Fire was a constant danger at the turn of the century in Pierce County, making fire insurance a big business. To help assess liability, agents relied on detailed maps created by the Sanborn Map Company. Today, these maps offer a fascinating window into the past.
Sanborn Map Company
Fire insurance maps show construction materials, water systems and other information that help fire insurance underwriters assess liability. The first ones were created in London in the late 1700s.
American companies began producing fire insurance maps in the mid-1800s. Demand skyrocketed after the Civil War as increased industrialization and immigration fueled the growth of cities and towns.
Through careful management and buying out their competitors, the Sanborn Map Company came to control the American fire insurance map market. Founded in 1867 by Daniel Alfred Sanborn (1827-1883), the company also produced maps for Canada and Mexico…