Research Guides: Urban Studies: Historical & Primary Sources

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 Portal
Datasets on parcels, permits, code violations, public safety, mobility, and more; check each dataset’s update cadence.
Data Driven Detroit
Curated 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

Michigan County Histories and Altases
An online collection of 428 Michigan county histories and atlases.
Sanborn Insurance Maps - Michigan

Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
Documents boundary changes in all 50 states through 2000.
Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States
Interactive maps documenting the natural environment, settlement and migration, geographical boundaries, military history, and more.
Sanborn Maps
A searchable collection of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.
Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America
In 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 Codes
Online access to the municipal codes of thousands of communities, including over 250 in Michigan.
Michigan Municipal Codes

Historical Newspapers

Ann Arbor District Library - Old News

Detroit Free Press (2008 - present)

Search and browse news, editorials, ads, and photos.
Access Tips: Most recent 3 months not available.
Detroit Free Press Historical (1831 - 1999)

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 Portal
Michigan newspaper titles available online from various institutions including the Library of Congress.

Michigan Chronicle (1939-2010)

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

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)
Cover to cover in pdf. Includes news, editorials, photos, graphics, ads.

Google Newspaper Archives
Search 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 Online
A guide to historical U.S. newspapers that are freely available on the Internet. Compiled and maintained by BGSU Librarian, Carol Singer.

United States Statistics

If you are looking for current statistics, please see the Library's Government Information - Statistics libguide.

Historical Statistics of the United States
Search for and download historical statistics on the U.S. (EMU login required.)

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).
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
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
Money and Exchange in Europe and American, 1600-1775
Request from ARC Storage
Nations within a Nation: Historical Statistics of American Indians (print book)
Request from ARC storage.
The Value of a Dollar: Colonial Era to Civil War 1600-1865 (print book)
Reference Collection - 2nd Floor West - REF HB235.U6 V349x 2005
The Value of a Dollar: Prices, Wages, and Inflation: A Historic Look at American Life, 1860-2024 (ebook)

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