"One awesome thing about undertaking a project like retracing the route taken by someone like Lawson is that amazing people almost instantly begin flinging themselves at you out of the ether. Consider Dale Loberger. A geographic information system (GIS) specialist, Loberger works with Bradshaw Consulting in South Carolina, using GIS to improve people’s lives and their understanding of their world – through systems that connect information with maps (it’s not just a fire hydrant; it’s a fire hydrant last painted in 2007 and last maintained in 2012; it’s not just an address, it’s an address with a 17 percent likelihood of generating a 911 call within the next year). That U.S. map showing which NFL team each county prefers? That’s a GIS map.
Anyhow, I’ve known Loberger on email for some time – a mutual friend introduced us when he learned of our mutual interest in old maps and trails. And when I got interested in Lawson, Dale began telling me about his interest in uncovering the old roads in the Charlotte area where he lives: the Great Wagon Road, the Trading Path, and other ancient trails that lead through the area – trails which …
