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Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

A quick how-to guide to get you started with the Sanborn Map Collection at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Step 1: What are you looking for?

  • Are you looking for an address or an intersection?
  • Do you know where it is? Are you familiar with the area?
  • Familiarize yourself with the area surrounding this location by searching for the address or intersection in Google Maps. Take note of major streets and intersections in the area.

Step 1: Example

If James were looking for the address 801 S. Morgan in Chicago, Illinois, he would look it up in Google Maps.

James notices the area is bounded by the major roads: Harrison, Halsted, Roosevelt, and Racine. Looking more closely, he takes note of the closest intersection to the address, Taylor and Morgan.