[OSM-newbies] Greetings

[Mike N.]

Welcome to OSM!

  Regarding addresses, you are correct.  The TIGER address data was not 
brought into the map.  The TIGER address data would only bring you to the 
nearest block anyway.  But the larger problem is that so many roads have 
been corrected that the TIGER address lines would not match the data.   So 
the current thinking is to create the address data by other means:  physical 
surveys or importing addresses from municipalities for the few cases where 
they release data under terms compatible with OSM.

> Is there a good way to see just the history of my area?

  The "History" tab shows all changes which contain your area.   That is not 
useful to you - there is a project underway to limit the history tab to the 
relevant area, but I'm not sure when it will be rolled out.  In the mean 
time , the site http://www.itoworld.com has an excellent tool to see who 
changed the map in your area of interest.   It appears that the only edits 
in your area have been to the interstates and perhaps some state highways. 
So any local knowledge you can add will be valuable: Add one-way tags, fix 
roads which are not correct, new construction, adding Speed Limit (maxspeed) 
tags, etc.