Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
Title
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
Description
History
The Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Company, established in 1867, compiled and published maps of U.S. cities and towns for the fire insurance industry to assess fire risk. Between 1955 and 1978, the Library of Congress withdrew duplicate sheets and atlases from their collection and offered them to selected libraries. Maps for Missouri towns and cities were given to the MU Libraries.
Scope and Contents
Documenting the layout of 390 Missouri cities from 1883 to 1951, the 1283 maps in the collection are an invaluable research tool for urban historians, architectural historians, environmentalists, genealogists and preservationists.
The large scale (1:600) offers detailed information on the use made of commercial and industrial buildings, their size, shape and construction material. Some residential areas are also mapped. The maps show the location of water mains, fire alarms and fire hydrants. They are color-coded to identify the structure (adobe, frame, brick, stone, iron) of each building.
Microfiche copies of the maps are also available.
Commercially prepared microfilm of maps for 55 Missouri cities dating from 1941-1992 supplement the collection.
Holdings: 1283 maps (10,351 sheets)
Access
A portion of the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection has been digitally scanned and is available in the University of Missouri Digital Library.
The paper maps must be used in the Special Collections reading room during service hours or by appointment. The microfiche and microfilm copies are available all hours that Ellis Library is open in room 303. Microfiche and microfilm copies of the maps may be borrowed via interlibrary loan.
Relation
Other Resources
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection Finding Aid
Sanborn Maps at the Library of Congress
While most of the Sanborn maps have keys, the University of Virginia Libraries compiled a very useful guide to interpreting the symbols and colors used on the maps.
Rights
Some maps in the collection are under copyright restriction. Please contact Environmental Data Resources, Inc. if you wish to order complete copies of Sanborn maps, or contact us to make other arrangements.