The Valley's Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative
Geographic Information Systems Project

The Valley of the Shadow Project has teamed up with The Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative (ECAI) to produce Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data on the Valley project's two counties. This effort began in the early summer of 1999 with the digitization of Jedediah Hotchkiss' map of Augusta County. The legendary "mapmaker to the Confederacy" lived in Staunton and in 1870 published a detailed atlas of Augusta County that included waterways, roads, businesses, and residences. Although the Augusta County database is currently not deliberable over the web, we have put together a demonstration of the GIS work to date, as well as an outline of our procedures and multiple thematic projects that utilize the database's geographical and satistical information.

Development of a Digital GIS Database for Augusta Co., Virginia, 1860-1870: Overview, Outline, and Detailed Discussion of Plans and Procedures for Data Automation Offers an overview of the project and outlines the many steps the Valley staff took to create the Augusta County GIS database. Valley Project GIS Demonstration Provides a visual explanation of the steps outlined in the "Development of a Digital GIS Database for Augusta County," using images and screen shots.

ArcView and Photoshop Images An index of images manipulated in ArcView and Photoshop including "Streams and Rivers of Augusta County" and "Residences, Churches, and School Houses of Augusta County's Middle District." Crosstabulations and Frequencies: Augusta County Statistical information regarding slave-ownership, wealth, farm acreage and value.

Augusta County Churches: A Geographic Approach Augusta County churches by denomination and by electoral district. Also includes detailed maps of church affiliation by household for Trinity Episcopal Church and First Presbyterian Church, as well as a map of residences within one mile of a church.

ArcView Analysis of Slave-holding and Farm Values in Augusta County Features maps of slave ownership in Augusta County and in the City of Staunton. Also analyzes slaveholding in relation to farm value and swine and cattle ownership throughout the county. Politics in Augusta County Offers a geographical analysis of general party affiliation and candidate affiliation in the 1860 presidential election. Also includes geographical and statistical information broken down by electoral district for the 1860 election returns as well as the election for delegates to the state convention in early 1861.

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