1911
Population of Hillsborough Approximately 860
Historical Context
Number of States in the US – 46
President – William H. Taft
1903 – First World Series baseball game is played
1906 – NC Mutual Life Insurance moves its headquarters and “Black Wall Street”
is created in Durham
1908 – Model T card introduced by Ford Motor Company
1910 – Mexican Revolution begins
1911 – Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City kills 146;
US Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an unreasonable
monopoly
1912 – Sinking of the Titanic
China’s last dynasty is overthrown, the Republic of China begins
1914 – WWI begins
Panama Canal is completed
Charlie Chaplin debuts his “Little Tramp” character
1916 – Albert Einstein introduces his theory of general relativity
1917 – US enters WWI
Russian Revolution begins
First jazz music is recorded
1918 – The Great Flu Epidemic begins
1920 – Nineteenth Amendment is ratified, giving women the right to vote
Based on a Map by the Sanborn Fire Company
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In the mid-19th century, American insurance companies began creating detailed maps to give underwriters the information they needed to assess fire risk. Among the many mapmakers was Daniel Alfred Sanborn, a civil engineer and surveyor. Sanborn began working in the field in 1866 and soon established the D. A. Sanborn National Insurance Diagram Bureau in New York City. Within several decades, his map company had become the largest and most successful in the US.
The Sanborn Company sent out legions of surveyors to map building footprints in all major urbanized areas, along with building details related to fire risk. At its peak in the 1920s, the company employed about 700 people, including around 300 field surveyors. Over time, Sanborn diversified into other mapping activities. As of 2020, it is primarily a geospatial specialist and holder of electronic GIS assets and systems; however, the fire insurance business continues as a niche department. Corporate headquarters are now in Colorado.
Churton Street, c. 1914