Sanborn Maps

View the Sanborn Maps Collection in CONTENTdm

Founded in 1867 by Massachusetts surveyor Daniel Alfred Sanborn, The Sanborn Map Company created maps of U.S. towns for insurance assessment purposes until 1970. 12,000 communities were mapped by Sanborn and original copies are now archived in libraries and museums across the United States.

Portion of a Sanborn map depicting Cleveland Ave.
Title page of the 1914 Sanborn map

The Everett Sanborns

Sanborn maps were made of incorporated Everett for May 1892, January 1893, 1902, 1904, and 1914. The 1914 edition was then updated showing changes from 1937 through June of 1955 by a series of images pasted over the base 1914 map. The Northwest History Room has two hard copy volumes of Sanborn Fire Insurance maps for Everett: the 1914 Sanborn, and the version updated with paste-overs in 1955. These volumes have been digitized and archivally rebound with grant money from the Washington State Library’s LSTA program. The digitized versions, in full color, are presented here. The library also has microfilm copies of all Sanborns for Everett, as well as for other Snohomish County towns, which can be used in the library. The microfilm copies are in black and white only.

How to Search and Print

When viewing the digital Sanborns, choose either the 1914 Sanborn or the 1955 update. A title page will appear. Check the Index and Key pages in the column on the left; these will give you the page number to view for the address your are searching, and will explain the symbols and color coding. Full pages will be in view at a little over 6% in size. You can print out the full page or enlarge a detail many times by clicking on it until it is the size you would like.