On January 1 , 1886 , Victor Sanborn began office work in Omaha , Nebraska , for the Burlington & Missouri Railroad under the auditor of freight and passenger account . After a few months he was promoted to the passenger department , and for two years served as secretary to P.S. Eustis , general passenger agent . In 1888 , Eustis was transferred to Chicago to take charge of the passenger department of the Chicago , Burlington & Quincy Railroad , and Sanborn went with him as his secretary . Two years later , Victor Sanborn was promoted to assistant clerk , and two years after that to chief clerk . He resigned January 1 , 1898 , and engaged in the real estate business in Chicago , entering the office of Clarance A. Burley . As an attorney involved in real estate , Clarence Burley 's goal was to help re-build Chicago following the Great Fire , having watched his family-home burn . Burley and Sanborn were eventually partners in this real estate venture . Although Sanborn remained engaged in the business of real estate for the remainder of his life as an agent with The Kenilworth Company , he received from his father an interest in genealogy
Great Fire
Great Chicago Fire
Victor Channing Sanborn