Western History and Genealogy

Atlases

Real Estate and Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlases

These show Denver structures as early as 1887 and will help you to date the construction of a building and give you a picture of neighborhood development. When using the early maps and atlases, remember that many streets have had several different names over the years. The Department has many historical maps in its collection as well as digital Sanborn fire insurance maps for Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Legal description

These atlases will also show the legal description of your property - Addition name, Block number, and Lot number(s). You will need this in order to try to locate an original building permit and/or trace the chain of property ownership.

Next - Building Permits

Building Histories Table of Contents

Baist's Real Estate Atlas of Surveys of Denver, Plate 9 [1905].