In 1901, Prescott was already an established Arizona community, but its streets and buildings looked very different from the city we know today. One remarkable way to see that earlier Prescott is through a Sanborn fire insurance map preserved by the Library of Congress.
The August 1901 map is part of the Sanborn Maps collection and covers Prescott in 16 sheets. These maps were created to document buildings, streets and other details useful for assessing fire insurance risks. Today, they provide a detailed snapshot of an American town at the beginning of the twentieth century.
A historic map can reveal things that a photograph may not. Streets, blocks and individual structures can be studied in relation to one another, giving us a sense of how the community was organized. Looking at Prescott in 1901 also provides a useful reminder that the familiar city developed over time.
The Library of Congress states that the online Sanborn Maps collection is in the public domain and free to use and reuse. That makes this map an especially useful primary source for exploring Prescott’s past.
Historic maps can help researchers understand how communities grew, where businesses and residences were located, and how the built environment changed. Comparing an old map with modern Prescott can turn a familiar street into a piece of local history.
Source: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona, August 1901.
Rights: The Library of Congress identifies the online Sanborn Maps collection as public domain and free to use and reuse.
Original source: https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn00170_003/