This map I made for Benjamin Butler includes the four known locations I have for him--1850, 1870, and 1880 census and where he married in 1864.
View Benjamin Butler Locations in a larger map
The locations I have for him are only as specific as the county--Google Maps works great for that. When I made the lines of how he "could" have traveled from one point to another, I noticed that his 1850-1864 migration took him (or could have) right through the county where he lived in 1870. Obviously that's not something I'm going to notice without a map.
Google maps also makes it easy to share your map with other researchers-you can have additional collaborators on a map.
Just remember that Google maps isn't perfect and that with addresses it may be slightly off. But it can help with some analysis.
We'll be featuring our search for Benjamin in an upcoming issue of Casefile Clues.
