Spent $35 on a repro 1890s map of my hometown, ended up finding a creek that used to run through my backyard

I bought this reprint of a Sanborn fire insurance map from 1892 for $35 at a local antique store. Turns out there used to be a small creek called Willow Brook right where my garden shed is now, it got buried in the 1920s for a sewer line. My neighbor's been complaining about her basement flooding every spring and I bet this old map explains why the water pools on our street. Has anyone else found a hidden river or stream on an old map that changed how you see your area?

2 comments

2 Comments

wilson.jana23d ago

You should dig up the spot where Willow Brook was and check for old pipes or a dry streambed... I found a buried creek on my property the same way, a 1910 map showed a stream that was filled in. Turned out the old drainage was still there but clogged with debris from the 1940s. I spent a weekend clearing it out and redirected the water to an old culvert, my basement stopped flooding completely. Try pulling up a Sanborn map for your street from the 1910s too, they're online free through the Library of Congress. Also check with your city's engineering department, sometimes they have old sewer maps that show where these creeks were piped. That neighbor with the wet basement, she might save thousands just by looking at these old records.

tessa_rivera23d ago

Tbh that Sanborn map trick is a lifesaver. I did the same thing with my house when I had water pooling in the backyard every time it rained. Found a 1923 map that showed a whole branch of a creek running right under where my shed was sitting. Pulled up the shed, dug down about 3 feet and sure enough there was a clay pipe that had collapsed in the 1950s. Replaced it with some PVC my neighbor had leftover from a job and now that whole area drains perfectly. The city's engineering department is actually pretty helpful too once you get past the front desk. They let me look at their old as-built drawings from the 1930s for free, just had to make an appointment. Definitely check if your local library has a digital archive of old plat maps too, those sometimes show property lines from before they rerouted everything.