Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Railway Express Agency records, 1881-1967
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Railway Express Agency
- Title
- Railway Express Agency records
- Dates
- 1881-1967 (inclusive)18811967
- Quantity
- 5.2 cubic feet, (10 document cases, 1 oversize folder)
- Collection Number
- Mss 2372
- Summary
- Materials relating to the northwestern U.S. operations of the freight shipping company Railway Express Agency (REA), consisting primarily of records created by the Seattle office of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks in their relations with REA. Includes correspondence (1921-1943), bulletins (1939-1963), express rates, delivery sheets, and ephemera.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- 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 Railway Express Agency had its origins in the overland stagecoach and pony express services that linked the eastern and western U.S. prior to the building of the transcontinental railroad. In the railroad era, express companies worked with the railroads in handling door-to-door freight shipping. By 1914 there were seven major express companies, and these were consolidated by the Federal Government during World War I into the American Railway Express Agency. In the late 1920s a group of U.S. railroads purchased the company and changed its name to the Railway Express Agency, Inc. It had a monopoly on the shipment of freight on railroads and was obliged to ship all manner of goods, including motion pictures, circus animals, and hazardous materials. In 1960 the company adopted the trade name REA Express. In 1961 it formed a trailer leasing company called REA Leasing Corporation, and in 1965 it joined with Seven Arts Associated Corp. and Travel Theaters, Inc., to form REA Express-Seven Arts Transvision Inc.
By the mid 1970s the company's profits were decreasing due, in part, to the domination of the railroad companies, high inflation, and a decline in express shipments. In 1975 it filed for Chapter XI bankruptcy.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection consists primarily of records collected by the Seattle office of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks (B.R.C.). These detail the union's dealings with REA over issues of wages, promotions, and employment classification. Included is correspondence (1921-1943), bulletins (1939-1963), lists of express rates, delivery sheets, signs, tags, labels, pamphlets, and other ephemera.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.
Preferred Citation
Railway Express Agency records, Mss 2372, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Series A: Bulletins and Notices, 1939-1963
- Sereis B: Correspondence, 1921-1943
- Series C: Forms, labels, and printed matter, circa 1881-1963
- Series D: General papers, 1921-1963
- Series E: Company rules, circa 1946-1962
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series A: Bulletins and Notices, 1939-1963Return to Top
Bulletins contain notifications of job openings; lists of wages, hours, job descriptions. Notices contain notification of job from bulletin having been filed; lists name of employee, title of position, date filled.
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Montana Division (old volume I)
|
1939-1940 |
Oregon Seniority District--Bulletins and
notices |
||
Box/Folder | ||
1/2 | 1-68 (old volume II) |
1939 January 6-1940 January 6 |
1/3 | 1-63 (old volume III) |
1940 January 11-1940 November 16 |
1/4 | 64, 1-16 (old volume IV) |
1940 December 31-1942 January 14 |
1/5 | 1-68 (old volume V) |
1942 January 5-1943 January 6 |
1/6 | 1-109 (old volume VI) |
1943 January 3-1944 January 8 |
2/1-2 | 1-70 (old volume VII) |
1944 January 8-1945 January 9 |
W.A.Y. Division |
||
Box/Folder | ||
2/2-5 | Old volume VIII
|
1939-1940 |
2/6 | Old volume IX
|
1939-1940 |
2/7-8 | Old volume X
|
1940-1941 |
3/1-3 | Bulletins and notices: Portland Seniority
District (old volume XI), 1-80 |
1941 January 12-1942 January 12 |
3/4-7 | Bulletins and notices: Portland Seniority
District (old volume XII), 1-162 |
1942 January 12-1943 January 14 |
3/8 | Old volume XIII
|
1942-1943 |
4/1-3 | Old volume XIV, Bulletins and notices: Portland
Seniority District, 1-214 |
1943 January 14-1944 February 3 |
4/4-5 | Old volume XV, Bulletins and notices: Portland
Seniority District, 1-225 (parts a, b) |
1945 January 5-October 4 |
5/1 | Old volume XV, Bulletins and notices: Portland
Seniority District, 1-225 (part c) |
1945 January 5-October 4 |
5/2-4 | Old volume XVI, Bulletins and notices: Portland
Seniority District, 231-450 |
1946 March 18-August 27 |
6/3 | Old volume XVII, Bulletins and notices: Portland
Seniority District, 451-635 (part a) |
1946 August 15-1947 January 9 |
6/1-2 | Old volume XVII, Bulletins and notices: Portland
Seniority District, 451-635 (parts b, c) |
1946 August 15-1947 January 9 |
5/5 | Old volume XVIII, Bulletins and notices: Pacific
Northwest Division
|
1962-1963 |
Series B: Correspondence, management-employee disputes., 1921-1943Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
6/4 | H. E. Harrison, dispute over seniority |
1921 March 4-August 22 |
6/5 | C. A. Slinger and W. A. Hurlbert: wage
dispute |
1923 May 23-December 7 |
6/6 | L. J. Herr: wage/time dispute |
1922 June 12-1924 March 17 |
6/7 | A. E. Light: right to work |
1922 May 16-1924 March 7 |
6/8 | R. E. Seims: wage claim; decision 3860 |
1924 February 13-1925 August 12 |
6/9 | T. A. Preston: bumping; case 1127 |
1924 June 16-November 24 |
6/10 | Protest of non-allowances for 8 hours, Eugene-Salem
route; case 1240 |
1924 September 11-July 2 |
6/11 | C. E. Jenson: wage claim |
1927 Aprtil 6-June 20 |
6/12 | Steve Bates: wage claim |
1927 May 12- September 12 |
6/13 | H. B. Ferguson: violation of rule 19 |
1928 March 7-November 1 |
6/14 | Extra board: correspondence and rules |
1927 June 30-1932 December 1 |
7/1 | Carl Housel: deadhead-time pay dispute |
1928 November 10-1929 March 8 |
7/2 | Extra pay to messengers |
1929 January 9-February 11 |
7/3 | E. E. Wilkes & C. G. Pickett: seniority
dispute |
1929 March 13-October 16 |
7/4 | Work for furloughed employees |
1929 July 8-August 19 |
7/5 | M. C. Waddell: bumping of H. B. Ferguson |
1930 October 1-1931 March 30 |
7/6 | R. Crawford et. al.: wage claim |
1930 November 24-1931 February 27 |
7/7 | Aberdeen and Hoqiam Agency consolidation |
1932 February 8-May 4 |
7/8 | Steve Bates: protest over job
displacement |
1932 July 5-August 2 |
7/9 | General file |
1932 august 5-December 10 |
7/10 | J. Wiseman: wage claim |
1933 April 22-October 13 |
7/11 | Hans Paulsen: wage claim |
1938 March 3-April 11 |
7/12 | Charles Hennig: wage claim |
1938 April 26-July 29 |
7/13 | Paul Deator: wage claim |
1938 July 14-29 |
7/14 | L. H. Alsid: rebulletining of Portland-Astoria truck
route |
1942 June 24-October 12 |
7/15 | R. L. Anderson: wage compensation claim |
1942 December 15-March 20 |
Series C: Forms, labels, and printed matter, circa 1881-1963Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
7/16 | Tags and labels |
undated |
7/17 | Forms |
undated |
7/18 | Uniform Express receipt books |
1949 |
7/19 | Delivery sheet, Adams Express Company |
1881 July |
7/20 | Messenger tally, Adams Express Company |
1893 |
7/21 | Signs |
undated |
Oversize folder | Oversize signs
|
undated |
Booklets |
||
Box/Folder | ||
7/22 | Time table for Spokane, Portland, and Seattle
Railroad (old volume I) |
1956 March 1 |
7/23 | Time table for Canadian Pacific Railroad (old
volume II) |
1947 February 23 |
8/1 | Passenger train time table for Northern Pacific:
North Coast Limited (old volume III) |
1943 October 17 |
8/2 | Fern & Evergreen routing guide from Pacific
Northwest Railroad (old volume IV) |
1945 November 5 |
8/3 |
The official register of
passenger train equipment (old volume V) |
1945 September |
8/4 |
The official guide of the
railways and steam navigation lines of the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada,
Mexico, & Cuba... (old volume VI) |
1955 July |
8/5 |
The official guide of the
railways... (old volume VII) |
1967 April |
8/6 | Uniform Express receipt book, no. 797-1000
customers (old volume VIII) |
undated |
9/1 | Wells, Fargo & Co., express register of way
bills forwarded |
circa 1910-1919 |
9/2 | Wells, Fargo, & Co., Express account
book |
1911 |
Series D: General papers, 1921-1963Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
9/3 | Seniority roster for Portland, Or. |
1958 January |
Pamphlets |
||
Box/Folder | ||
9/4 |
Agreement governing working
hours of service and working conditions between REA and it
employees
|
1967 January 1 |
9/5 |
Group insurance plan / employee
and dependent health, employee life, Travellers Insurance Co. Hartford,
Conn. |
1961 January |
9/6 |
Handbook for REA Express
employees, no. 5039 (1-63) |
1965 January 15 |
9/7 | Labor relations
|
1935; 1960 |
9/8 | Pamphlets
|
1921; undated |
9/9 | General materials |
1945-1948; undated |
Oversize folder | Form "Set-up of organizations," with names of
employees, rates of pay, job duties, etc. |
1931 October 1; |
Series E: Company rules, circa 1946-1962Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
9/10-11 | Volume I: rules 1-100; description, interpretation,
challenges, etc. |
circa 1937-1951 |
9/12 | Volume III: Index of awards made by National
Railroad Adjustment Board violations of employees rights in rules
1-39 |
1964 |
10/1 | Volume IV: Index of awards made by National Railroad
Adjustment Board violations of employees rights in rules 40 and up |
1964 |
10/2 | Volume V: claims made to Express Board of Judgement
no. 1; includes: claim statement of claiment, rubuttal, decision; decisions
E1498 to E1574 |
1946 December 6-1947 March 21 |
10/3 | Same as above, decisions E1575 to E1631 |
1948 February 28-1949 November 14 |
10/4 | Rate pages, local and national for freight (ditto
pages, from old volume VII) |
undated |
10/5 | Rate pages (from old volume VII)
|
1957-1968 |
10/6 | Commodity tariffs from Railway Express
Agency |
1961-1962 |
10/7 | Rates of express to Alaska using Alaska
Airlines |
circa 1959 |
10/8 | Rates of air express from Portland, Or. |
circa 1960 |
10/9 | Shippers' export declaration |
1949 |
10/10 | List of postal zones for Alaska cities, and parcel
post guide |
1950 November 15; 1960 |
10/11 | Rate schedules |
1953 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Express service--Employees--Labor unions.
- Express service--United States--Northwest, Pacific--History.
- Labor unions--Northwest, Pacific--History.
- Railroads--Northwest, Pacific--History.
Corporate Names
- Railway Express Agency (creator)
Form or Genre Terms
- Ephemera
- Letters (correspondence)
Other Creators
-
Corporate Names
- Brotherhood of Railway Clerks (creator)