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I spend a lot of time looking at Sanborn maps: they are an extremely useful resource any time you research the history of an urban area in the U.S. Even when in a boring place where you think you are pretty damn sure on how the buildings around you came to be, those maps might have a surprise for you. Recently I was researching a neighborhood that included a home that was was surely built c. 1900 due to its style and materials. Yet it didn't appear on a Sanborn map until after 1950: it was just an empty lot before that. Still haven't figured out where it was moved from, but it was definitely moved.

If you live in a U.S. city that has them, look up the maps of your neighborhood. You'll probably learn some fun stuff, maybe answer some weird question you've always wondered.




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