Archives West Finding Aid
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Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, District 356 (Black Eagle, Mont.) records,, 1896-1967
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, District 356 (Black Eagle, Mont.)
- Title
- Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, District 356 (Black Eagle, Mont.) records,
- Dates
- 1896-1967 (inclusive)18961967
- Quantity
- 5.5 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- MC 345
- Summary
- The Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen had a local division in Great Falls and Black Eagle, Montana. Records include interoffice correspondence, general correspondence, financial records, minutes and other organizational records, subject files, and miscellany.
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
The Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen was formed as the Conductors' Brotherhood, in 1868. The first convention was held that fall in spite of a threat by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad to fire any conductor who joined. The 1878 convention formally changed the name to the Order of Railway Conductors of America. The national headquarters were established in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. During its early years the order was primarily a fraternal and benevolent association. Beginning in 1885 the Order began negotiating with the railroads concerning wages and working conditions. It also began lobbying Congress to pass hours legislation.
In 1954 the Order changed its name to the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, in recognition of the long-standing practice of accepting Brakemen into the order. In 1969, the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen merged with three other Brotherhoods to form the United Transportation Union.
The Black Eagle local of ORC was founded in 1894 and remained active through 1963.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Records of the Order of Railway Conductors and its successor the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen consist primarily of interoffice correspondence and minutes. The interoffice correspondence is divided into correspondence (1915-1955) of the local with its members and with other locals; correspondence (1919-1945) of the Legislative Board, grievance correspondence (1914-1922), correspondence (1918-1961) with the ORC's General Chairman for the Great Northern Railway, located in St. Paul, Minnesota; and circular letters (1915-1959) from the national Order in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There is general correspondence (1913-1960) with the Great Northern Railway and with others.
There are minute books for Division #356 from its founding in 1896 through 1938. In addition, there are minutes of the Railroad Brotherhoods Legislative Board, and of several committees of which ORC was a part. Other organizational records consist of members petitions for membership arranged alphabetically, members' dues ledgers (1896-1940), national lists of dismissed and reinstated members, and seniority lists.
There are annual (1920-1951) and quarterly (1918-1922) reports of the ORC's General Chairman for the Great Northern Railway, reports (1905-1949) of the Railroad Brotherhoods Joint Legislative Board, subject files on a variety of political and government organizations, and miscellany.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Montana 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 before any reproduction use. The Society 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
[item description and date]. Name of Collection. Collection Number. [box and folder number]. Montana Historical Society Research Center. Archives. Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Interoffice CorrespondenceReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1 / 1-4 | Chronological (with members and
with other divisions) |
1915-1955 |
| 1 / 5-7 | Legislative Board |
1919-1945 |
| 1 / 8-13 | Correspondence re grievances of
members: A-W |
1910-1922 |
| 1 / 14-15 | ORC General Chairman for Great
Northern Railway (includes T. F. Richardson, P. C. Bradley, J. A. Gannon, R. E.
Landis) |
1918-1935 |
| 2 / 1-10 | ORC General Chairman for Great
Northern Railway (includes R. E. Landis, H. N. Hansen, Myles J. Milner, L. E.
Downing, R. K. Foster) |
1936-1961 |
| 2 / 11 | ORC National Offices |
1915-1951 |
| 3 / 1-8 | ORC National Offices: circular
letters |
1915-1958 |
General CorrespondenceReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 3 / 9-10 | Great Northern Railway
|
1913-1946, 1960 |
| 3 / 11-15 | Chronological (includes other
railroad brotherhoods, Congressmen, political committees, etc.) |
1918-1957 |
Financial RecordsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 4 / 1 | Accident insurance dept. reports
(national) |
1937-1950 |
| 4 / 2 | Accident insurance materials
|
undated |
| 4 / 3-4 | Cash books |
1940-1960 |
| 4 / 5 | Checkstubs |
1959-1961 |
| 4 / 6 | Division Trustees financial
reports |
1924-1925, 1933-1941, 1958 |
| 4 / 7-8 | Members ledgers (includes some
personal data and treasurers' journal) |
1896-1911 |
| 5 / 1-3 | Members ledgers (includes some
personal data and treasurers' journal) |
1910-1933 |
| 6 / 1-2 | Members ledgers (includes some
personal data and treasurers' journal) |
1932-1940 |
| 6 / 3 | ORC Montana Legislative Board
financial reports |
1924-1934 |
| 6 / 4 | ORC Mutual Benefit Dept. premium
rates and certificate values |
1945 |
| 6 / 5 | ORC National Trustees circulars
(financial reports) |
1937-1946 |
Legal DocumentsReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 6 / 6 | Agreements and contracts
|
1917-1936 |
| 6 / 7 | Dockets (includes National
Railroad Board of Adjustment; Montana Board of Railroad Commissioners)
|
1932-1957 |
| 6 / 8 | Great Northern Railway Company
schedule for conductors (contracts with ORC) |
1917-1957 |
| 6 / 9 | Great Northern Railway Company
schedule for trainmen and yardmen (contracts with ORC) |
1912-1924 |
MinutesReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 7 / 1-4 | Minute books (Division #356)
|
1896-1916 |
| 8 / 1-5 | Minutes (Division #356)
|
1914-1938, 1962-1963 |
| 8 / 6-11 | Minutes (General Committee for
Great Northern Railway) |
1918-1941, 1953 |
| 8 / 12 | Minutes (ORC Association for
Districts 1, 2 and 3) |
1931-1932 |
| 8 / 13 | Minutes (ORC Legislative Board:
scattered) |
1915-1940 |
| 8 / 14 | Minutes (ORC statewide)
|
1922 |
| 8 / 15 | Minutes (Yardmasters' Committee)
|
1949 |
| 8 / 16 | Minutes (grievance conference)
|
1956 |
Organizational Records Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 8 / 17 | Bylaws (Division #356)
|
1898 |
| 8 / 18 | Directories (National)
|
1956, 1967 |
| 8 / 19 | "Form of questions to be answered
by candidate" (members' oath) |
undated |
| 9 / 1-2 | Membership petitions: A-Z
(applications for membership) |
1930s-1950s |
| 9 / 3-4 | National constitutions
[scattered] |
1909-1962 |
| 9 / 5 | National withdrawals and
reinstatements (includes Montana members) |
1937-1946 |
| 9 / 6 | Resolutions |
1918-1933, undated |
| 9 / 7 | Ritual manual |
1911, 1958 |
| 9 / 8 | Seniority lists |
1956-1959 |
Reports Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 10 / 1-15 | Annual reports of General
Chairman for Great Northern Railway (includes J. A. Gannon, W. E. Johnson, R.
E. Landis, H. N. Hansen, Myles J. Milner) |
1920-1951 |
| 11 / 1-2 | Quarterly reports of General
Chairman for Great Northern Railway (includes T. F. Richardson, J. A.
Gannon) |
1920-1951 |
| 11 / 3 | "Fifteen years under the Railway
Labor Act, amended and the National Mediation Board" |
1950 |
| 11 / 4 | "Handbook for reporting under the
railroad retirement and unemployment insurance laws" |
1964, 1967 |
| 11 / 5 | Mutual Benefit Dept.
report |
1944 |
| 11 / 6 | National Mediation Board
report |
1967 |
| 11 / 7 | Railroad Brotherhoods Joint
Legislative Board report [scattered] |
1905-1949 |
| 11 / 8 | Report of committee on busses in
competition with railroads |
ca. 1936 |
| 11 / 9 | Reports of conferences between
Order of Railway Conductors, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen et al.
|
1921-1922 |
| 11 / 10 | Report of Black Eagle delegate E.
L. Sjaholm to 43rd Session Grand Division |
1946 |
| 11 / 11 | Report on national legislation
|
1920 |
| 11 / 12 | Report on proceedings in
connection with 1919-1920 wage movement |
1919-1920 |
| 11 / 13 | "The Wages of railroad labor"
|
1938 |
Subject Files Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 11 / 14 | Conference for Progressive
Political Action |
1922-1924 |
| 11 / 15 | Legislation (includes Railroad
Brotherhoods report on Montana legislature, Congressional Records, several
bills) |
1928-1941 |
| 11 / 16 | Manpower problem during World War
II |
1943 |
| 11 / 17 | National Youth Administration,
Montana |
1935 |
| 11 / 18 | Office of Price Administration
Labor Office Information Service |
1943 |
| 11 / 19 | President's Emergency
Board |
1928, 1955 |
| 11 / 20 | Railroad Amalgamated Conference
for the Northwest District |
1923 |
| 11 / 21 | Railway Board of Adjustment
decisions |
1918-1919 |
| 11 / 22 | Schedule revision proposal (re
wages) |
1920 |
| 11 / 23 | U. S. Railroad
Administration |
1918 |
| 11 / 24 | U. S. Railroad Labor
Board |
1920-1921 |
| 11 / 25 | World War II bond
drives |
1943-1944 |
Miscellany Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 11 / 26 | Certificates (includes
Co-operative Broom Manufacturing Company stock certificate, Plumb Plan League
membership certificate, Official Commendation re payroll savings plan)
|
1905, 1919, ca.1944 |
| 11 / 27 | Meeting announcement poster
|
undated |
| 11 / 28 | Propositions by railroad
brotherhoods |
1920 |
| 11 / 29 | Railroad Retirement Tax Act
|
1965-1967 |
| 11 / 30 | "Rules and regulations governing
admission to Order of Railway Conductors Home" (application of J. H. Stricklan)
|
1930 |
| 11 / 31 | Strike conduct
instructions |
1950s |
| 11 / 32 | Strikebreaker list: Missouri and
Arkansas Railroad strike |
1921-1922? |
| 11 / 33 | Transfer sheet: list of artifacts
transferred to Museum program |
undated |
| 11 / 34 | Miscellaneous |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Labor unions--Montana.
- Railroad brakemen--Montana.
- Railroad conductors--Montana.
Geographical Names
- Black Eagle (Mont.)
- Great Falls (Mont.)
Finding aid prepared by Ellie
Arguimbau
2008
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
