16 - Sanborn Maps: The Evolution of Mandeville Mills

Abstract

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are detailed historic maps of various U.S. cities, documenting changes of the built environment throughout the years. The West Georgia Textile Heritage Trail, a cultural heritage trail that interprets textile industries across central and north-west Georgia managed by the UWG Center for Public History, is able to use these maps to tell of the evolution of textile mills throughout the communities from the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. The Carrollton Sanborn maps provide evidence of the textile industry’s growth, the ways that buildings changed through time, and how certain industries flourished while others were abandoned or turned into warehouses. I also used Davison Blue Books in my research to view production in each decade, specific manufacturers such as cotton and knit goods, and the amount of machinery used. By examining Sanborn maps and Blue Books, I contextualized Carrollton’s textile industry from the early 1900s through the mid-1940s in the broader narrative of America through a socio-economic lens during that time period, such as the increase in cotton and hosiery mills in the 1920s and the 1940s. The historic maps supply information that contributes to the understanding of which industries were prevalent during specific years, as well as providing new information about previously undocumented industries for the Textile Heritage Trail.