About Historical & Primary Sources
Use this page to find historical and primary sources for urban studies, including data, maps, municipal codes, historical newspapers, and statistics. These resources help you analyze change over time, trace policy and legal context, and compare past conditions with the present.
Detroit & Southeast Michigan Data
-
City of Michigan Open Data PortalDatasets on parcels, permits, code violations, public safety, mobility, and more; check each dataset’s update cadence.
-
Data Driven DetroitCurated neighborhood-level data portals, maps, and reports; helpful for project scoping.
-
Michigan Municipal League (MML)Statewide association representing Michigan’s cities and villages, providing advocacy, research, and training on local government issues.
-
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG)Regional planning partnership for Southeast Michigan. Provides reports on transportation, economic development, environment, and community planning.
Maps & Atlases
-
Michigan County Histories and AltasesAn online collection of 428 Michigan county histories and atlases.
-
Atlas of Historical County BoundariesDocuments boundary changes in all 50 states through 2000.
-
Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United StatesInteractive maps documenting the natural environment, settlement and migration, geographical boundaries, military history, and more.
-
Sanborn Insurance MapsOffers a continually updated, searchable checklist with links to digitized fire insurance maps dating from 1867. These depict building-level details for thousands of cities and towns, supporting research on urban development, property history, and local communities.
-
Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal AmericaIn the 1930s, federal agencies produced “redlining” maps for many U.S. cities that guided mortgage lending and shaped neighborhood investment. Mapping Inequality provides interactive access to these maps and related documents, helping you explore the history and impacts of discriminatory housing policy.
Municipal Codes
-
Municipal CodesOnline access to the municipal codes of thousands of communities, including over 250 in Michigan.
Historical Newspapers
-
Ann Arbor District Library - Old NewsSearchable historical newspapers and photographs from Ann Arbor area publications, including the Signal of Liberty, the Ann Arbor Argus, the Ann Arbor Courier, and the Ann Arbor News.
-
Detroit Free Press (2008 - present) This link opens in a new window
Search and browse news, editorials, ads, and photos.
Access Tips: Most recent 3 months not available. -
Detroit Free Press Historical (1831 - 1999) This link opens in a new window
Search and browse the Detroit Free Press backfile in pdf. Includes news, editorials, ads, photos, graphics.
-
Detroit News (1970 to present)Also available at the University of Michigan's Hatcher Graduate Library from 1873 to present.
-
Digital Michigan Newspaper PortalMichigan newspaper titles available online from various institutions including the Library of Congress.
-
Michigan Chronicle Historical (1939-2010) This link opens in a new window
Search and browse historical news, editorials, ads, and photos from Detroit-based newspaper. Includes first-hand accounts and coverage of politics, society and events.
-
Michigan Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search and browse the backfiles of Battle Creek, Lansing, and Port Huron newspapers in PDF. Includes news, editorials, ads, photos, graphics.
-
New York Times Backfile (1851 - 2019) This link opens in a new windowCover to cover in pdf. Includes news, editorials, photos, graphics, ads.
-
Google Newspaper ArchivesSearch a large number of old newspapers scanned by Google (U.S. and international). Years vary by title: some go back into the late 1700's and some forward to the 2000's.
-
U.S. Newspapers OnlineA guide to historical U.S. newspapers that are freely available on the Internet. Compiled and maintained by BGSU Librarian, Carol Singer.
United States Historical Statistics
Use these sources to explore statistical data from earlier periods of U.S. history. These resources include historical figures on population, labor, economy, politics, and daily life.
If you are looking for current statistics, please see the Library's Government Information - Statistics libguide.
-
Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new windowSearch for and download historical statistics on the U.S. (EMU login required.)
-
Datapedia of the United States: American History in Numbers (ebook)Supplements Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970.
Also available in print - Reference Collection - 2nd Floor West - REF HA202 .K87 2004 -
Historical Statistics of Black America (print book)Reference Collection - 1st Level - REF E185 .H543 1995
-
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (ebook)Statistical history of U.S. social, economic, and political development.
Also available in print - Reference Collection - 2nd Floor West - REF HA2020. B7 1976 -
Money and Exchange in Europe and American, 1600-1775Extensive tables for converting historical currencies and comparing exchange rates between London, European cities, and the British colonies.
Request from ARC Storage -
Nations within a Nation: Historical Statistics of American Indians (print book)Historical statistics on native American tribes from a wide variety of government documents (mostly federal) and scholarly reports.
Request from ARC storage. -
Statistical Abstracts of the United States (website)Authoritative summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
-
Statistical Atlases of the United States (website)Maps and charts showing U.S. demographic, economic, and political data based on the U.S. census (1870-1920).
-
The Value of a Dollar: Colonial Era to Civil War 1600-1865 (print book)Reference Collection - 2nd Floor West - REF HB235.U6 V349x 2005
Records the actual prices of thousands of items that consumers purchased, from the Colonial Era to the Civil War. -
The Value of a Dollar: Prices, Wages, and Inflation: A Historic Look at American Life, 1860-2024 (ebook)The Value of a Dollar documents thousands of consumer prices, wages across occupations, typical grocery costs, investment prices, and related economic benchmarks over multiple decades.