Building Maps, Photographs, Postcards Reference Resources And Web Sites - Inquiry

Does anyone know of a good resource or a Google search term that might produce maps with the location of buildings and structures of different decades.

I'm particular interested in smaller to medium sized towns in the state of Missouri.

 

The Sanborn Insurance maps may have what you want.

They sometimes have later revisions added from when they were first drawn.

I don't know of other maps with structures.

Tom

 

Not sure I completely understand what you want to do, but Google "Missouri small town architecture" to get documents like this one:

http://missourifolkloresociety.truman.edu/marshall.html

The author, Howard Wight Marshall, identifies architectural regions in Missouri. See the map. From the "Files" folder associated with the .html page, copy the .jpg's of buildings.

You might also try looking at "vintage Missouri postcards".

Once you get a list of small towns where you have good images, then use the Sanborn maps to collect more information about those specific towns. For example, postcards often give a street or intersection location.

Attached are a few images that may give you an idea. Note you can date them by the automobiles. However, most towns will have a variety of structures dating from 1820 or so to the present.

You want to look for towns that are trying to preserve their architectural heritage, perhaps with a "walking tour" map, like this one for Florissant, MO. Google "Missouri small town historic walking tour".

http://www.florissantoldtown.com/Events/walkingtour.shtml

 

Thanks to gbnf for posting the link to the Missouri Folklore Society in post #3 of this thread.

There is a wealth of explanatory detail about the building styles that seems applicable to actually building models of these kinds of structures.

Also, it finally taught me for sure what a "shotgun house" was!

George

 

As you may already know, Sanborn maps of many Missouri towns and cities have been digitized and made available on the web by the University of Missouri Libraries:

http://mulibraries.missouri.edu/specialcollections/sanborn.htm

There free online coverage is limited to maps published before 1923, since Congress has chosen to repeatedly extend most copyrights issued after that date, long after they were originally intended to expire and allow the works to become public domain.

Maps published after 1923 may be viewable on paper, on microfilm, or in digital form if you are able to physically get to a good Missouri library.

Call to inquire before driving anywhere, though, since the current copyright holder charges a very hefty subscription fee and many libraries cannot afford it.

 

The pictures posted above are also a reminder that antique postcards, as well as photographs archived by local historical societies, are valuable records of what existed where and when.

 

Thanks.

This will give me a great place to start my research and I would have never thought about postcards.

 

Thanks Bradley.

I have a Mid Continent library card and I will defiantly look into the Sanborn maps.