Sanborn overlay on google maps how to

okinaw55

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Sanborn Fire Maps Superimpose Image onto Google Maps Image How to In GIMP (Free tool)

I’ve been looking for a way to view Sanborn maps in context to current buildings and streets. The following tutorial should at least get you started and familiar with a free image editing tool called GIMP.

1) Download GIMP here for Windows, https://www.gimp.org/downloads/, install.

2) Find the area you are interested about in google maps and zoom in close enough that you have some streets for reference. I find it helpful to do one block or four(2x2) blocks at a time. In this example we will use Winnebago, MN and a single block. I suggest doing a dry run with the same images I am dealing with. My google map image was taken between the streets of Cleveland Ave E, 1st Ave SE, 1st St SE, and 3rd St SE. https://www.google.com/maps/place/4...5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d43.7672363!4d-94.162778

3) Hit Alt-PrtSc (generally above the insert button on a keyboard)

4) Open paint, click in the white box and hit Ctrl-V

5) Save the image somewhere as Block1Google for example

6) Find the corresponding Sanborn map from the Library of Congress website. https://www.loc.gov/

7) For this example I picked Maps at the drop down and typed Winnebago Minnesota into the search at top.

8) You are going to find multiple maps associated with a city so take your time and go through them to be sure you have the right streets lined up according to your google image created in steps 2-5. Save this in a new paint instance as Block1Sanborn for example.

If you are following with my Winnebago Minnesota example for practice my, Sanborn map is image 1 of 3 bottom left corner between streets Cleveland, Mill, 8th and 9th. My image looks like below
And my google maps image looks like below

A couple of things to mention here. If you notice I have no streets in the google image. This is because I have already cropped the image down to the corners of the block. The image of the Sandborn maps still has half of the roads showing. This is because in most cases the roads on the Sanborn maps were 80’ wide vs 40’ or so for todays roads. So our current blocks would actually extend into the old streets from long ago. You can use whatever cropping tool you would like but I just used the one in paint before I saved them.

You should also notice that 3 of the 4 streets have been renamed since the 1900 map. You will have to take this into account when looking for a block. Count the number of blocks from Main Street for example to be sure you are on the same block with both images.

Here is where the fun begins in GIMP. If at anytime you do something that does not quite look right, you can Ctrl-Z to back up one step at a time and Ctrl-Y to go forward a step.

9) Open GIMP, File, Open, (saved location)/Block1Google

10) File, Open, (saved location)/Block1Sanborn

11) At the top left of the screen you should now have 2 images showing in thumbnail view. Click on the first image (the google map) select Tools/Transform Tools/Rotate.

12) Adjust the Angle to -0.70 in the upper right corner in the new box that popped up then select Rotate.

13) Click on image 2 (the sanborn map), Click on the map and the Rotate tool should appear again. Adjust this to 1.30 angle and Rotate. I find this part of the process buggy in GIMP. For some reason the Rotate button doesn’t always hold the image where you put it. Try again until it works I guess. (free bugware)!! That said I’m probably doing something wrong and if you can rotate your images finely in another tool, I would use that.

14) Do the following on both images. Right click the image/Select/All, Right click the same image, Image/Scale Image/Set the width to 1000 and press Scale.

15) Now we’re cooking! Select the Sanborn map in the thumbnail. Tools/Selection Tools/By Color Select.

16) Left click on white space somewhere in the map. Select/Invert.

17) Edit/Copy.

18) Click on the google image, Edit/Paste As/New Layer.

19) Save the project.

20) File/Export As filename.(png,jpg) whatever file type you want for the last picture.

And here is the results.

Now we can see the plot lines and buildings on top of real world data as it was in the late 1800’s early 1900’s!
 

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If anyone requires help with this or gets stuck please let me know. I will try to address it below. Feedback makes the post better so please contribute. Thanks :D
 
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mods .. can you remove this post please? Was saved for posting space
 
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This is a brilliant post. I use Sandborn maps, but not to this extent... I will now!

Easily extract the maps to your phone for easy access in the field. Bang bang.
 
Thanks Swing360. I put a fair amount of work into this and I'm glad you appreciated it. Have you tried yet? I'm anxious to update my instructions.
 
Thanks Swing360. I put a fair amount of work into this and I'm glad you appreciated it. Have you tried yet? I'm anxious to update my instructions.

I haven't yet. I won't have time to sit down and implement this for a few weeks, but I am sure you will have people oohing and ahhing over this before too long. Well, at least the smart ones. :laughing:
 
Sorry for the bump but I think people can use this

The instructions might seem a bit too much but trust me, it's learned very quickly and with practice its a 5 min job.

I'm honestly surprised at the lack of interest in this post. For me? This is a deal maker. I love the old Sanborn maps and putting them on top of current stuff is priceless to my hunting locations.
 
I totally get blurry eyed when I try and follow those instructions. Google Maps, Paint, https://www.loc.gov/.....It just hits my blond hair roots and I give in. I never got to an actual overlay before I said "this bites." I am happy for everyone who manages this procedure. It just swamps my brain too much.
 
I would be totally onboard with walking you through it on the phone. I've not got a whole lot going on each evening. I promise you, I can get your through it. I used to be a programmer but took pride in speaking non-tech to people so they would understand.
 
Martin .. I sent you a pm. Please call me when you have time. I'll get you through it just like I will for anyone else interested.
 
If people that have tried this can give me the points where they were stuck or didnt understand I could revise the instructions. I truly want this to be available to anyone that would like to use it.
 
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