Explore the Journey
Follow the remarkable migration of the McCreary family across centuries and continents.
These interactive maps use animations and historical data to show how Presbyterian Scottish
families moved from Scotland through Ulster (Ireland) to colonial America, and eventually
spread across the United States.
Each map features animated migration routes, interactive popups with historical context,
and timeline controls. Click on any available map below to explore that period of McCreary
family history.
Explore pre-Christian Celtic settlement patterns in Scotland and Ireland, the migration
of Gaelic Scots from Ireland to Scotland (c. 500 CE), and the establishment of the
Kingdom of Dál Riata.
Animated Routes
5 Migration Paths
Interactive Popups
View Map →
See where the McCreary name emerged in western Scotland, trace clan territories in
Ayrshire, Galloway, and Dumfriesshire, and explore key medieval battles and events.
Animated Routes
6 Historical Events
Interactive Popups
View Map →
Watch animated routes show Scottish Presbyterian families crossing the narrow North
Channel to settle in Ulster counties: Antrim, Down, Tyrone, and Donegal.
Animated Routes
4 Migration Paths
Interactive Popups
View Map →
Follow ship routes across the Atlantic from Ulster to Philadelphia and New Castle,
Delaware. See three major emigration waves bringing McCreary families to America.
Animated Routes
5 Ship Routes
Interactive Popups
View Map →
Trace the southward migration from Pennsylvania through the Shenandoah Valley to the
Carolinas, following the Great Wagon Road into Kentucky and Tennessee.
Animated Routes
6 Migration Paths
Interactive Popups
View Map →
See how McCreary families spread west from Appalachia into Ohio, Indiana, Missouri,
and beyond during the era of westward expansion and the Civil War.
Animated Routes
7 Migration Paths
Interactive Popups
View Map →
Explore concentration maps showing current McCreary surname distribution across the United
States, comparing modern populations with historical settlement patterns.
Concentration Map
14 States
Interactive Rankings
View Map →
About These Maps
These interactive maps are built using Leaflet.js and various animation
plugins to visualize the multi-generational journey of the McCreary family. Each map includes:
- Animated migration routes showing directional movement
- Interactive popups with historical context and details
- Timeline controls for exploring different eras
- Multiple base maps appropriate for each historical period
- Geographic accuracy based on historical records and research
All seven maps are now available, providing a complete visualization of the McCreary family's
migration journey from prehistoric Celtic times through medieval Scotland, the Ulster Plantation,
the transatlantic crossing, American frontier expansion, 19th-century westward movement, and
modern distribution patterns.
Technology Stack
These maps use the following open-source libraries:
- Leaflet.js - Primary mapping library
- Leaflet.Polyline.SnakeAnim - Animated route drawing
- Leaflet.PolylineDecorator - Directional arrows
- GeoJSON - Geographic data format