Locating Maps in UO Libraries

Often fire insurance maps are the best detailed older maps of a town or city and the Sanborn Map Company is probably the best known of the companies producing fire insurance maps and atlases. These maps show building footprints, building material, number of stories, building use, lot lines, road widths and water facilities. The maps also show street names and property boundaries of the time they were produced. They were created to assist fire insurance companies as they assessed the risk associated with insuring a particular property. The Sanborn Map Company began mapping towns in Oregon in the 1880s. Maps were periodically updated, some as recently as 1970 (for Portland).

You can find Sanborn Maps in a number of Library and Online locations. All contain slightly different years. The original maps were in color and the color conveyed information about the structures.  Some of the ways the UO has to view the maps are in black and white.

The Library of Congress has an excellent guide about Sanborn Maps that explains why they were created and how to use them. It links to the Sanborn Map color symbol key. The legend changed slightly over the years, so it is best to use the legend printed on the map or in the front of the atlas you are using if it is available.

UO has a small print collection of original color maps, some of which are unique. They are located in rare maps (a locked collection. You may request to view/use them by filling out the Request Mediated Access Map Library Materials form.

This link is a full list of UOs print Sanborn collection.

Oregon State University Libraries' Special Collections and Archives in Corvallis has an extensive print collection of Oregon Sanborn Maps.

• Library of Congress Scanned Sanborn Map Collection

The Library of Congress has made full color scans of many of the out of copyright Sanborn maps available for free. These scans include 62 towns/cities around Oregon.

The University has purchased microfilm copies of Oregon Sanborn Maps. The microfilm is available in the Knight Library Microforms at G1491.G475 S3 1979 and G1494.A1 S36 1983. The microfilm does not have color.

This is a link to a list Oregon Sanborn Maps on Microfilm.

Knight Library has an uncataloged microfiche Sanborn Map collection in the Maps Microforms collection.  A list of cities and years in the Sanborns on Microfiche can be viewed at this link. Submit a request to use the microfiche using the Request Mediated Access Items in Map Collection form. The Microfiche is not in color.