Maddick, Heather, ed. County Maps: Land Ownership of Maps in Canada in the 19th Century

County and ownership maps were among the most significant maps produced in eastern Canada in the second half of the nineteenth century. Of the 58 maps known to have been made, 32 are of Ontario counties, 4 of Quebec counties, 3 of New Brunswick counties, 18 of Nova Scotia counties and 1 of Prince Edward Island. These county maps were large wall maps which usually covered only one county and included information on the survey grid, roads, railroads, towns, buildings and even names of rural residents. Views of local residences and businesses, numerous insets of towns and villages, and a business or subscribers' directory were also included. For urban historians, the principal usefulness of these maps will be the information contained in the insets, views, and directories, as well as in the mapping of areas contiguous to urban areas at the time. These areas, which were then rural, have now often become part of a settlement's built-up area. Studies of transportation networks linking urban areas should also be aided by the use of these county maps. Fortunately, the catalogue includes an excellent introductory essay by Joan Winearls (Map Librarian, University of Toronto), which discusses the research possibilities of the maps.