North Dakota Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Collection

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: OGLMC-1348

Scope and Contents

The North Dakota Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Collection contains Sanborn fire insurance maps for cities and towns in the state of North Dakota, spanning the years 1884 through 1960. The maps depict the arrangement of blocks and buildings for the given cities and towns. They provide locations of lot lines and detailed information on structures, including construction material, height and purpose (e.g. residence or business). If a building houses a business, the name of the business or the service that it provides are usually indicated.

Dates

created: 1884-1960
Other: Date acquired: 00/00/1960

Creator

Sanborn Map Company (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Biographical or Historical Information

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The Sanborn Map Company began as the D.A. Sanborn National Insurance Diagram Bureau; D. A. Sanborn, a surveyor from Somerville, Massachusetts, founded the company in approximately 1867. (No official record of the first Sanborn map exists, but the earliest surviving one, housed in the Library of Congress, is dated 1867. It’s a fire insurance map of the city of Boston, Massachusetts.) The company was probably founded in New York City, as a New York address appears on the earliest surviving map. In 1876, it incorporated under the name Sanborn Map and Publishing Company. Sanborn died in 1883, although the corporation continued. His company took over Perris and Browne, another map company, in 1899 and became Sanborn Perris Map Company, Limited. By this time, most other insurance map publishers had either gone out of business or changed specializations, making Sanborn Perris the industry leader. In 1902, the firm again changed its name to Sanborn Map Company and has held this name to the present day. Source: Ristow, Walter W. “U.S. Fire Insurance Maps, 1852-1968.” Surveying and Mapping, v. 30, March 1970.

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