| Boston Streets: Mapping
Directory Data combines two very different access tools. One, the
Tufts Digital Library (TDL) is a fairly straightforward library system,
although one that allows you to search full-text as well as metadata
of its content. Nevertheless its style of text-based searching is
more commonly understood: you type in a serch term and you get a result
list back. The other, Cowpaths, is something new and different, even
for those of you who are familiar with GIS-based tools.
Each tool has its own strenghths, and unfortunately its own weaknesses
as well. To complicate matters further, the data in each system, while
similar, is not always exactly the same. This help section will give
you an overview of the "features" of the two systems so
that you will be able to use both effectively.
Cowpaths also has a Cowpaths specific
help area that serves as a primer on how to use it.
Data modeling, regularization, and searching in the TDL and Cowpaths
The city directories exist in two forms, one as text documents in
the TDL and the other as searchable "layers" in the Cowpaths
geospatial access tool.
The directories in the TDL most closely reflect the original paper
documents and the printing and publication decisions made at the time
of original printing. No attempt has been made to regularize or cross
reference variations in spelling, abbreviation, or punctuation. Thus,
a search for cigarmaker will yield only those people listed with the
occupation "cigarmaker" and not those listed with the occupation:
"cigarmaking." A business of "cigarmakers" would
also be overlooked Often these variations would exist within a single
directory. The TDL recognizes some Boolean-like search symbols, allowing
the user to insert a "*" into a query to broaden the range
of searching. For example, "cigarmak*" will return both
"cigarmaker" and "cigarmakers" but not "cigar
maker." Cowpaths does not support "*" at this time.
It is best to be thorough, flexible and broad-minded when using the
search features in both the TDL and Cowpaths, as the content in Boston
Streets is naturally as irregular as the city's roadways.
Search Strategies: Finding people
No attempt has been made to fully regularize names in either Cowpaths
or the TDL. Names of persons have been formatted in embedded xml tags
to follow the common format of "Last name, First name Middle
name/initial Title."
Corrections in spelling have been made only when they have been verified
to be errors inserted during the data conversion process, as has the
re-ordering of entries. Most of the time the directories are presented
as the text appears on the printed page, excluding column divisions
and page breaks.
The directories have been subdivided beyond the letter level to surname
or organizational name level. This allows for all like entries to
be grouped together. In an effort to save space, the printers often
resorted to sometimes arcane abbreviations. William Goodnow is listed
in the 1855 directory as: Goodnow, Wm. D., not in itself unusual,
except that if you search for "William Goodnow" you would
not find him. If you have difficulty finding a particular person,
try repeating your search using a surname only. This will still point
you to surname subsections of the directories
Finding places
The only place where a significant attempt at regularization was made
is in the addresses. Directory entries with abbreviations for street
names were regularized for the Cowpaths tool. An automated process
was used to change "Washington st." or "Wash'ton st"
to "Washington Street" wherever possible. Unfortunately,
the variety and number of abbrieviations for any particular street
name was too great to insure that every instance of that street was
regularized for Cowpaths. Nevertheless, a significant number of addresses
and street names were regularized to the point where they could be
linked to a street or place on the map. |
