00560 CHARLES RUMFORD WALKER: An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society Finding aid prepared by Miranda Nighbor. Minnesota Historical Society

St. Paul MN.

Manuscripts Collection

Finding aid encoded by Miranda Nighbor, August 2002.Finding aid written inEnglish August 2008Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION Minnesota Historical Society Walker, Charles Rumford, 1893-. Charles R. Walker papers. 1924-1937. Research and interview notes, chapter drafts, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and other printed materials compiled or created by Walker for his book American City: a Rank-and-File History (1937), which deals with the economic, political, and social conditions in Minneapolis culminating in the truck drivers' strike of July 1934. 1.0 cu. ft. (1 box). See Detailed Description for shelf location. BIOGRAPHY OF CHARLES RUMFORD WALKER

Walker was born in Concord, New Hampshire in 1893 and served in World War I. His career included stints as assistant and associate editor of the Atlantic Monthly (1922-1923), the Independent (1924-1925), and The Bookman (1928-1929) and as research director for a number of organizations. His own writings were concerned with various aspects of automation and industrial history. He also translated a number of Sophocles' dramas and authored novels and other books, including American City, the focus of this collection. Walker married Adelaide Haley George in 1928 and died in 1974.

Additional biographical data is found in the first folder of the collection.

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE PAPERS

Chapter drafts, notes, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles for chapters 2-6, 10, 11, and 14 of the volume give historical information on economic and political conditions in Minnesota and in Minneapolis; anti-union sentiment in Minneapolis; the rise of the Farmer-Labor Party; and James J. Hill, Charles A. Lindbergh, Sr., and Floyd B. Olson. The rest of the collection contains interview notes on strike figures Karl Skoglund, Farrell Dobbs, and Vincent Dunne; a chronology of the strike; printed materials, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles regarding the Socialist and Communist parties; and some materials on three 1936 Minneapolis strikes: Gasoline Station Employees' Union Local 19802, Strutwear, and Northern Oats.

Walker's papers include correspondence between Herbert Solow and the editors of the New Republic on the 1934 strike (1934 and 1936), and two notebooks on the strike kept by Walker.

ARRANGEMENT OF THE PAPERS

These documents are organized into the following sections:

American City Files Research Materials and Newspaper Clippings CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Communist parties -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Communists -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Labor disputes -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Labor movement -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Martial law -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Political parties -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Radicals -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Socialist parties -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Strikes and lockouts -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Third parties (United States politics). Depressions -- 1929 -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Labor unions -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis. Truck Drivers' Strike, Minneapolis, Minn., 1934. Persons: Bevan, Aneurin. Carlson, Grace, 1906-. Chafee, Constance. Cowley, Malcolm, 1898-. Dobbs, Farrell, 1907-. Dunne, Vincent R. (Vincent Raymond), 1889-1970. Howe, Quincy, 1900-1977. Lindbergh, Charles A. (Charles August), 1859-1924. Olson, Floyd Bjornstjerne, 1891-1936. Skoglund, Karl, 1884-. Solow, Herbert, 1903-1964. Organizations: Citizens Alliance of Minneapolis. Communist Party. Farmer-Labor Party (Minn.). General Drivers, Helpers, Petroleum and Inside Workers Union. Local 574 (Minneapolis, Minn.). Socialist Party (U.S.). Socialist Workers Party. Places: Minneapolis (Minn.) -- Economic conditions. Document Types: Manuscripts for publication. Occupations: Authors, American. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Charles Rumford Walker Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples

Accession Information:

Accession number: 14,882

Processing Information:

Processed by: Miranda Nighbor, August 2002

Catalog ID number: 09-00037366

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION American City Files 143.B.10.16F 1 Biographical information. Drafts, research notes, interviews, preliminary prospectus, and similar materials. Chapter notes: Golden Age of Empire (Chapter 2).

Includes article by Walker relating to James J. Hill.

Fate of Rank and File; Empire Builder (Chapter 3). Political Revolt and the War (Chapter 4). Farmer-Labor Party (Chapter 5): Notes and chapter drafts. Conventions: newspaper clippings and magazine articles, 1934 and 1936. Notes, printed materials, newspaper clippings, and articles, 1934-1936. Olson's orders to haycraft, 1934.

Includes booklet by Walter Liggett "Radical or Racketeer: The Truth About Floyd B. Olson."

1934: City of Tension (Chapter 6): Notes and drafts. 2 folders. "Minneapolis II-City of Tension," by Walker.

Published in Survey Graphic, November 1936.

Civil War in July (Chapter 10). Three Men and the Destiny of a City (Chapter 11). The Dynamo of Change (Chapter 14). Incomplete notes and articles. Notes on Karl Skoglund, Farrell Dobbs, The Militant and The Organizer. Minnesota: miscellaneous notes. 2 folders. Strike, Local 574: notes. Strike, Local 574: chronology with newspaper clippings. 2 folders. The Organizer notes. Employers' side. Research Materials and Newspaper Clippings 143.B.10.16F 1 Communist and Socialist Parties: "Minneapolis Teamsters Local 574 and the Trotskyites, 1934-1941," by Constance Chafee, undated. 37 pp. National and Minnesota Communist parties: Newspaper clippings, bulletins, and flyers, 1924-1936. 2 folders. Socialist Party: Platforms and newspaper clippings, 1934, 1936. Farmer-Labor Party and Floyd B. Olson: magazine articles, 1933, 1937. Local 574 Strike: Newspaper clippings and magazine articles, July 1934. "Chains Wear Thin," undated. 31 pages.

Manuscript of articles by Carlos Hudson relating to the Local 574 strike.

Gasoline Station Employees' Union, Local 19802 strike: Newspaper clippings, May 1936.

Includes 4 issues of Petroleum Workers Weekly.

Other strikes: Newspaper clippings, 1936. Other topics: Newspaper clippings, 1936. Miscellaneous papers, 1934-1936. Correspondence, 1934 and 1936. Notebooks, undated. 1 folder, including 2 items.