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Information Sources for Urban History
Linda ZellmerGovernment Information & Data Services
LibrarianWestern Illinois University
Introduction What is an urban area? Sources of information about urban areas.
• State & Local information – government records, .
• Census Data.• Historic Structures Inventories.• Maps & map-like objects.
Topographic Maps. Aerial Photographs. Historic maps on the Internet.
Environmental Information.
What is an Urban Area?
Area with a high population density. Census Bureau Definitions (several
categories). Urbanized Area – densely settled area with ≥
50,000 people. Urban Clusters – population from 2,500 – 49,999. Metropolitan Statistical Area – a core population
area and the adjacent communities which are integrated with the core economically and socially (can cross state lines).
Definition has changed over time.
Census & Economic Data American FactFinder (U.S. Census Bureau) - single
site for accessing population, housing & economic data.
Decennial Census –collected for all residents every 10 years.
Economic Census – data collected every 5 years. Annual Economic Surveys – County Business
Patterns. American Community Survey (ACS) – annual
survey of a sample of the population (data released when the sample size is adequate).
Some ACS data may not be available at the community level (privacy issues).
Census &Economic DataHistorical censuses have been scanned and
are available from the U.S. Census Bureau (see Library Guide).
Historical Census Atlases have been scanned and are available from the Library of Congress (see Library Guide).
Urban Atlases – produced by the Census Bureau in the 1970s for major metropolitan areas. Contain maps on population, labor force and other issues.
Historical Resources Historic Structures Inventory – available for
most Illinois counties and some communities. Search I-Share Catalog.
Illinois Historic Aerial Photographs. Historic Maps.
David Rumsey Collection – http://www.davidrumsey.com.
University of Illinois Digital Maps - http://images.library.uiuc.edu/projects/maps/.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Warner & Beers Atlas of the State of Illinois,
1876.
Historic Structures Inventory Contains information about the built
environment. Provides the data on whether properties
should be preserved (landmark designation).
Provides information about community growth and development for planning purposes.
Permanent archive of the community’s resources.
Historic Structures Inventory
Historic Aerial Photographs Show extent of an urban area at a known
date. Phase I Site Assessment (environmental
hazards). How was this property used in the past? What type of business has been located on
this property? Good for identifying potential
environmental problems (leaking underground storage tanks, waste oil disposal).
Havana, 1938
Historic Maps Show extent of urban area at a known
date. What type of business has been located on
this property? Several sources:
• David Rumsey Collection – scanned historic maps of many types of areas.
• American Memory (Library of Congress) - Birds-eye views.
• State historic map collections.• Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.• Plat books.
David Rumsey Collection
David Rumsey Collection
University of Illinois Digital Maps
Carthage, Illinois Topographic Map.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
Historic Newspapers Record of local history and events. Many available on microfilm. Some online indexes (Chicago
Tribune listed in Library Guide).
Environmental Information U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. Illinois Site Selection Tool. Aerial Photographs. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency (general guides).
EPA Enviromapper
Illinois Site Selection Tool
Geographic Information System Computer system that can be used
to map all types of data. Able to combine many types of data
(boundary, Census, environmental). Able to view change over time.
Questions?