Sheet 2. (Library of Congress) (https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3834nm.g012211891) List of Delaware maps
A collection of maps which depict the commercial, industrial, and residential sections of some twelve thousand cities and towns in the United States, Canada, and Mexico and date from 1867 to the mid 1960s. The maps were used to gauge the fire risks for urban structures and display detailed information about buildings, including the outline of each building, the size, shape and construction materials, the function of structures, street names, and house and block numbers. The maps were hand-drawn and colored. These were published by the Sanborn Map Company, the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps.
- Sanborn Maps (Fire Insurance Maps: About this Collection) (Library of Congress)
An online database containing digitized fire insurance maps published by the Sanborn Map Company. This collection is freely available on the internet. The maps are large-scale plans of urban structures and were used to gauge the fire risks. The maps were hand-drawn and color coded. Sanborn maps are valuable historical tools for historians, geographers, genealogists, and anyone who wants to learn about the history, growth, and development of American cities, towns, and neighborhoods.
Start with: About this Collection. Then select: Collection Items. Use the left menu to filter by various aspects, such as location. NOTE: the states are not in alphabetical order; be sure to select "More Locations" and use the Sort Alphabetically option. Maps are still being added to the collection. Note: Print copies of the original hand-drawn color maps are available at the University of Delaware Library and the Library of Congress. - How to Use the Library of Congress' New Sanborn Maps for Genealogy (genealogy insider)A a step by step guide to using the Sanborn Maps.
- Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Geography & Map Reading Room, Library of Congress)Research Guide that offers The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Online Checklist, essays about uses of the Sanborn Maps, and other resources. Link to checklist of Delaware maps in list format. The online checklist is a searchable database of all the maps published by Sanborn and available at the Library of Congress.
The checklist replaces an earlier publication Fire Insurance Maps in the Library of Congress and will be continually updated. - Union List of Sanborn & Other Fire Insurance Maps : DelawareList compiled by Philip Hoehn, Earth Sciences & Map Library, University of California Berkeley.
- Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867–1970 (Delaware) This link opens in a new windowSanborn maps, produced by the Sanborn Map Company, the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years, are valuable historical tools for urban specialists, social historians, architects, geographers, genealogists, local historians, planners, environmentalists, and anyone who wants to learn about the history, growth, and development of American cities, towns, and neighborhoods. The maps are large scale and were used to gauge the fire risks for urban structures.
The maps in the database are black and white. Print copies of the original hand-drawn color maps are available at the University of Delaware Library, the Delaware Historical Society, and the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress has the maps as an online digital collection.
Delaware Online Resources
- American County Histories to 1900 This link opens in a new windowContains J. Thomas Scharf's History of Delaware, 1609-1888, which is a comprehensive history of Delaware and its people. This database will ultimately include the complete text of late 19th century histories of cities and counties of the original thirteen states (with the exception of Virginia), plus Vermont and Maine. Divided into two groupings: Mid-Atlantic States (including publications from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) and New England States (including publications from Connecticut and Massachusetts.)
- Delaware Aerial PhotographyUD's Delaware Environmental Monitoring and Analysis Center (DEMAC) posts aerial photography, a.k.a. orthophotography for a wide range of years.
- History of Delaware: 1609-1888 (vol. 1-2) - Scharf, J. ThomasScanned volumes available through HathiTrust.
- History of Delaware: 1609-1888 (vol. 2) - Scharf, J. ThomasVol. 2 is available online (free) from Internet Archive/Google books.
- Archaeology Report Search (Delaware Department of Transportation)Searches the DelDOT archaeology series reports.
- Delaware Historical CountiesDisplays county boundaries for dates between 8/22/1666 and 12/31/2000.
- The Hunt for Delaware Boundary Monuments: There and Back Again - A Geologist's TaleA storymap about Delaware's boundary markers.
Atlases & Maps
A listing of printed materials available for use in the Library.
New Castle County, Delaware Street Map BookCall Number: Morris Library Reference G1268.N4 A32 2012Publication Date: 2012- Map of the state of Delaware. byCall Number: Special Collections G3830 1868 B44xPublication Date: 1868
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries: Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia. byCall Number: Morris Library Reference G 1201 .F7 A8 1993 Del.
- Atlas of the State of Delaware byShows counties, hundreds, settlements, railroads, etc.
Reprint of the Pomeroy and Beers edition of 1868. - Delaware, 7.5 minute series (topographic) byThe USGS. 7.5 Minute topographic quadrangle map series uses a map scale of 1:24,000 (1 inch on the map represents 2,000 feet on the ground). These maps depict basic natural and cultural features of the landscape, such as lakes and streams, highways and railroads, boundaries, and geographic names. Delaware is covered by 51 map sheets at this scale.
- Historical Atlas and Chronology of County Boundaries, 1788-1980. byCall Number: Morris Library (G1201 .F7H353 1984)In 5 volumes: Vol. 1 covers Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. See especially pp. 3-17 (Boundary history of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) and p. 29 (Delaware boundary chronology).
- Atlas of the State of Delaware: From Actual Surveys. byPublication Date: 1868Beautiful color maps, showing Delaware hundreds.
Gazetters & Place Names
- Delaware Place NamesPublication Date: 1966A list of places with stories behind the names. Includes a map of hundreds 1875 to present, (p. 5). Originally published as U.S. Geological Survey. Bulletin, no. 1245.
- A Gazetteer of Delaware byU.S. Geological Survey Bulletin no. 230. A circulating copy may be requested from the Library Annex - U.S. Documents (U.S. Doc I 19.3:230).
- Delaware Place Names byA list of places with stories behind the names. Geological Survey Bulletin, no. 1245.
Historical Maps in the U.S. Serial Set
- U.S. Congressional Serial SetHouse and Senate Documents and House and Senate Reports bound by session of Congress, constituting a rich set of primary source documents. Covers a wide variety of topics and may include reports of executive departments and independent organizations, reports of special investigations, etc.
The United States Congressional Serial Set Map Index contains a wide variety of maps on topics as predictable as "Armed Forces and Conflicts" or "Discovery and Exploration," to those as unexpected as the "Almshouses" or "Asylums" (Societal Issues). You can find for example the map titled Boston in 1880, showing societies (secret and benefit), hospitals, asylums and homes (Serial Set No. 2148, Session Vol. No.13 H. Misc. Doc. 42 pt. 18, Page [Not Numbered]). Maps included date to before 1799.
For example, if you were studying the Roman Empire, you might find interesting a map of the Main road system of the Roman Empire as shown by the Itinerary of Antonine (A.D. 150) and the Itinerary to Jerusalem (A.D. 333). From Parthey and Pinder (Serial Set No. 9974, Session Vol. No. 62 H. Doc. 17 pt. 1, Page 349).
U.S. Congressional Serial Set Map Index help screens provide assistance in searching for maps.
Gazetters & Place Names Online
- Dutch and Swedish place-names in Delaware. by Dunlap, Arthur Ray (1956)Digitized version available in HathiTrust. Available to everyone to read or download a page. UD users may log in to download the entire publication.
- A Gazetteer of Delaware by Gannett, Henry (1904)Digitized version available in HathiTrust. UD users may log in to download the entire gazetteer.
- Delaware Place NamesPublication Date: 1966A list of places with stories behind the names. Includes a map of hundreds 1875 to present, (p. 5). Originally published as U.S. Geological Survey. Bulletin, no. 1245.
Guides to Using Maps
Delaware Genealogical Research Guide by Call Number: F163 .D349 2020ISBN: 9780578584263Publication Date: 2020-01-09The Delaware Genealogical Research Guide contains detailed descriptions of how and where to find information about Delaware ancestors. Well organized and easy to use, the guide covers more than 20 types of records; offers suggestions for further research; and features a comprehensive compendium of more than 100 local, regional, and national record repositories and resources. In addition, discussions of Delaware's history and geography add important context and explain how competing claims to the land and protracted boundary disputes affect where records might be located. Meticulously compiled and fact-checked by members of the Delaware Genealogical Society, this guide is a valuable asset for experienced as well as novice researchers.
