Boston Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News:  Boston, Watertown Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes a large variety of cartographic resources on Boston, Massachusetts.  The Atlas Collection also includes several volumes featuring maps of Boston.

In addition to street atlases of the city, the Atlas Collection includes a book called Mapping Boston.  The book includes historical and modern maps of the city.  Each map is accompanied by a full description and essay explaining the significance of the cartography.

The GRMC includes maps, atlases, and nautical charts depicting the metropolitan area of Boston and Boston Harbor.  Historical reproductions include maps of Boston in 1743, 1774, 1775, 1873, 1877, and 1888.  One map is titled A Plan of the Town of Boston: With the Intrenchment of His Majesty’s Forces in 1775.  The Boston map from 1888 includes the location of freight and passenger depots, grain elevators, and steamboat wharves.

The GRMC also includes modern maps of Boston, including folded maps for convenient travel use.  The map shown above (click to enlarge) is a travel map identifying the villages that compose the metropolitan area, including Watertown.  The Boston “Popout” map folds to a pocket size map and includes maps of the greater downtown area, Beacon Hill, Harvard Square, and the subway system.  Separate public transit maps of Boston are also available.

Nautical charts available from the GRMC include cartographic details along the Boston Harbor.  These charts include Boston Harbor and the areas surrounding Cape Cod and Nantucket.

The GRMC also includes a set of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Boston from 1975.  These maps provide detailed maps of buildings and construction information.

For more information about these resources, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097 Monday through Friday.