Guide to the Sanborn fire insurance maps collection MS0176

Finding aid by Kim Hayden

Center for Sacramento History

2023

Language of Material: English

Contributing Institution: Center for Sacramento History

Title: Sanborn fire insurance maps collection

Identifier/Call Number: MS0176

Physical Description: 4 Linear Feet

Date: 1905-1958

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests to publish or quote from private manuscripts held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted in writing to csh@cityofsacramento.org. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the patron. No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item and/or item number], Sanborn fire insurance maps collection, MS0176, Center for Sacramento History.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Maps in this collection have unknown acquisition information, except the Sacramento map book from 1952-1956, which was acquired from the City of Sacramento Planning Department (accession number 2005/055).

Processing Information

Processed by Kim Hayden, 2023.

Biographical / Historical

Sanborn Map Company was established in New York by civil engineer and surveyor Daniel Sanborn. The company published fire insurance maps, known as Sanborn maps, of cities throughout the United States to help fire insurance companies assess liability. Sanborn maps were published until 1977.

Scope and Contents

This is an artificial collection made up of Sanborn maps from the Center's holdings, most of which have unknown provenance. Those that do have documented acquisition information are also listed in their respective collections. The collection contains Sanborn maps for the cities of Sacramento, North Sacramento, and Elk Grove. The maps show streets and street names; property boundaries; locations of buildings on properties; detailed information about buildings, including use, address, block number, material used for construction, and locations of doors and windows; and other details. A key to these details is provided at the beginning of each book. Sanborn would update the maps periodically by providing paper slips showing new building or street information that would be pasted over the original area. Shining a flashlight under a pasted update reveals the old information, allowing the user to see the evolution of a property.

Volume Elk Grove, 1905

Elk Grove map book (2 copies) 1905

Volume North Sacramento, 1926

North Sacramento map book 1926-1958

Volume North Sacramento, 1958

North Sacramento map book 1958

Volume 1

Sacramento map book 1915-1951

Volume 2

Sacramento map book 1915-1951

box Sacramento Sanborn 1, box Sacramento Sanborn 2, box Sacramento Sanborn 3

Sacramento map book 1952-1956