City of Toledo Receives Grant to Preserve Historic 1880s Plat Maps

The City of Toledo has received a $2,480 grant from the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board to preserve and make publicly accessible historic plat maps from the 1880s. The project will run through Dec. 31, 2025.

Supported in part by funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission of the National Archives and Records Administration, the project will safeguard approximately 10 cubic feet, or about 660 pages, of original hand-drawn linen plats.

Discovered in the attic of the Toledo Police Department Safety Building, the maps were identified as historically significant by Clerk of Council Julie Gibbons, who has previously led efforts to preserve and display other key documents, including the City’s original charter.

These maps capture a period of rapid growth, industrialization, and immigration in Toledo and provide a detailed view of the city’s early planning and development.

In partnership with the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, the maps will be carefully disbound, scanned, and made available to the public through a digital archive. This will allow researchers, historians, and community members to explore Toledo’s early urban landscape.

“This grant allows us to preserve an important part of Toledo’s history while making it available for future generations to study and enjoy. These maps provide a window into the ambitions, challenges, and growth of our city during a pivotal era,” Laura Shaffer, Toledo’s grants coordinator, said.

More information about the project and access to the digital archive will be announced once available.

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