Sanborn Maps Sources For History Sanborn Maps Buildings Created - - PDF document

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Sources For History

Sanborn Maps Sanborn Maps

• Created to assess fire insurance risks
• Created from 1867 to 1970
• Mapped 12,000 locations in US
• Mapped 150+ locations in NC
• Scale of 50 feet to one inch
• Size 21 inches by 25 inches
• Bound in volumes
• Available on microfilm in many libraries
• Available online at North Carolina Maps (until 1923)
• Available online at NCLIVE (all years)

Streets Buildings Fire Station Fire Station Description

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More Information

Google “Sanborn Maps”

Newspapers Finding Newspaper Articles

• Visit the newspaper publisher
• Visit a public or college library
• Visit the State Archives
• Consult department scrapbooks
• Consult department files
• Consult personal scrapbooks
• Search Google News Archives

Notes on Newspaper Articles

• Indexes may be available
• Calculating dates in news articles
• Locating newspaper photographs
• Searching before and after an event
• Consulting end-of-year summaries
• Fire Prevention Week articles
• Milestone and anniversary articles

Books Finding Books

• Libraries
• Archives
• Bookstores
• Book dealers
• Book web sites
• Personal collections

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Types of Books

• Local or regional history
• Architectural history
• Heritage of
• Images of America
• General fire service
• Department yearbooks

Yearbooks Yearbooks

• Asheville, 2001-2005

Taylor Publishing

• Charlotte / 1988

Taylor Publishing

• Charlotte / 1999

Fine Books Publishing

• Charlotte / 2007

Fine Books Publishing

• Durham / 1996

Taylor Publishing

• Greensboro, 1808-1984

Taylor Publishing

• Greensboro, 1808-1990

Taylor Publishing

• Greensboro, 1926-2001
• Lenoir, 1877-2002
• Raleigh / 1984

Taylor Publishing

• Raleigh / 2002

Taylor Publishing

• Raleigh / 2007

M.T. Publishing

• Rocky Mount, 1986-1996

Taylor Publishing

• Wilmington, 1897-1985

Taylor Publishing

• Winston-Salem, 1913-1992

Taylor Publishing

• Winston-Salem / 2000

Fine Books Publishing

Other Sources

• Agency Records
• Artifacts
• City Directories
• Department Records
• Government Records
• Internet Sites
• Magazines / Journals
• People
• Photographs
• Other Printed Materials

Agency Records Agency Records

• City / county / regional associations
• Office of State Fire Marshall
• Convention programs
• Meeting minutes
• Newsletters
• Rosters

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Artifacts Artifacts

• Alarm equipment
• Apparatus
• Badges
• Bunker gear
• Extinguishers
• Hand tools
• Helmets
• Hose equipment
• Ladders
• Patches
• Pins
• Uniforms

City Directories City Directories

• Fire station addresses
• Fire company locations
• Fire company officers
• Fire alarm box locations
• Fire alarm box signals
• Firefighter listed as occupation

Finding City Directories

• Libraries
• Archives
• Museums

Department Records

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Finding Department Records

• Department facilities
• Municipal or community facilities
• Off-site storage
• Department member homes
• Department family member homes
• Libraries
• Museums
• Archives

Types of Records

• Annual reports
• Apparatus records
• Bid documents
• Blueprints
• Budget documents
• Fire reports
• Log books
• Maps
• Membership

information

• Memos
• Personnel records
• Recruit information
• SOPs

Government Records Government Records

• Municipal annual reports (local)
• Municipal budget documents (local)
• Governing body meeting minutes (local,

county)

• Death certificates (county)
• Real estate records (county)
• Corporations database (state)
• Census and Social Security (federal)

Finding Government Records

• Internet
• Government offices
• Libraries
• Archives
• Museums

Internet Sites

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Internet Sites

• google.com

Internet search engine

• maps.google.com

Street maps and aerial photos

• timeanddate.com

Calendar generator

• nclive.org

NC LIVE

• demog.state.nc.us

NC demographics

• ncmuseums.org

NC museums

Other Online Sources

• Local library catalogs
• College library catalogs
• State library catalogs
• State archives catalogs
• Museum image galleries

Magazines and Journals

• Fire service (national)

Firehouse, Fire Apparatus Journal, etc.

• Fire service (regional)

Hose & Nozzle

• Local or regional

The State Magazine, etc.

• Historical

North Carolina Historical Review, etc.

Finding Magazines and Journals

• Visit a public or college library
• Visit the State Archives
• Magazine indexes via NC LIVE
• Back issues via eBay
• Back issues via magazine publisher
• Fire department collections
• Personal collections

People People

• Department members, active or retired
• Family of department members
• Participants and community members
• Buffs
• Historians
• Oral histories
• Written histories

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Photographs Who Takes Photographs?

• News photographers
• Studio photographers
• Department members
• Family of department members
• Participants or community members
• Buffs

Finding Photographs

• Hanging or displayed
• Boxed
• Scrapbooks
• Loose or filed
• Printed in periodicals or books
• Libraries
• Archives
• Museums

Photograph Details Other Printed Materials

• Magazine advertisements
• Manufacturer catalogs
• Manufacturer records
• Board of Underwriters reports

– Extensive detail – Fire department – Water system

Conclusion

• Many sources for finding history
• Maps
• Newspapers
• Books, magazines, journals
• Records
• Photos
• And more!