Burning Down the Mouse: Fired Up About Historical Maps

Abstract

At the University of Kansas Libraries, we continue to make steady progress on georeferencing our statewide collection of Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. Sanborn maps were created for towns and cities across the entire United States, and this project covers 241 Kansas towns between the years 1883 and 1922. The maps show property boundaries, building footprints and material, heat source, and more. They also describe in detail local resources such as water supply, and police and firefighting capacity. Sanborn maps are naturally intriguing, facilitating inquiry about how places change across the landscape and over time. For some of the towns, the peak of their population and urban development may be captured on a Sanborn map, due to industries such as farming, livestock, and mining, along with railway building. The presentation will include a brief overview and update on the project, including staff and funding, number of maps and cities completed, and our plans to make the maps available for public and GIS use.