Burlington Northern Railroad Company Records

Burlington Northern Railroad Company Records, 1876-1971

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Burlington Northern Railroad Company
Title: Burlington Northern Railroad Company Records
Dates: 1876-1971 (inclusive)
18761971
Quantity: approximately 9 linear feet
Collection Number: 1972.5375_1983.12_1986.19
Summary: Records, including photographs, of the Burlington Northern Railroad and its predecessor companies.
Repository: Museum of History & Industry, Sophie Frye Bass Library

P.O. Box 80816
Seattle, WA
98108
Telephone: 2063241126 x102
library@mohai.org
Access Restrictions: The collection is open to the public by appointment.
Languages: English.
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Burlington Northern Railroad was a product of the merger of the Great Northern Railway, the Northern Pacific Railway, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway in 1970. In 1996, the Burlington Northern merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to become the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Burlington Northern Railroad Company Records is comprised of 3 accessions and includes Burlington Northern Railroad Company record books (1876-1971), Great Northern Railway account books (1922-1924), and a series of Northern Pacific Railway Company notebooks of photographs showing joint facilities with other railroads (1931-1935).

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Burlington Northern Railroad Company Records, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged in 3 accesssions:

Accession No. 1972.5375, Burlington Northern Railroad Company record books and other material, 1876-1971
Accession No. 1983.12, Great Northern Railway account books, 1922-1924
Accession No. 1986.19, Northern Pacific Railway Company joint facilities notebooks, 1931-1935

Location of Collection

See at accession level

Related Materials

The Railroad Employee Timetable Collection (Accession No. 1983.75, including several interfiled accessions) includes employee timetables for northwest United States and Canadian railroads, 1862-2000.

The James C. Mattson Collection on Northwest Railroads (Accession Nos. 1985.52, 1989.8, 1989.14, 1995.47, 1990.60, 2002.2, and 2007.48) includes photograph albums and Official List of Officers, Agents and Stations booklets from the Great Northern Railway, Northern Pacific Railway AFE register copies, railroad company annual reports and northwest railroad passenger timetables.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

accession no. 1972.5375: Burlington Northern Railroad Company record books and other material, 1876-1971Return to Top

10 boxes, (5 linear feet)

13A.2.5

13A.3.4-5

Documents relating to the Burlington Northern Railroad Company and its predecessor companies: Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad, Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad Company, Pacific Coast Railroad Company and the Oregon Improvement Company. The Pacific Coast Railroad Company series includes records documenting the takeover of the PCRR by Great Northern.

Gift of the Burlington Northern Railroad Company, 1972

Container(s)	Description	Dates
box:oversize
1	5375.1: Record book of the Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad 1 volume Handwritten book with title page inscribed "Records pertaining to the Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad - H. Villard, Purchaser." This volume appears to be a copy from original records, made for Henry Villard sometime after the Seattle and Walla Walla was purchased by Villard's Oregon Improvement Company and renamed the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad.	1876 August 14- 1881 February 18
	Columbia and Puget Sound Railroad
box:oversize
1	5375.2: Corporate minutes and other records 1 volume	1884 October 18-1891 May
2	5375.3: Corporate minutes and other records 1 volume	1889 November 21-1896 April 23
2	5375.4: Corporate minutes and other records 1 volume	1896 June 19-1901 May 27
3	5375.5: Records and correspondence 1 volume	1901 May 19-1904 March 23
3	5375.6: Records and correspondence 1 volume	1904 March 24-1906 March 3
4	5375.7: Records and correspondence 1 volume	1906 March 9-1912 May 12
5	5375.8: Records and correspondence 1 volume	1912 May 27-1917 January 23
1	5375.23: "Index to the records of the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad" 1 volume Handwritten index in alphabetized, bound index book, but with few entries	undated
	Pacific Coast Railroad Company (PCRR)
box:oversize
6	5375.9: Corporate minutes 1 volume	1917 April 23-1932 May 17
7	5375.10: Corporate minutes and correspondence 1 volume	1932 June 15-1959 September 11
6	5375.11: Corporate minutes 1 volume	1959 December-1970 February
9	5375.16: Correspondence 1 volume	1947 September 11-1971 February 10
9	5375.17a: Report on Great Northern acquistion of PCRR Includes correspondence	1950 May 16-1950 July 20
9	5375.17b: Great Northern Board of Directors minutes regarding PCRR	1950 August 10
9	5375.17c: PCRR map - "Condensed profile Seattle to Black Diamond"	1957 September
9	5375.18: Great Northern option and offer to buy PCRR Includes correspondence	1950 June 26-October 3
9	5375.19: Great Northern takeover documents	1950 September 11-1957 March 19
10	5375.20a: Takeover statements and correspondence	1951 April 16-1970 February 9
10	5375.20b: Application of Bruce Anderson to the Interstate Commerce Commission to become officer of more than one carrier Related to the Great Northern takeover of PCRR	1968 November 8
10	5375.21: Stock purchase contract and related correspondence -- Great Northern/PCRR	1951 October-1968 February 13
10	5375.22: Agreements between Great Northern and PCRR	1951 November 4-1968 February 13
	Oregon Improvement Company / Pacific Coast Company The Oregon Improvement Company defaulted in 1893 and was reorganized under the name Pacific Coast Company.
box:oversize
8	5375.12: Purchasing agent records for Oregon Improvement Co. 1 volume	1892 March 11-1894 October 11
8	5375.13: Purchasing agent records for Oregon Improvement Co. 1 volume Includes index	1894 October 5-1897 June 21
8	5375.14: Purchasing agent records for Oregon Improvement Co. and Pacific Coast Co. 1 volume Includes index	1897 June 21-1898-August 10
8	5375.15: Purchasing agent records for Pacific Coast Co. 1 volume Includes index	1889 August 11-1899 August 16

accession no. 1983.12: Great Northern Railway account books, 1922-1924Return to Top

Great Northern Railway Company (U.S.) ( creator)

2 ledger books

13a.3.9

Received from Burlington Northern Railroad Company via Kim Forman, February 4, 1983.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
box:oversize
1	Great Northern Railway, King Street Station ledger	1923-1924
1	Great Northern Railway ledger	1921-1924

accession no. 1986.19: Northern Pacific Railway Company joint facilities notebooks, 1931-1935Return to Top

Northern Pacific Railway Company ( creator)

13 volumes

13a.2.4

Thirteen 3 ring binders, each 9.25"x14", containing a photographic record of Northern Pacific joint facilities with other railroads. The photographs were taken in 1927-1929 and the notebooks prepared in 1931-1935. Each photograph is labelled with letters and numbers corresponding to features; the accompanying key includes detailed descriptions of each signal, switch, sign and track depicted. The notebooks also include copies of the text of contracts covering joint use of lines

Gift of Burlington Northern Railroad Company, August 25, 1986

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Volume
1	Tacoma Division - Tacoma	1931-1935
2	Tacoma Division - Tacoma to Roy via South Tacoma	1931-1935
3	Tacoma Division - Roy to Tenino and Tacoma to Nisqually	1931-1935
4	Tacoma Division - Nisqually to Centralia	1931-1935
5	Tacoma Division - Centralia to Olequa	1931-1935
6	Tacoma Division - Olequa to Woodland	1931-1935
7	Tacoma Division - American Lake Line and Woodland to Vancouver	1931-1935
8	Tacoma Division - Grays Harbor Line	1931-1935
9	Rocky Mountain Division - Butte to Missoula	1931-1935
10	Seattle Division - Tacoma to Orillia	1931-1935
11	Seattle Division - Black River to Seattle	1931-1935
12	Seattle Division - Seattle	1931-1935
13	Seattle Division - Seattle and Everett	1931-1935

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