This collection includes two oversized volumes of Sanborn fire insurance maps for Grand Rapids, Mich., dated 1874 and 1878. Fire insurance maps are large-scale maps with detailed drawings of the built environment of urban areas. The maps show construction materials of buildings, the location of doors and windows, building use and other details.

The maps are helpful for researching the history of a property, for development projects, for environmental history and for general knowledge of the history of Grand Rapids.