ABSTRACT
The Sanborn Map Company published and sold bound volumes of fire insurance maps from 1867 to 1970. Sales representatives used the maps to assess the physical characteristics of a structure for the purposes of preparing a policy. The maps were routinely updated about every 10 to 15 years. An atlas is a bound collection of maps that includes interpretive information. Regional publishing companies printed atlases for most US countries in the latter half of the 19th century. They often include a country history and the biographies of notable residents. Plat maps include a wealth of information for the study of cultural landscapes, but they are limited to being a snapshot for just the year they were published. Plat maps include the boundary lines for an individual’s property. Property deeds and titles are legal records documenting the transfer of the ownership of a property between parties.
