I have just been introduced to a most fabulous website which should be
extremely useful to all those with genealogical interests. It is as follows:
http://www.cnde.iastate.edu/staff/swormley/maps/maps_waypoints.html.
When at the WAYPOINTS homepage select Thesaurus of Geographic Names and
search for the place name in question. E.g. a "Kenvir" search will yield
information telling you that this is an "inhabited place" in Harlan County,
Kentucky at Latitude 36 degrees 51' N, Longitude 083 degrees 9' W.
Any good library atlas should enable the researcher to pin point that
location. If you are researching a state, other than the original 13, that
state's Hiway Department probably publishes County Highway Maps which are
chock full of information and should be in the hands of anyone doing serious
investigative work. In most states the charge for these is considerably less
than a buck per county. In all but heavily populated urban areas the most
useful information to be found -- in addition to place names -- and in
addition to the precise location of all highways, roads, trails and many
paths -- is the location of virtually all cemeteries.
Bob Boggs