The other day I noticed that Flickr user Manitoba Historical Maps had uploaded some fire insurance maps from 1957. They cover a large section of the city and are astounding in their detail. They show the construction of all buildings in an area along with descriptions of what they used to be.

The maps of Osborne village caught my eye so I downloaded some maps and stitched them together so you can see what things looked like 52 years ago.

Osborne south of River looks essentially unchanged except for the businesses (there used to be a barber and radio store) while the north area above River is completely changed. What is currently a sea of condos and apartments is a nice neighborhood of houses with a bible school and a far smaller Safeway store on the corner.

I find these maps to be fascinating since they show the history of the neighborhood and give amazing detail into the homes and businesses. I could look at these maps for hours.

Now I need to find some place that can print this large enough that I can hang it up in my living room.