Old street maps?

[jeffmorris]

Are there old street maps on the Internet? I'm looking for old street maps for Queens, NY before Robert Moses "forced" NYC to rip up streets for highways. I think that Nassau Blvd was renamed Horace Harding Blvd or Expressway and it runs along Long Island Expressway. The BMT Astoria route expension was planned before Robert Moses "forced" NYC to rip up streets for highways. I have the map of 1929 subway expension plan and it shows old street names along planned routes.

 

[aradlaw]

Hi Jeff,
Does New York have an 'archive' building? I've found all sorts of fascinating stuff on Toronto by visiting the Toronto Archives. They let you photograph almost anything with a digital camera and photocopies ($) are also available.

 

[Hot_Box_Detector]

Sanborn Fire insurance maps

I've found that most cities have copies of the Sanborn fire insurance maps in the local library or possibly the historical society archives. I'm sure NYC has those somewhere. They are detailed and easy to read. Generally, they date from the late 1800s to the 1940s. They are available online, but you have to buy a subscription. Better to check the public library.

aradlaw: I have visited the Toronto archives and could not believe the amount of CN and CP trackage in the area of Canada's (CN) tower.

 

[aradlaw]

aradlaw: I have visited the Toronto archives and could not believe the amount of CN and CP trackage in the area of Canada's (CN) tower.

If you have TRS 2006, our group did the Toronto Rail Lands circa 1954, there were much more tracks back then minus the CN Tower.

 

[HSSRAIL]

During the 1930's the Works Projects Administration published a series of guides for all 50 states and the major cities. These guides include downtown maps.

For example the one for New York City is titled:

New York City Guide, by Federal Writers Project. It has lots of photo's and Maps of New York as it was prior to World War II.