Researching A PROPERTY?

Here are some resources to help you with your search:

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

These maps were done nationwide for insurance purposes over the years. The Benicia maps are one of the best resources when it comes to dating older buildings in Benicia and seeing what their original footprints were like:

February 1886

January 1891

June 1899

August 1913

Historic Property Surveys

In terms of the architectural history of your property, another resource is the City's Historic Property Survey Forms.

Photos & OTHER RECORDS

The best place to hunt for photos is the Museum of History Benicia Online Archives. These are free and searchable. If you'd like to dig deeper, you can contact the Museum's curator, Beverly Phelan, at b.phelan@mohbenicia.org. They offer in-person research appointments (must be scheduled in advance) for $35.00 an hour.

GENEALOGY AND CENSUS RECORDS

Census records are a great way to find out who previously lived at your property. You can access census records through 1950 on Family Search (free but requires sign up) or Ancestry.com (requires a paid subscription after a free trial) and newspaper records to learn more about the people that lived at the property, or any events associated with it. Another great local resource for researching people is the Solano County Genealogical Society.