Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

A few weeks ago, I was on the IUPUI campus on the western edge of downtown Idianapolis and came to realize the campus and other parts of the area were formerly the home to my paternal great- and great-greatgrandparents from the time they moved to the city from Hendricks Co. until they relocated to N. Tacoma Ave. in 1916.

N. California St. currently runs behind the IU Law Library on the  IUPUI campus. The Faucett family lived on the 300, 400 & 600 blocks of California from 1896-1915. Prior to that, they resided on Douglas [1882], Blake [1883] & Indiana Ave. [1884-1895]. Douglas & Blake were just west of California. Indiana runs diagonally through part of that neighborhood.

To locate the addresses of the Faucett residences, I used the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps on microfilm at the Indiana State Library. The maps are a wonderful genealogy tool for folks researching urban areas. The maps give the addresses, a sketch of the buildings & data of importance to fire departments & insurance companies.

The microfilm is a little problematic to use as the names of the streets don't necessarily show up on each frame. You have to zoom in & out & check the next image from time to time as you go through the reel. Still the Sanborn maps are a wonderful tool.

The area around the IUPUI campus, which includes Victory Field, the museum complex, a hotel or two, the Indy Zoo & a rerouted Washington St. [US 40], has changed considerably since 1882. The Sanborn maps serve as a bit of a time machine, giving you a look at the area at different periods. [The ISL has the maps from 1887, 1898 & 1914-1943, plus a few others.] California St. once continued south of Military Park, that part of the neighborhood is long gone!

The Sanborn maps were well worth the look & I highly recommend them to anyone researching in areas where they are available.

The IUPUI digital images collection also has some of the Sanborn maps online and searchable.