Monday, May 6, 2024
Beginning in 1867, the Sanborn Map Co. produced detailed maps of city buildings for use by fire insurance companies. The Sanborn Map Co. continues to provide an expanded mapping and visual concepts business today.
Genealogists and historians have found a bonanza in these maps, which show architectural details of city buildings as they change through the years. Many of the buildings are identified with an owner’s name or its commercial use. Of particular interest is the change in types of businesses that operated in the same building through the years. Mysterious, long-lost buildings such as a calaboose and arched cellars are revealed to stir one’s imagination.
The Sanborn maps available online for Coryell County are limited to Gatesville and the date range 1885-1920. Even this small section of our local history gives a valuable and different perspective on genealogical and historical research.
Sherry Lawrence will present a program on the Gatesville Sanborn Maps at the Jan. 9, 2024, Coryell County Genealogical Society meeting. The public is welcome to attend the meeting at the Gatesville Public Library at 6 p.m.
Come see what surprises the old Gatesville maps may show.
