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I think GIS is an excellent way of visualizing what you are after. I can advise you on the non-GIS process to get the information necessary to support your
GIS project. I will not discuss the methodology for converting whatever you find to digital format because I’m a land surveyor and would probably suggest something outrageous. Here are my abbreviated thoughts:
Developing a historic chronological record of property line changes over time for a large area will be a real challenge and will require a lot of good old fashioned
land records and assessor’s records research.
If you are fortunate enough to have a parcel layout from c.1893 for the subject area, my initial step would be to digitize that, overlay it on the current parcel
layout and identify the differences. The assessor’s office may even have the old assessor’s maps from the 60’s or 70’s which would even help some. These may have to be digitized, distortion removed, etc. in order to overlay on the current - it can be done.
Once I could begin to identify differences between c.1893 and present, I would begin by identifying larger subdivisions of simultaneous conveyances, finding the associated subdivision maps and associating the date for the creation of each new parcel and perhaps
adding a subdivision map name (attributes of the corresponding polygon).
It gets tricky for the small lot splits, consolidations and lot line adjustments that happen over the years. They may or may not have maps associated with
them and will unfortunately probably be the lion’s share of the changes you need to identify. In these cases, I would first check the assessor’s record for a parcel - sometimes the assessor’s “card” contains a limited historical record of conveyances with
the dates, deed volume/page and previous owner names. This might at least get you started. For most of these, you will undoubtedly end up in the land records to read the deeds and develop title abstracts necessary to identify when and how parcel changes
occurred. Many will not have maps associated with them so you may have to actually read the deeds to identify a change that you know occurred. Another method would be to go through all the subdivisions and property survey maps filed in the land records for
your area (usually indexed by both street name and owner) and identify which maps pertain to your subject area, apply dates, map titles, new polygons etc.
If you don’t have a historical parcel layout from c.1893, it will be more difficult because you will not have the benefit of being able to identify the differences
before you start. You will need to just work back from the present as stated above first with subdivisions, then with the small lot splits, consolidations and adjustments.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Steven R. Marien, LS, CFedS
Director/GIO
CAD/GIS Document Control Department
THE MOHEGAN TRIBE
13 CROW HILL ROAD
UNCASVILLE, CT 06382
Direct: 860-862-6217
Cell: 860-367-1577
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From: Northeast Arc Users Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Berkun, Nic
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2018 2:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Historic Parcels
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Use your iPhone X
Save images to google photos
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Thank you,
Nic
203-854-4161
From: Northeast Arc Users Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Alex Chaucer
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2018 1:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Historic Parcels
In my previous role, I would request a copy of the latest parcels for our local area, in this case, Saratoga County, NY, and label it with the year. This way if we were interested in historic changes we would have all the *recent* annual
changes on hand and available.
When I used to work for the County of Rensselaer, around 2001, all the parcel updates were done on mylar by hand. Each year all the mylars would be scanned and printed out as a parcel map book as the annual archive. We went through a digital
conversion shortly thereafter, so for a while the updates were done on the mylar, and then digitized using a digitizing tablet and puck, as both systems were being maintained. Ultimately we eventually went to heads up digitizing.
I am sure different municipalities are maintaining this historic data in different formats - some in paper record, others may have scanned in historic parcel map books and may have this information in digital format.
If you are just working on capturing the lot lines for the university, I would start gathering whatever sources you can get your hands on, paper or digital, get them into digital format and build your archive to tell the story of the changes.
It may take some work, but the earliest records are likely on historic maps, which could be in the university library, with facilities, in a public library special collection, or in a municipal office in a map drawer some where. Start by
making some phone calls, ask what they have in digital format and for a copy, and look at whats in paper format and determine if you need to scan it or if you might be able to request that it be scanned. 300 dpi tiff is a standard for historic maps.
Definitely start with phone calls, and follow up with scheduling visits. Get a decent hard drive :)
Alex
****************************
Alexander Chaucer
g. [log in to unmask]
c. 518-727-9909
w. http://www.alexchaucer.com
On Fri, Apr 20, 2018 at 11:40 AM, Barbara Archibald <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
