GIS Portal

The GIS portal is your access point to all the GIS maps created through the WV GeoExplorer Project. The Land Grant maps are now viewable with the latest ESRI software, which provides a more precise and attractive presentation than did the MapGuide version. The new version also includes a "time slider" which lets you more easily view the transitions through the years. The other, previously available map layers, will be added shortly.

Note: The shape and position of the polygons in the map layers reflect the information provided in the original grants and surveys.  Eighteenth and even nineteenth century Virginia land records are inherently ambiguous for a variety of reasons, including surveying errors, wear and tear on surveying instruments, or even outright fraud.  These ambiguities tend to be resolved over time through lawsuits, resurveys, and legislative mandates.  As these historical adjustments to property boundaries are located, they will be recorded in the annual map layers.