NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY

Corporate Records, 1861-1970

The Minnesota Historical Society holds the historical corporate records of the St. Paul-based Northern Pacific Railway, its predecessors, and its subsidiaries and affiliates. The collection documents its operations across the northern tier of western states for more than one hundred years, until its 1970 merger with the Great Northern, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle that formed the Burlington Northern. The voluminous collection measures approximately 10,600 cubic feet in size.

Records include minutes, reports, correspondence and subject files, financial and accounting records, photographs, engineering drawings, land records, engineering and valuation records, advertising literature, timetables, publications, and many other materials documenting the principal staff and operating departments. Those include the offices of the president, secretary, treasurer, and comptroller; the law and land departments; mechanical and chief engineers; public relations and personnel officers; and general managers and other roadway operating officials.

Of special importance are the President's Office subject files, comprising 1,100 feet of executive correspondence, reports, statistical data, maps, drawings, and printed matter compiled to keep top officials informed on important current and past activities. They provide the best summary available of the company's experience over time.

In addition to the "main line" materials are records of nearly 200 branch lines, subsidiaries, and related companies. They include rail and highway transport, oil and mineral, land and townsite, power, irrigation, steamship, lumbering, and stockholding firms dispersed geographically from the Great Lakes to Puget Sound.

The text below gives very general descriptions of the scope and content of the records from each principal NP department. More detailed finding aids describing the many individual series of records that comprise each department are available in the repository. These detailed finding aids are not yet available in electronic form. Please consult the MHS Reference Department (reference@mnhs.org) for more information about the collection.

Advertising and Publicity Dept. Records, 1875-1970. (44 cu. ft.)

In several series, organized by record type.

Correspondence and subject files (1875-1970), photograph files ([188-]-1967), timetables (1884-1969), and miscellaneous advertisements and advertising samples documenting the NP administrative unit responsible for managing corporate advertising and public relations work.

Subject files of the department managers constitute the largest body of materials and contain a wealth of historical information about the company, its rolling stock, its land grants, its advertising and promotional efforts, and many of its leaders. There is also much material on Yellowstone National Park and other aspects of western tourism, on cities and other noteworthy places along the NP lines, on the Missouri River Railway and the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, on departmental administrative matters, and on current advertising and public relations activities. The files contain many examples of newspaper and magazine advertisements and other advertising materials produced by the company.

Photographs include views of Yellowstone and other western tourist destinations, cities along the line, and company rolling stock, especially Pullman cars. Timetables include extensive runs of passenger and employee schedules.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Advertising and Publicity Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Subject files (administrative and historical), 1875-1970. (14 boxes)

Includes files on NP places, people, and topics of historical interest.

Advertising samples, 1924-1927. (2 boxes)

Publicity photographs, 1880s-1967. (9 boxes)

Largely shots of places along the NP lines, including many views of Yellowstone National Park.

NP publications, 1940-1970. (1 box)

Periodicals and other print material published for employees or shareholders.

Timetables (public and employee), 1884-1969. (17 boxes)

Chief of Labor Relations. Records, 1908-1969 (82 cu. ft.)

In several series, organized by activity.

General files, negotiation and agreement files, and mediation and arbitration files created by the NP administrative unit responsible for managing the company's employee relations.

General files (1908-1969) contain information on personnel policies and procedures, relations with various unions, wage agreements and salary structures, employment of women and foreign workers, and the labor policies of other railroads. There are also files (1956-1967) relating to the department's work in planning for the company's 1970 merger.

Files on negotiations and agreements document negotiations with the company's principal bargaining units and the agreements and wage schedules that resulted. Mediation and arbitration files (1914-1961) include materials on a number of federal labor board proceedings in which NP was involved.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Chief of Labor Relations.

Chief of Special Agents. Records, 1909-1957 (18 cu. ft.)

In three series: special agents record books (1909-1957); secret service record books (1909-1955); and files regarding Mexican nationals (1943-1956).

Registers of investigations and files on Mexican laborers kept by the NP administrative unit primarily responsible for investigating accidental and criminal damage to railroad property and to persons on railroad property.

Two series of registers summarize crimes and accidents investigated by the railroad detectives, and the disposition of each case. A small group of subject files (1943-1946) document the department's involvement with Mexican nationals employed as track laborers, primarily in escorting them back to Mexico following their term of service.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Miscellaneous Departments: Chief of Special Agents.

Comptroller. Records, 1867-1970 (375 cu. ft.)

In many separate series, organized by function and record type.

Correspondence and subject files (1870-1951), annual reports to regulatory agencies (1883-1967), corporate accounting records (1867-1970), and other miscellaneous records created or compiled by the NP administrative unit responsible for the accounting, auditing, and statistical analysis functions of the railway company.

Extensive subject files document the finances and operations of branch lines and other subsidiaries, the Northern Pacific Railroad's receivership and reorganization (1893-1897), and the valuation of all corporate physical property ordered in 1917, as well as many other subjects relating to the management of the corporation. Full runs of basic accounting records document in detail the company's financial history. Annual reports to the ICC and state regulatory agencies contain much statistical and financial data on company assets and operations. A variety of miscellaneous files include land records, equipment records, payroll records, and contract and lease records.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Comptroller.

Principal Series of Records:

Receivership subject files, 1870-1908. (10 boxes)

Reorganization (1896) files: General lien and prior lien bonds, 1870-1970. (8 boxes)

Annual reports to ICC and state regulatory agencies, 1876-1967. (657 volumes)

Valuable overall summaries of corporate operations, finances, property, and equipment.

General journals, ledgers, and other accounting records, 1867-1970. (220 volumes)

Engineering Dept. Records, 1867-1970 (706 cu. ft.)

In several series, arranged by activity and record type.

Subject files (1867-1970); accounting records (1879-1921); standard plans for buildings, bridges, and other structures ([188-]-[196-]); track profile maps (1890-1927); and bridge records (1892-1960) created or compiled by the NP administrative unit responsible for locating, surveying, constructing, and maintaining roadways and structures.

Most of the records consist of several series of subject files produced by the chief, assistant chief, division, and district engineers. They include voluminous information on line survey, construction, and maintenance; on the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings, bridges, yard facilities, and other structures; and on the acquisition and maintenance of equipment and supplies. Standard plans include architectural and engineering drawings for the common types of structures and equipment built by the NP. Accounting records document the detailed costs of building and maintaining line and structures. Track profiles show grade changes throughout every section of rail line in the system.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Engineering Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Chief Engineer’s subject files, 1867-1970. (380 boxes)

District/Division Engineers’ subject files, 1885-1966. (161 boxes)

Bridge Engineer’s records, 1879-1965. (51 boxes)

Various records series including subject files, record books, annual reports, and photographs.

Standard plans, 1880s-1960s. (5 boxes, 20 map folders, and 15 rolls)

Station plats and right-of-way and trackage maps, 1889-1970. (28 boxes)

Track profiles, 1890-1970. (5 boxes)

Cross-sectional views of lines, mile by mile, showing changes in grade and the topographical context.

General Manager. Records, 1875-[196-]. (266 cu. ft.)

In several series, arranged by activity and record type.

Correspondence and subject files, and other miscellaneous records, created or compiled by the NP administrative unit responsible for operating the physical properties of the NP rail system.

Several series of subject files and other correspondence are largely concerned with the day-to-day operation of the railway. They include information on labor relations with train and track crews and other operating employees, including wage matters; maintenance and purchase of rolling stock, especially locomotives; maintenance of railway and structures; making up trains; acquisitions and management of important supplies (water, coal, ties, and rail); the management of yard facilities, crossings, and other company right-of-way property; and the daily operation of trains.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: General Manager.

Principal Series of Records:

General Manager’s subject files, 1910s-1960s. (181 boxes)

Correspondence files, 1886-1919. (41 boxes)

Letters received, 1877-1884. (14 boxes)

Land Dept. Records, 1869-1973. (1,640 cu. ft.)

In many series, organized by activity and record type.

Related materials: Additional information on the NP's land grants and right-of-way in Minnesota is found among the records of the State Land Office in the Minnesota State Archives.

Many series of records created by the NP administrative unit responsible for the company's extensive land holdings, and documenting in great detail the acquisition, surveying and platting, ongoing management, resource usage, and disposition of the lands, mostly located in the western states.

When the NP was chartered in 1864, it received from Congress a grant of approximately 50 million acres of undeveloped land along its route through the northern tier of western states. The land department was organized in 1871 to manage this vast resource, which consisted of arable and semi-arid open lands, as well as extensive forested and mountainous tracts. In addition to forest products, the lands contained substantial mineral resources including coal, oil, gas, and iron and copper ores. Over the succeeding hundred years the department worked to dispose of lands to settlers and commercial developers, as a means to building up the rail system's traffic base, and to manage large unsold tracts in order to exploit the natural resources they contained. Much of this work was carried on through its natural resources subsidiary, the Northwestern Improvement Company. Throughout its history, the company engaged in an almost continual legal dialogue with the federal government regarding the nature and value of its enormous land grant.

Selection lists, contested selection legal dockets, survey field books, and land examination files reflect the acquisition and initial control of the NP land grant. Extensive contract files and related records document the purchase of company land parcels and the settlement of large areas of the northwestern states. Lease records evidence the exploitation of the land's timber, mineral, and grazing resources. Substantial correspondence and subject files document the topics noted above, as well as all other aspects of the ongoing management of the land holdings over a hundred year period. They include information on townsite development and settlement activity; on taxes, land ownership disputes, and other relations with federal, state, and local governmental units; on the value of the natural resources contained in the land grant; on fire prevention and other conservation efforts; on the development of irrigation policies and systems; and on the continual development of the land as an economic resource. Accounting records document the financial transactions relating to land sale and management.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Land Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Land Commissioner’s letterpress books, 1882-1908. (160 volumes)

Western Land Agent’s special subject files, 1886-1970. (68 boxes)

Land Grant selection lists, 1872-1950. (106 boxes)

Land patents, to NP from U.S. government, 1869-1970. (43 boxes)

Land Grant contest cards, undated. (37 microfilm reels; filed in Hubbs Room as M578)

Cards summarizing status of all contested land parcels.

Land Grant relinquishments, 1899-1931. (54 volumes)

Land sales books, 1869-1973. (75 boxes)

Land and timber examination records, 1871-1957. (35 boxes, 28 volumes)

Law Dept. Records, 1864-1973. (1,016 cu. ft.)

In many series, organized by activity and record type.

Docket and case files (1882-1973), correspondence and subject files (1864-1969), letterpress books (1873-1949), printed court case reports (1879-1935), and a variety of miscellaneous records documenting the legal affairs of the NP and the activities of its law department.

Docket and case files document in great detail the many court cases in which NP found itself plaintiff, defendant, or appellant. The majority of the substantive cases are concerned with freight rates, antitrust matters, applications for service changes and line abandonments, loss and damage claims, valuation of corporate properties, and labor disputes. Correspondence and subject files document legal aspects of the NP land grant (1864-1969) and consolidation matters (1921-1967), as well as the topics noted above and the general administration of the department. Many of the case file and correspondence series document the activities of the western law department, based in Seattle. The court case reports consist of the published court documents from NP litigations before the ICC and all levels of state and federal courts.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Law Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Letterpress books, 1873-1949. (778 volumes)

Outgoing letters of St. Paul office attorneys.

Consolidation files, 1921-1969. (31 boxes)

Files planning the merger that created Burlington Northern Inc. in 1970.

Land grant litigation and case files, 1864-1969. (30 boxes)

Files documenting litigations contesting aspects of NP’s federal land grant.

Printed reports, 1879-1948. (275 volumes)

Printed court documents from litigations to which NP was a party. Organized by court jurisdiction.

St. Paul Office docket files, 1889-1970. (240 boxes)

Seattle docket and case files, 1882-1970. (406 boxes)

Mechanical Dept. Records, [188-]-1969. (265 cu. ft.)

In many series, organized by activity and record type.

Mechanical drawings, subject files, and miscellaneous records relating to the NP fleet of cars, locomotives, and work equipment.

Drawings of steam and diesel locomotives and other rolling stock (ca. 20,000 items), including drawings of parts and components in addition to erecting drawings, depict all classes of equipment operated by the railroad from the 1880s on. The drawings are supplemented by small-format diagrams, with specification sheets. Photographs of steam locomotives (1916-1917) and freight cars (1923-1966) depict many pieces of equipment. Subject files (1891-1969) pertaining to most classes of rolling stock provide more information on the design, construction, purchase, repair, and maintenance of the NP rolling stock. Other subject files document the electrification (1906-1923) of certain western line segments, labor relations (1903-1929) within the mechanical department, and proceedings (1893-1918) of the Master Car Builders Association.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Mechanical Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Subject files (various series), 1891-1970. (40 boxes)

Equipment drawings, 1900-1960s. (ca. 20,000 drawings)

Structural drawings, 1880s-1970. (11 boxes)

Diagrams of locomotives, rolling stock, and work equipment, 1880s-1960s. (ca. 2 boxes)

Personnel Dept. Records, [1909]-[196-]. (1,527 cu. ft.; 3 microfilm reels)

A fairly complete run of personnel files (nos. 1-210,100) for NP employees in all departments, as well as a microfilm index. Some files are missing, especially for earlier years. There is also a microfilm reference file containing biographical data on a number of employees, mostly executive and managerial.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Personnel Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Personnel files, 1909-1960s. (1,184 boxes)

Index to personnel files. (3 microfilm reels; filed as M380)

President. Records, 1872-1970. (1,222 cu. ft.)

In many series, organized by activity and record type.

Related materials: Photographs of NP presidents are located in the Minnesota Historical Society sound and visual collections.

Correspondence and subject files, letterpress books, and miscellaneous records created by the NP president's office.

The files provide substantial documentation of all phases of the company's organization, financing, and operations throughout its existence and that of its predecessors. They provide a fairly complete record of the activities of the entire succession of NP presidents and their chief assistants. Of particular significance are the presidents' subject files ([189-]-1970), 916 cu. ft.), which comprise a topically organized distillation of all matters in which the executive officers were interested. The files contain a great deal of statistical and financial data and reports submitted for executive office information and decisions.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: President’s Office.

Principal Series of Records:

President’s Office subject files, 1890s-1970.

903 boxes, organized by topic, place name, corporate name, or individual’s name. Includes microfilmed index, which is filed as M295.

Chronological correspondence files, 1872-1970.

20 separate series: 123 boxes unbound correspondence, 500 volumes bound correspondence. Some pertain to individual officers, others to the office as a whole.

Property Tax Dept. Records, 1903-1949. (7 cu. ft.)

In one series: Annual reports to state tax commissions (1903-1949).

Annual reports, containing financial and operating information, submitted to the state tax commission in each state in which the NP operated.

Series summary sheet and container list are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Miscellaneous Departments: Property Tax Dept.

Secretary. Records, 1840-1970 (bulk 1869-1890). (702 cu. ft.)

In many series, organized by activity and record type.

Correspondence and subject files (1864-1968), minute books and related records (1864-1970), annual reports to stockholders (1870-1968), stock and bond records (1865-1968), and miscellaneous records created or compiled by the office of the NP corporate secretary.

Several correspondence files and several sets of minutes document in great detail the financing, construction, and operation of the railway, as well as the management of its granted lands, throughout the corporation's history. Supplementing the minutes are directors' meeting pads (1889-1970) containing all the reports, statements, legal documents, and other data presented before the monthly directors' meetings.

Since the secretary acted as principal record keeper for the company, there are also many records documenting important activities of other departments. Land department records (1871-1941) include a variety of reports, statistics, and legal documents. Records of legal actions include court documents and background materials (1893-1900) from the major case relating to the 1896 corporate reorganization. A large body of printed materials (1840-1968) maintained by the secretary includes works on the exploration and resources of the western U.S., as well as files of historic pamphlets and published corporate legal documents produced by the NP.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Secretary.

Principal Series of Records:

Asst. Secretary’s registered correspondence, 1872-1968. (152 boxes)

Correspondence of all corporate officers, though handled through Secretary’s office. They relate to all aspects of the company’s management. Numbered subject files.

Unregistered letters received by President, Vice-President and other officers, 1864-1922. (32 boxes)

Letterpress books, 1868-1921. (460 volumes)

Outgoing letters corresponding to the Unregistered Letters Received.

Corporate minutes, 1864-1970. (115 volumes)

Meeting pads, 1889-1946. (18 boxes)

A compilation of all the attachments and inclusions to the corporate minutes.

Annual reports, 1876-1968. (2 boxes)

Secretary’s printeds, 1860s-1950s. (30 boxes)

Monographs, pamphlets, periodicals, and other printed materials created or collected by the NP, and containing much information on the company, on other railroads, and on the development of the western states.

Statistical Dept. Records, 1950-1966. (4 cu. ft.)

In two series: Consolidation of GN, NP, CB&Q, and SP&S files (1950-1963); and Transcontinental Divisions Case (ICC Docket 31503) files (1953-1966).

Miscellaneous statistical reports and working papers prepared during work on the proposed merger (1950-1963) and during the ICC transcontinental divisions case (1953-1966).

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Miscellaneous Departments: Statistical Dept.

Treasurer. Records, 1869-1948 (bulk 1869-1890). (29.25 cu. ft.)

In several series, organized by activity and record type.

Letterpress books (1869-1897), correspondence and subject files, cash statements (1885-1909), newspaper clippings scrapbooks (1871-1896), and miscellaneous materials created or collected by the NP administrative office responsible for managing monies related to corporate financing and attendant activities.

Among the several series of correspondence are communications with the general manager (1879-1888) and general disbursement agent (1870-1892), correspondence about branch line finances (1893-1905), correspondence with investment bankers Jay Cooke and Company (1869-1875) concerning early corporate financing, and files on the employment of Mexican and Japanese laborers (1941-1948). A few miscellaneous accounting and payroll records exist, as well.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Treasurer.

Principal Series of Records:

Stock and bond records, 1865-1939. (150 volumes)

Valuation Engineer. Records, 1882-[198-]. (136 cu. ft.)

In several series, organized by record type.

Architectural drawings (1882-1919), station plat maps (1917), track profile drawings (1917), mechanical valuation records, annual reports to the ICC Bureau of Valuation (1939-1947) and the Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse Commission (1954-1962), and miscellaneous valuation reports and worksheets produced or maintained by the NP administrative unit responsible for tracking and reporting on the monetary value (cost of reproduction) of the NP's physical properties and those of its subsidiaries.

The valuation reports, worksheets, and accounting records give very detailed information on the monetary value of every component of NP operating property--structural and mechanical. The maps and blueprint architectural drawings depict line, right-of-way, and structures as they existed around 1920. Track profiles show the grade of, and related engineering information about, every mile of track within the system. Locomotive and rolling stock property cards itemize the purchase, maintenance, and repair charges accruing to each piece of NP equipment.

Series summary sheets and container lists are available in the repository. They are filed in the NP inventory notebooks under the heading: Valuation Engineer.

Principal Series of Records:

Valuation reports, 1917-1954. (17 volumes)

Mechanical valuation inventory sheets, 1917-1920. (46 volumes)

Steam locomotive and tender records, 1897-1944. (5 microfilm reels)

Record of all costs for each piece of equipment including original purchase and subsequent repairs and modifications.

Rolling stock property cards, 1920s-1970. (16 boxes)

Same data as noted above for steam locomotives.

Station plat maps, 1917. (15 boxes)

Track profiles, 1917. (18 boxes)

Drawings of railway structures, 1882-1919. (36 map drawers)

Branch Lines, Predecessors, and Related Companies. (3,050 cu. ft.)

In approximately 195 series, arranged alphabetically by company name.

The Northern Pacific railway system included not only those the parent corporation, but also nearly two hundred branch lines and subsidiary companies that it either wholly or partly owned. Many were owned and operated jointly by NP and the Great Northern Railway.

While the great majority of these companies are branch railroads, a large number represent a surprising variety of industries. There are such non-railroad transportation firms as steamship, motor truck, bus, and aviation, which reflects the NP’s interest in diversifying its transportation base. There are firms in extractive industries, such as logging and lumbering, coal and iron mining, and oil and gas, reflecting both the railway’s need for those commodities and the resources present within its granted lands. There are tourism and guest service companies, especially those connected with Yellowstone national park. There are also financial and stockholding companies. There are many real estate development companies, the most significant of which is the NP’s Northwestern Improvement Company, which developed, managed , and sold much of its parent’s western land holdings.

The records of many of these subsidiaries consist of only a few boxes, while some measure more than one hundred cubic feet. There are separate finding aids for each of the companies. They are filed alphabetically, by company name, in the NP inventory notebooks.

Notable Companies:

Duluth Union Depot and Transfer Company. Records, 1889-1970. (25 cu. ft.)

Lake Superior and Puget Sound Company. Records, 1865-1895. (44 cu. ft.)

Minnesota and International Railway Company. Records, 1900-1942. (108 cu. ft.)

Northwestern Improvement Company. Records, 1896-1970. (180 cu. ft.)

St. Paul and Duluth Railroad Company. Records, 1870-1961. (85 cu. ft.)

St. Paul and Northern Pacific Railway Company. Records, 1874-1924. (40 cu. ft.)