Kansas Historical Society Maps

The Kansas Historical Society houses an extensive collection of over 25,000 atlases, maps, and architectural drawings, providing a rich historical record. These resources detail how terrain, rivers, cities, roads, and railroads evolved over time, alongside changes in property ownership, building placements, and county boundaries. The collection also documents the locations of now-extinct communities, offering valuable insights into historical geography.

Subject strengths within the Kansas holdings include railroads, roads and trails, military history, land surveys, and property ownership. The collection is particularly strong in nineteenth-century State and county maps, as well as plats of cities, Indian lands, and records of military exploration. It also serves as a depository for United States Geological Survey maps of Kansas and neighboring states, alongside maps produced by various Kansas State agencies.

Beyond Kansas, the society holds a less-known but substantial collection of non-Kansas maps, including originals and reproductions dating from 1550 to the present. This broader collection represents almost all U.S. states, numerous large cities, and various countries, including early maps of the New World and those depicting American military involvement globally. Access to the collection is available in the Research Room, with maps cataloged by location or subject and chronologically, and newer acquisitions accessible via an online catalog.