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About Sanborn Maps
- Map Description
- Reading Maps
Searching
- Place Name
- Keyword
Search Results
- Search List
- Full Record
- Map Zoom View
- Map File Format
Browsing
The Sanborn Maps are large scale street plans produced by the Sanborn Fire Insurance company from 1867 to 1970. Sanborn Maps show the outline of each building including the location of windows and doors together with street names, street and sidewalk widths, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers. These maps are heavily used in both public and academic libraries by a wide range of researchers including local historians to locate and identify buildings and neighborhoods, urban historians to study the growth of towns and cities, and environmentalists concerned about impact of new developments.
Background paper about Sanborn Maps, by Tom Gates.
Bibliography of information sources for Sanborn Maps.
These Sanborn Maps were digitized from microfilm copies by Chadwyck-Healey. The Library of Congress produced the descriptive data for each map. The 40,000 Ohio maps were acquired and made available by OPLIN, the Ohio Public Library Information Network.
Map Description: The Description paragraph for each map indicates the scope of that map, such as the names of streets, buildings, businesses, schools, churches, subdivisions, etc. Street addresses are given in brackets following the street name.
The Description paragraph transcribes the language used by the map creators. The Description provides vital information about the scope of the map, but without standardization. Searching proper names is safest, since abbreviations may be used. Two examples:
Description: STREETS: Decatur E. [100-112]; Decatur W. [101-125]; Detroit S. [334-455]; Espy; Main S. [334-515]; North W. [301-360]; SPECIALS: Callam J. & Co. Saw Mill; Campbell W. Stave Fact.; Lawson E. Elevator; Mechentanz T. Tannery; Ochs C. Grist Mill; Palmer G. H. & Co. Saw & Pl'g Mill; Seymour & Co. Butter Eggs &c.; South Kenton Public School
Description: STREETS: Carroll W. [200-405]; Columbus W. [200-405]; Detroit N. [101-215]; Franklin W. [130-404]; Leighton N. [100-215]; Market N. [100-215]; SPECIALS: C. S. & C. R. R. Pass. Station; Champion Iron Fence Co.; First Presbyterian Church; German Reformed Church; Kenton High School; Seymour & Co. Elevator; St. Nicholas Hotel; United Presbyt. Church
Reading Sanborn Maps:
The University of Virginia provides an excellent Sanborn Map information site that includes a section called
How to Read Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.
Note: Digital Maps on the OhioLINK site are black & white, as they were scanned from black and white microfilm. The Virginia site includes information about the original color maps that does not apply to Ohio digital Sanborn Maps.
You may search the map collection by either KEYWORD or PLACE (city or county). KEYWORD includes any word in a map description, including city, county, date, and key sites mentioned in the description, such as streets, buildings, businesses, schools, churches, subdivisions, etc. PLACE is limited to city and county names.
Examples:
Place: ada
(finds maps for the town of Ada)
Place: hardin
(finds maps for Hardin County)
Place: martins ferry
(finds maps for Martin's Ferry)
Place: put in bay
(finds maps for Put-in-Bay)
Place: franklin + warren
(finds maps for the town of Franklin in Warren County; a search on just Franklin is much broader, because it retrieves Franklin County)
Place: winchester + !canal
(finds maps whose location includes Winchester but not Canal)
Place: chardon or burton
(finds maps whose location includes either Chardon or Burton)
Keyword: KEYWORD includes any word in a map description, including city, county, and key sites mentioned in the description, such as streets, buildings, businesses, schools, churches, subdivisions, etc. See the Map Description paragraph for the kinds of data available.
To find a specific area or building within a city or county, use the KEYWORD option and combine the place name with a street, building, etc. Search proper names, such as street names, business names, etc., but beware of abbreviations. Words like "company" and "factory" are usually abbreviated. Railroad is usually abbreviated as "R. R." Church denominations may be abbreviated or not.
If your first search is not successful, you may need to form an alternate search, or search by PLACE name and then browse for the specific area you want.
Examples:
Keyword: olentangy
(finds maps whose descriptions contain Olentangy)
Keyword: eagle hotel
(finds maps whose descriptions include Eagle Hotel)
Keyword: st pauls
(finds maps whose descriptions include St. Paul's)
Keyword: gallipolis + opera
(finds maps of Gallipolis that include the Opera House)
Keyword: cleveland + rockwell
(finds maps of Cleveland that include Rockwell Avenue, Rockwell Hotel, etc.)
Keyword: columbus + high + broad
(finds maps of Columbus that include High Street and Broad Street)
Keyword: capitol + !columbus
(finds maps whose descriptions include Capitol, but excludes those that also include Columbus)
Keyword: pulp or paper
(finds maps whose descriptions include either "pulp" or "paper")
From the Search Menu, you can choose how to have your results arranged (by City or Date), and how many results per page.
Search List: The Search List shows a brief entry (map title, date, and description) for each map retrieved by your search. Use the scrollbar to view the results on a particular page. Use PREVIOUS | NEXT to navigate among pages.
You can also navigate within the results list by using the JUMP TO box. To jump to the end of the list, specify the last record number retrieved. To jump back to the beginning of the list, specify 1. Or, jump anywhere within the list to begin browsing at a new spot.
To see more information about a map, click FULL RECORD. To view the map, click VIEW MAP.
Full Record: The full record for a map shows the map title, city/county, date, and subject. The Description paragraph highlights special sites on the map, such as streets, buildings, businesses, schools, churches, subdivisions, etc.
Map Zoom View: The map Zoom View allows you to view details of a selected area. Set the viewing areas of the map by adjusting the pixel and zoom ranges; experiment and find what is comfortable for you. To view the entire map sheet, at least for initial orientation, use a 50% zoom with pixels set at 1024 x 768.
Map File Format: Maps are served in "jpeg" file format. These files may be imported into other applications. Right click on the image and follow your browsers instructions for saving the image file.
"Save Picture As" or "Save Image As" are common browser options used to save images.
Browse allows you to scan the Date or the City/County index. This is a quick way to find all maps from a given date, or all maps for a given location. Click on the index to browse; then select the set you want to retrieve.
June 2001