GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY

Corporate Records, 1854-1970

The Minnesota Historical Society holds the historical corporate records of the St. Paul-based Great Northern 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 Northern Pacific, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle that formed the Burlington Northern. The voluminous collection measures approximately 4,900 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 managers responsible for rail operations.

Of special importance are the President's Office subject files, comprising 1,000 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 more than 300 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 GN 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, 1884-1973. (147 cu. ft.)

In several series, organized by record type.

Records created or compiled by the GN administrative unit responsible for managing corporate advertising and public relations work.

Correspondence and subject files (1924-1973) contain much information on advertising in all media, on promotional events, on public relations events and programs, on the history of towns and other places along the GN line, and on photographic documentation efforts, especially relating to Glacier National Park. Microfilm copies of magazine and newspaper advertisements (1884-1970) are concerned with passenger and freight service, as well as with promoting western tourism. A fairly complete run of advertising samples and literature (1912-1970) document both the company and the advertising industry. Several series of photographs (1910-1969) compiled by corporate photographers depict western scenery, especially Glacier National Park, GN trains and rolling stock, and other corporate properties.

Other records include employee and public timetables and freight schedules (1900-1969), runs of several corporate periodicals (1924-1970), press kits (1947-1956) from numerous media events, and miscellaneous departmental administrative files.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Advertising and Publicity Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Advertising Agent subject files, 1924-1967. (51 boxes)

Correspondence files documenting advertising strategies, products, and development.

Advertising samples, 1912-1970. (23 boxes)

Samples of all the advertising materials produced by the company for distribution to the public.

Newspaper and magazine advertisements, 1884-1970. (7 reels microfilm)

Publicity photographs, 1910s-1940s. (165 volumes and 15 boxes)

Most are western views, particularly of Glacier National Park. All are b/w prints produced to stimulate tourism.

GN publications, 1924-1970. (3 boxes)

Internal and external serial publications: GN Goat, Semaphore, Talking it Over, Trains and Travel.

Timetables (public and employee), 1900-1969. (2 boxes)

Agricultural Development Dept. Records, 1913-1968. (43 cu. ft.)

In two series: Subject files (1913-1956, 42 cu. ft.) and Crop reports and summaries (1932-1968, 1 cu. ft.).

Subject files, and crop reports and summaries, created by the GN administrative department responsible for improving agricultural practices and developing agricultural production throughout the northwestern states.

The records contain much information on irrigation and the development of water resources, improvement of crop and livestock breeds, the eradication of crop and livestock pests, tilling and fertilization practices, development of agricultural credit mechanisms, land settlement progress, and innovations in farming processes and machinery. Crop reports, especially, contain much statistical data on agricultural production throughout the region.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Agricultural Development Dept.

Comptroller. Records, 1879-1973. (485 cu. ft.)

In many series, grouped by record type and administrative function.

Correspondence and subject files, annual reports to regulatory agencies, accounting records, operating statistical data, construction records, and miscellaneous records created or compiled by the GN administrative department responsible for the accounting, auditing, and statistical analysis functions of the railway company, and which also served as the corporation's principal record keeper.

Correspondence and subject files (1879-1963) document the activities of several corporate comptrollers and include substantive information on the management of the company. Full runs of basic accounting records document in detail the corporation's financial history. Annual reports to the ICC and state regulatory agencies (1890-1969) contain much statistical and financial data on company assets and operations. There are also extensive files on proposals during the 1920s to consolidate with other northern transcontinental carriers.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Comptroller.

Principal Series of Records:

V.P. Turnburke subject files, 1907-1942. (55 boxes)

Much statistical and analytical information on GN operations and accounts. Turnburke was general auditor.

Consolidation files, 1920-1927. (11 boxes)

Annual reports to ICC and state regulatory agencies, 1890-1969. (724 volumes)

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

General journals, ledgers, and other accounting records, 1890-1970. (172 volumes and 110 reels microfilm)

Line construction records, 1889-1970. (32 reels microfilm and 11 volumes)

Engineering Dept. Records, 1882-1970. (105 cu. ft.)

In several series, organized by record type.

Correspondence and subject files, maps, architectural drawings, and construction project registers and indexes documenting the activities of the GN administrative department responsible for locating, surveying, constructing, and maintaining roadways and structures.

Subject files (1890-1970) of the chief engineers contain much information on the construction, maintenance, and improvement of railway lines throughout the GN system, as well as the various architectural structures serving the rail lines including stations and ancillary buildings, water towers, bridges, and docks. Architectural drawings (1882-1964) consist largely of standard plans for many common railroad structures. There are also some depot photographs. Maps depict railway right of way and station layouts, and a series of AFE registers and indexes contain extensive data on maintenance of, and improvements to, rail lines and structures.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Engineering Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Chief Engineer’s subject files, 1890-1970. (59 boxes)

AFE registers and indexes, 1888-1970. (16 boxes)

Summary of the “authorities for expenditure” (work authorizations) that controlled all structural improvements.

Station plats and right-of-way and trackage maps, 1857-1968. (19 boxes)

Structural drawings and standard plans, 1897-1970. (3 boxes)

Minneapolis station and union depot drawings, 1883-1884, 1912-1914. (118 items)

Bridge records, 1895-1913, 1961.

Geology Dept. Records, 1888-1930. (10 cu. ft.)

Subject files of GN geologists, consisting largely of information on the location, acquisition, and management of coal (Montana) and iron ore (Minnesota) resources by the company.

The two sets of subject files include reports of mineral deposits; correspondence regarding the purchase and sale of mineral lands throughout the northwestern states; and information on the operations of the South Butte Mining Company, on Minnesota iron ranges, and on the U.S. Geological Survey.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: President's Office. Geology Dept. Files.

Industrial Development Dept. Records, [195-]-[196-]. (4 cu. ft.)

In two series: Research reports and promotional brochures (1955-1967), and Photographs of industrial properties ([195-]-[196-]).

Research reports, promotional brochures, and site photographs produced by the GN administrative department responsible for attracting and managing industrial development within and along its right-of-way throughout the northwestern states.

The research reports, arranged by state and city, give capsule summaries of resources and business conditions in 69 different locales. They, along with the promotional brochures, were presented to interested investors and businesses. The photographs depict industrial and commercial sites along the Great Northern.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Industrial Development Dept.

Land Dept. Records, 1867-1970 (bulk 1880-1940). (20 cu. ft.)

Various series of records documenting the disposition and management of land tracts in Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington that were owned by GN.

Sales and accounting records (1893-1969) and contract and deed registers (1867-1954) record the sale of land parcels, including townsite lots, to settlers, speculators, and developers, often on a contract basis. Annual reports (1872-1919) document the ongoing management of land holdings, as well as dispositions. Miscellaneous advertising materials (1890-1910) show techniques used to lure settlers and to sell land parcels. Many of the records were originally created by the GN's predecessor, the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway, and record the disposition of its granted lands in Minnesota (swamp land grants) and North Dakota.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Land Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Land contract and deed books, 1879-1948. (263 volumes)

Records of purchase contracts, payments on contract, and deed issuances for lands owned by GN.

Law Dept. Records, 1877-1970. (79 cu. ft.)

In several series, by activity.

Printed court case reports (1877-1963), legal case files (1923-1971), and merger files (1957-1968) documenting the legal affairs of the Great Northern and the activities of its law department.

The printed court case reports include published court documents from significant state and federal cases in which GN was plaintiff, defendant, or appellant. The most voluminous documentation comes from a federal case (1909-1911) that sought to value GN properties and arrive at a "fair rate of return" in setting rates.

Case files come from the Seattle office and document the body of case work originating in the west end, including the substantive California Extension case (1923-1933), by which GN petitioned the ICC to permit a link with the Western Pacific Railroad in northern California. Extensive files document the Seattle office's role in planning and defending the proposed merger that eventually (1970) resulted in Burlington Northern Inc.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Law Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Seattle case files, 1946-1971. (36 boxes)

Files documenting legal cases managed by the West end law office.

Seattle merger files, 1957-1968. (6 boxes)

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

Printed reports, 1877-1963. (188 volumes)

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

Mechanical Dept. Records, 1879-1960s. (125 cu. ft.)

In many series, by activity and record type.

Mechanical drawings and other records relating to the Great Northern fleet of cars, locomotives, and other mechanical equipment.

Drawings of steam locomotives and other rolling stock (ca. 26,000 drawings, 1900-1960s), including drawings of parts and components in addition to erecting drawings, depict all classes of equipment operated by the railroad. Diagram books contain small-format drawings and specification sheets for most of the same equipment. Car and locomotive record books (1879-1956) provide statistical data on individual pieces of rolling stock, including maintenance and repair records.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Law Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Steam locomotive records, 1900s-1950s. (6,100 drawings and 2 boxes)

Drawings, drawing indexes, diagrams, and record books.

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

Car record books, 1879-1917. (20 boxes)

Diagrams of locomotives, rolling stock, and work equipment, 1900-1960s. (2 boxes)

Operating Dept. (general manager). Records, 1874-1969. (90 cu. ft.)

In several series, organized by administrative unit and record type.

Correspondence and subject files, and a few miscellaneous records, created or compiled by the GN administrative department responsible for operating the physical properties of the Great Northern railway system.

The several series of subject files from the office of the vice president-operating document most phases of 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, including information files on various types of equipment; maintenance of railway and structures; making up trains; acquisition and management of important supplies (water, coal, ties, and rail); electrification of certain western line sections; management of shops, lunchrooms, and other employee facilities; and the employment of railroad detectives. There are also files on the operation of certain subsidiaries: Glacier Park Hotel Company, Somers Lumber Company, and the Cottonwood Coal Company.

Other files document operations during the period of federal control (1917-1921), and the coordination (under federal direction, 1930s) of various facilities between GN and other roads. A small series of printed circulars (1879-1957) contain information on appointments and retirements, station and line closings, service changes, and related events.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Operating Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

General Manager’s subject files, 1887-1957. (77 boxes)

Federal coordination subject files, 1874-1940. (7 boxes)

Federal involvement in coordination with other roads of trackage, terminals, and other facilities.

Personnel Dept. Records, 1890s. (17 cu. ft.)

Note: Personnel records postdating the 1890s no longer exist.

Selected personnel files (many are missing) created by GN during the first decade of its corporate existence, which document the hiring and service of many of its earliest employees.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Personnel Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Personnel files #1-1532 and 1680-1927, 1890s. (17 boxes)

Files on GN personnel who were employed during the first decade of its existence.

Index to GN personnel files, [ca. 1890]-[ca. 1970]. (4 reels microfilm; filed in Hubbs Room as M379)

Index to GN employees. Only a tiny fraction of the actual personnel files exist (see above).

President. Records, 1872-1970. (1,275 cu. ft.)

In many series, organized variously by era and by record type.

Correspondence and subject files, letterpress books, miscellaneous operating statistics (1946-1968), notes and manuscripts on GN history, and other materials created by the GN president's office.

The files, dominated by correspondence, provide substantive documentation of all phases of the company's organization, financing, and operations throughout its existence. They provide a complete record of the activities of the entire succession of GN presidents beginning with corporate founder James J. Hill. Of particular significance are the presidents' subject files (1891-1970, 1,000 cu. ft., indexed), which comprise a topically organized distillation of all matters in which the executive officers were interested.

Among the records are the research notes and manuscripts created (1950s-1960s) by Ralph and Muriel Hidy in preparing their history of the Great Northern Railway.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: President.

Principal Series of Records:

President’s Office subject files, 1891-1970.

See description of the NP President’s Office Subject Files, below. There is a microfilm index filed in the Hubbs Room as M247.

Presidents’ letterbooks, 1890-1970. (1,007 volumes)

Outgoing letters (copies) of GN presidents and their staff pertaining to all aspects of GN affairs.

James J. Hill correspondence files, 1872-1916.(19 boxes, 9 volumes)

Personal business correspondence of the founder and builder of the Great Northern system.

Chairman’s files, 1911-1914. (6 boxes, 9 volumes)

Subject files and related records kept by Louis W. Hill during his tenure as chairman.

William P. Clough letterpress books, 1888-1901. (12 volumes)

General operational affairs during the period when the system was expanding rapidly.

Hidy history research materials, 1950s-1970s. (15 boxes)

Notes, chapter drafts, interviews, and other material compiled by historians Ralph and Muriel Hidy in the course of writing an academic history of the GN that was eventually published in a greatly revised form in 1988.

Right-of-way, Land and Tax Dept. Records, 1857-1969 (bulk 1880-1920). (50 cu. ft.)

In several series, arranged by record type.

Correspondence and subject files (1857-1969), property tax records, records of easements and permits granted, and land and timber examination files created by the GN administrative department responsible for managing the company's right of way property.

The records document GN's relationship with other companies and individuals who operated businesses on GN property, and improvements made to its right-of-way. They also give much information on the valuation of the properties and on their taxation by the various state and local units of government through which the railway passed. The files also include land and timber examinations (1878-1911) incorporating granted lands as well as right-of-way.

Principal Series of Records:

General correspondence, 1908-1942 (14 boxes)

J. T. Mitchell files, 1903-1947. (16 boxes)

Secretary. Records, 1873-1970. (57 cu. ft.)

In many series, arranged by activity and record type.

Minute books (1889-1970) and related records, annual reports to stockholders (1890-1968), printed system maps (1891-1929), historical sketches and data, and corporate bylaws created or compiled by the office of the GN corporate secretary.

Minutes of stockholders, directors, and executive committee document financing, construction, and operations of the railway throughout its history. The minutes also document relations with investors. They are augmented by scrapbooks (1912-1969) containing copies of the many reports and other documents presented to the executive committee at its monthly or quarterly meetings.

The records also include a great deal of compiled historical information (1873-1964, 1987, 1989) on the organization of the corporation, its financing, and its many subsidiaries and branch lines.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Secretary.

Principal Series of Records:

Corporate historical sketches and data, 1873-1964. (4 boxes)

Information on the individual histories of all the subsidiary companies and operating units of the GN system.

Corporate minutes, 1889-1970. (52 volumes)

Sub-records of the Executive Committee, 1912-1969. (45 volumes)

A compilation of all the attachments and inclusions to the executive committee minutes, and copies of all documents discussed during the meetings. A valuable summary of the corporation’s history.

Annual reports, 1890-1968. (4 reels microfilm)

Traffic Dept. Records, 1898-1951. (60 cu. ft.)

In 5 series: Subject files (1912-1951, 37 cu. ft.), Glacier National Park subject files (1912-1939), United States Railroad Administration subject files (1915-1931), Great Northern Express Company subject files (1904-1930), and Monthly statements of commissions paid (1898-1899)

Several series of correspondence and subject files and a volume (1898-1899) of monthly commission statements documenting work of the GN administrative department responsible for developing and managing the railway's freight and passenger traffic.

The various subject files of the vice president-traffic (1912-1951) contain information on traffic advertising and promotion, relations with passengers and shippers, special trains and tours, the promotion of Glacier National Park and other tourist destinations, the operation of the department during the period (1918-1921) of federal control, and the operation (1904-1930) of the railway's express service subsidiary. The files also contain some statistical data on traffic volume.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Traffic Dept.

Treasurer. Records, 1888-1956. (32 cu. ft.)

In several series, arranged by record type.

Stock and bond records (1889-1957), railway operating reports (1888-1956), and cash books (1901-1921) created or compiled by the GN administrative department responsible for managing corporate financing monies and related activities.

Securities records include miscellaneous stock and bond journals, ledgers, and registers; transfer books; dividend records; and issuance records from the early years of the company. Superintendent's operating statements are a detailed monthly record of the cost of company rail operations, broken down by expense category and arranged by line segments.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Treasurer.

Principal Series of Records:

Stock and bond records, 1889-1907. (40 volumes)

Valuation Dept. Records, 1881-1960 (bulk 1915-1928). (76 cu. ft.)

In several series, organized by record type.

Reports to the Interstate Commerce Commission's Bureau of Valuation, ICC hearing records and related files, right-of-way and trackage maps, and track profiles produced or maintained by the GN administrative unit responsible for tracking and reporting on the monetary value (cost of reproduction) of the GN's physical properties and those of its subsidiaries.

The various reports, accounting records, and communications with the ICC give very detailed information on the monetary value of every component of GN operating property, most of which accounting was mandated by the ICC following its initial 1915 valuation order to U.S. railroads. Maps depict the line, right-of-way, and structures as they existed during the 1920s. Track profiles show the grade of, and related engineering information about, every mile of track within the system.

Series summary sheets and container lists available in repository; filed in GN notebooks under the heading: Valuation Dept.

Principal Series of Records:

Valuation reports, 1915-1917, 1922. (146 volumes)

Valuation hearing records, 1920-1925. (42 volumes)

Hearings before ICC in which GN protested federal valuation findings made in 1915.

Right-of-way and trackage maps, 1915-1928. (18 boxes)

Track profiles, 1881-1970. (15 boxes)

Branch Lines, Predecessors, and Related Companies. Records, 1854-1970. (2,462 cu. ft.)

In approximately 300 series, arranged alphabetically by company name.

The Great Northern railway system included not only the parent corporation, but also more than 300 branch lines and subsidiary companies that it either wholly or partly owned. Many were owned and operated jointly by the by NP and GN.

While the 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. There are firms in extractive industries, such as logging and lumbering, coal and iron mining, and oil and gas. There are tourism and guest service companies, especially those connected with Glacier national park. There are also financial and stockholding companies, as well as many real estate development companies.

The records of many of these subsidiaries consist of only a few folders, while some exceed one hundred cubic feet. There are separate finding aids for each of the 300 companies. They are filed alphabetically, by company name, in inventory notebooks adjacent to the notebooks for their parent company.

Notable Companies:

Cottonwood Coal Co. Records, 1878-1959. (75 cu. ft.)

Eastern Railway Company of Minnesota. Records, 1886-1959 (bulk 1889-1907). (70 cu. ft.)

Glacier Park Co. Records, 1908-1970. (108 cu. ft.)

Northern Securities Co. Records, 1901-1938. (30 cu. ft.)

St. Paul and Pacific Railway Co. Records, 1862-1962 (bulk 1862-1879). (20 cu. ft.)

St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway Co. Records, 1879-1961 (bulk 1879-1890). (75 cu. ft.)

Somers Lumber Co. Records, 1900-1964. (73 cu. ft.)