~ Maps of Detroit ~
Locating Your Ancestor's Home

Back in the "old days", when our ancestors arrived in Detroit, the city looked much different than it does today. If you were to look for an address given on a US census form, you might have a hard time finding the home on a current map of Detroit. Not only are there highways now where houses once stood, but industry too has claimed its share of the old Polish neighborhoods. Also, many, many houses in these neighborhoods have been torn down over the years and are now nothing more than an empty lot.

The links below are for maps, historical (c.1920), as well as current. You can use them to find the streets your ancestors lived on and then the Catholic Churches near them. Once you know the parish they belonged to you can consider it as a resource for information about the family.

If you are looking for information about a specific Detroit address (i.e. wondering if a house is still standing), you can look up the current address on the City of Detroit website.

*** Houses were re-numbered in 1921, so an address you find on a 1920 (or earlier) census form will not give you the correct current address for that building. The only place I'm aware of that can convert a pre-1921 address to a post-1921 address is the City of Detroit Directory published in 1920-1921 which is available at the Detroit Public Library, Burton Collection.

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