Great Northern Railway Company, Seattle General Agent Records, 1900-1948

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Great Northern Railway Company, Seattle General Agent
Title
Great Northern Railway Company, Seattle General Agent Records
Dates
1900-1948 (inclusive)
Quantity
12 containers., (11.8 linear feet of shelf space.), (18,000 items.)
Collection Number
Cage 398
Summary
Correspondence, memoranda, rate schedules, Joint Freight Tarriffs, waybill corrections, lists of businesses, car locations, car movements, circulars, publicity, rate changes, building plans, and marketing information, principally from 1903 to 1923.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

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 Great Northern Railway had its beginnings in 1878 when James J. Hill and his associates purchased the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad; it was then reorganized and renamed the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba. In September of 1889, Hill organized the Great Northern Railway Company around the charter of the old Minneapolis and St. Cloud Railroad Company and leased the Manitoba for 999 years. The lease stayed in effect until November 1, 1907, when the Great Northern officially purchased the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba along with the Montana Central, Seattle and Montana, and many other subsidiary companies. In 1890, shortly after the incorporation of the Great Northern Railway, the directors of the Great Northern requested Hill to extend its lines westward from some suitable point in Montana to Puget Sound.

The discovery of Marias Pass by John F. Stevens in 1889 facilitated this extension which was completed in 1893. From that date until 1905, the General Agent operated out of the terminal buildings of the Seattle and Montana, a subsidiary company which had constructed the line eastward from Seattle to the Cascades. The construction of a new terminal was delayed by a long and bitter fight between the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific. In 1905, the new terminal was completed (along with a tunnel under Railroad Avenue) and housed both lines including the office of the General Agent of the Great Northern. The Burlington Northern was formed in 1970 by the merging of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Great Northern, the Northern Pacific, and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle railroads.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 398, Great Northern Railway Company, Seattle General Agent Records. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The records of the Seattle General Agent are divided into two series: Correspondence and Ledger. The Correspondence Series consists mainly of in-house communications from the main office in St. Paul, Minnesota, and from various freight agents along the line to the General Agent or his staff regarding movement of and rates on commondities shipped on the Railway. It consists of correspondence, memos, telegrams, rate schedules, Joint Freight Tariffs, waybill corrections, lists of businesses, car locations, car movements, circulars, publicity, rate changes, building plans, loading plans, meetings, some clippings, and information on the creating and exploiting of markets. The bulk of the Correspondence Series dates from 1903-1923.

The Ledger Series consists of one bound ledger which contains tariffs, joint tariffs, ammendments, lists of general agents, rules and regulations of the Great Northern and associated railroads and the Transcontinental Freight Bureau, an independent regulatory body which governed the freight charges of its twenty-six member railroads. Although the series is dated from 1903-1911, most of its material is from 1903.

The description on each archival folder is an abstract of a longer description on the original folder (which has been retained); in addition, the original filing number of the Great Northern's filing classification system appears on both the original folder and the archival folder, although not in this container list. This system has determined the order of each file, the logic of which may be more fully revealed through perusal of the files.

There are approximately 18,000 individual items in the first series; these items are grouped into 910 bundles of one or more items attached with a brass staple.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Seattle General Agent of the Great Northern Railway were donated to the Washington State University Libraries by Bruce Stewart in November 1977 (77-64).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

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

Series 1: Correspondence, 1900-1948Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
Laws
8 items.
1905-1919
1 2-7
Lists (Customers)
46 items.
1905-1921
1 8
Cars, American Trading Co.
1 item.
1920-1921
1 9
Cars, Excessive Dimensions
1 item.
1903-1917
1 10
Mining & Dump Cars
1 item.
1906-1914
1 11
Flat Cars
2 items.
1905-1916
1 12
Cars, Northern Pacific
1 item.
1907-1910
1 13
Cars,Stokes Steel
1 item.
1907-1914
1 14
Street Cars
1 item.
1912-1913
1 15
Cars, Loading
1 item.
1913
1 16
Cars, Logging Service
1 item.
1916-1917
1 17
Cars, Stealing
1 item.
1917-1918
1 18
Cars, Southern Pacific
1 item.
1917
1 19
Cars, Double Loading
1 item.
1917-1918
1 20
Cars, Rules
1 item.
1918
1 21
Cars, Rates
1 item.
1921
1 22-23
Divisions (Charged)
7 items.
1904-1920
1 24
Tonnage
1 item.
1906
1 25
Car Supply
4 items.
1905-1907
1 26
Car Shortage
2 items.
1906
1 27
Empty Cars
2 items.
1906-1911
2 28
Car Delay
1 item.
1907
2 29
Complaints
2 items.
1907-1908
2 30
Car Supply
2 items.
1907
2 31
Refrigerator Cars
1 item.
1908-1910
2 32
Equipment for Loading Ship
1 item.
1909
2 33
Union Tank Line Cars
1 item.
1909
2 34
Car Supply
2 items.
1909
2 35
Car Supply
3 items.
1911-1911
2 36-46
Rates
11 items.
1903-1909
2 47
Western Pine Manufacturer's Assn.
1 item.
1907
2 48
B.C. Distillery Spur
1 item.
1904-1907
2 49
Trans-Continental Rates (Changes)
1 item.
1904-1907
2 50
Inspections
2 items.
1903-1905
2 51
Inspections
2 items.
1904-1909
2 52
Switching
2 items.
1906-1907
2 53
Wharfage
1 item.
1910-1913
2 54
Railroad Passes
1 item.
1907-1908
2 55
Asiatic Imports
2 items.
1905-1907
2 56-59
Coal & Briquettes (Utah)
4 items.
1934-1937
2 60-61
Coke
5 items.
1937-1941
2 62-63
I.C.C. Docket
27 items.
1930-1937
3 64-69
Complaints
12 items.
1932-1948
3 70
Kettle Valley Lines
1 item.
1905-1906
3 71
Spokane International Railroad
1 item.
1906
3 72
Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway
1 item.
1910
3 73
Chicago Telephone Supply Co.
1 item.
1909
3 74
Pacific Coast S.S. Co.
3 items.
1904-1909
3 75-76
American Hawaiian S.S. Co.
2 items.
1908-1912
3 77
Great Northern S.S. Co.
1 item.
1911
3 78
Nipon Yusen Kaisha
2 items.
1906
3 79
Boston S.S. Co.
2 items.
1906
3 80
Trans-Continental Docket
1 item.
1907-1914
3 81
Kosmos Line
1 item.
1905-1919
3 82
Monthly Reports
1 item.
1909
3 83
Frank Waterhouse & Co.
1 item.
1909
3 84
Vancouver General Agent
1 item.
1905-1906
3 85
Standard Oil Co.
1 item.
1905-1907
3 86
Spokane General Agent
1 item.
1905
3 87-89
Tariffs
10 items.
1905-1920
3 90
Postings
2 items.
1907-1908
4 91
Tariffs
4 items.
1907-1914
4 92
Tariffs (Canada)
1 item.
1909-1918
4 93
Tariff Distribution
1 item.
1913-1914
4 94
Duty, Payment of
1 item.
1914-1915
4 95-96
Tariffs
2 items.
1915-1917
4 97
Concurrences in Canadian Tariffs
1 item.
1915
4 98
Joint Tariffs
1 item.
1906-1919
4 99
Bills
2 items.
1902-1919
4 100
Distribution of Cars
1 item.
1910-1911
4 101-103
Expense Accounts
3 items.
1905-1919
4 104
Vouchers
1 item.
1906
4 105-107
Telephone
25 items.
1905-1918
4 108-110
Telegraph
3 items.
1902-1918
4 111
Merchandise Cars
1 item.
1908
4 112
Service
1 item.
1906-1911
4 113-116
Washington State Railroad Commission
12 items.
1905-1908
4 117-119
Interstate Commerce Commission
8 items.
1906-1914
5 120
Embargoes
1 item.
1916-1918
5 121
Lumber
1 item.
1914-1917
5 122-123
Agricultural Implements
11 items.
1905-1920
5 124
Alaska Engineering Commission
1 item.
1915
5 125
Rate Basis
2 items.
1907-1913
5 126
Bowers' Hotel
1 item.
1911
5 127
Alum
1 item.
1910-1916
5 128
Ammonia
3 items.
1904-1914
5 129
Logs
1 item.
1935-1938
5 130
Brattice Cloth
1 item.
1902-1903
5 131
Brick
7 items.
1905-1908
5 132
Cable
1 item.
1909
5 133
Potash
1 item.
1902-1906
5 134
Calendars, Almanacs
1 item.
1906
5 135
Canned Goods
1 item.
1905
5 136
Calcium Carbide
1 item.
1907-1916
5 137
Calcium Cloride
1 item.
1904-1915
5 138
Caskets
1 item.
1911
5 139-140
Routing
2 items.
1903-1915
5 141
Equalizing Rates
1 item.
1906-1907
5 142-143
Routing
11 items.
1906-1921
5 144
Celluloid
2 items.
1910
5 145-147
Cement
7 items.
1900-1913
5 148-149
Grain
3 items.
1903-1906
5 150
Hay & Grain
1 item.
1905-1906
5 151-157
Grain
9 items.
1905-1909
5 158
Grain & Hay Rebates
1 item.
1907-1908
6 159-166
Grain
10 items.
1901-1930
6 167
Milling in Transit
6 items.
1901-1907
6 168
Claims
1 item.
1901-1908
6 169
Coal
6 items.
1908-1911
6 170
Coke
6 items.
1905-1907
6 171
Coffee
1 item.
1909-1910
6 172
Conduits
2 items.
1907-1911
6 173
Confectionary
1 item.
1905
6 174
Refrigerator Material
1 item.
1910
6 175
Copper
3 items.
1904-1911
6 176
Cotton
5 items.
1906-1909
6 177
Creosote
2 items.
1903-1909
6 178
Crow's Nest Pass Coal Co.
1 item.
1903-1907
6 179-180
Fruit
14 items.
1905-1910
6 181
Reshipped Goods
1 item.
1904-1906
6 182
Diversion of Shipments
4 items.
1904-1909
6 183
Diversion of Cars
3 items.
1906-1911
6 184
Drugs
2 items.
1906
6 185
Buchu Gin
1 item.
1907
6 186
Tariffs
1 item.
1903-1906
6 187
Hosiery
1 item.
1907-1908
6 188
Crockery
4 items.
1905-1906
6 189
Butter & Eggs
1 item.
1909
6 190
Electrical Appliances
2 items.
1910
6 191
Emigrant Movables
1 item.
1905-1915
6 192
Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition
1 item.
1909
6 193
United States Land Irrigation Exposition
1 items.
1909-1911
6 194
National Apple Show
1 item.
1910
6 195
Canadian Apple Show
1 item.
1910
6 196
National Apple Show
1 item.
1911
6 197
Saddle Felt
1 item.
1907
7 198-201
New Lines
4 items.
1913-1922
7 202
Fish
2 items.
1914-1925
7 203
Fire Extinguishers
1 item.
1905-1917
7 204
Chinese Firecrackers
1 item.
1919-1923
7 205
Flax
1 item.
1916-1924
7 206
Ties, China
1 item.
1906
7 207-257
Forest Products
61 items.
1903-1929
8 258-269
Forest Products
12 items.
1923-1925
8 270-309
Logs
41 items.
1903-1923
8 310
Furniture
4 items.
1903-1913
8 311
Stamped Ware
1 item.
1906-1922
8 312
Glass Bulbs
1 item.
1911
8 313
Washington Water Power Co.
1 item.
1904-1907
8 314
Confectionaries
1 item.
1903-1909
8 315
Government Freight
3 items.
1906-1911
8 316
Glycerine
1 item.
1907
8 317
Sand
7 items.
1906-1914
8 318
Axle Grease
1 item.
1904-1908
8 319
Cigars
1 item.
1906-1911
8 320
Metal Sash Carriers
1 item.
1909
8 321
Smoke House, Appliances
1 item.
1909
8 322
Harness
2 items.
1905-1909
8 323
Hay
4 items.
1905-1910
8 324
Refrigerator Cars
8 items.
1905-1911
8 325
Hemp
2 items.
1907-1908
8 326
Hides
7 items.
1903-1910
8 327
Hops
2 items.
1904-1905
8 328
Ice
1 item.
1905
8 329-330
Steel Products
8 items.
1906-1911
8 331
Ballard Business Conditions
1 item.
1908-1911
8 332
Vancouver, Help
1 item.
1906
8 333
Charcoal
1 item.
1906
9 334
Lumber to Orient
1 item.
1906-1908
9 335
Slack
1 item.
1906
9 336
Siding
1 item.
1908-1909
9 337
Lyman Papers
1 item.
1906
9 338
Slag
2 items.
1906-1908
9 339
Poles
1 item.
1903-1906
9 340
Ale and Stout
1 item.
1906
9 341
Bog House Dross
1 item.
1907-1911
9 342
Leases
2 items.
1906-1909
9 343
Wenatchee Valley & Northern RR
1 item.
1909
9 344
Harriman Line
1 item.
1911
9 345
Express Charges
1 item.
1909-1910
9 346
Terminal Service
1 item.
1904-1906
9 347
Crushed Steel
1 item.
1906
9 348
Olds Wortman & King
1 item.
1909
9 349-350
Lands
4 items.
1906-1908
9 351
Steamer Victoria
1 item.
1905-1906
9 352
Peanuts
2 items.
1906-1910
9 353
Ferro-titanium
1 item.
1911
9 354
Commercial Organizations
3 items.
1906-1907
9 355
Canadian Railway Commission
1 item.
1909
9 356-357
Lead
3 items.
1902-1910
9 358-359
Leather
2 items.
1905-1909
9 360
Liquors
1 item.
1902-1908
9 261-276
Livestock
19 items.
1903-1910
9 377-380
Machinery
4 items.
1904-1911
9 381
Sugar
3 items.
1905-1911
9 382
Marble
2 items.
1902-1908
9 383
Stone
6 items.
1905-1915
9 384
Rock
1 item.
1911
9 385
Matting
1 item.
1905-1906
9 386-390
Packing House Products & Fresh Meat
11 items.
1905-1911
9 391
Condensed Milk
2 items.
1905-1911
9 392
Mill Rollers
1 item.
1907
9 393
Moulding
1 item.
1911
9 394
Powered Musical Instruments
1 item.
1908-1910
9 395
Builder's Scaffolds
1 item.
1910-1911
9 396
Salad Oil
1 item.
1906
9 397
Oil & Grease
1906-1908
9 398
Terabentine
1 item.
1906-1907
9 399
Kleenatine
1 item.
1906-1907
9 400
Salad Oil, Westbound
2 items.
1907
9 401-414
Ore
14 items.
1905-1911
10 415-434
Ore
20 items.
1902-1911
10 435
Seed
4 items.
1904-1911
10 436
Show Cases
1 item.
1904-1910
10 437
Claims
1 item.
1908-1909
10 438
Sash Doors
3 items.
1905-1911
10 439
Track Scales
1 item.
1911
10 440
Salt
4 items.
1904-1911
10 441
Salt Petre
1 item.
1903-1907
10 442
Rubber
1 item.
1905
10 443
Rulings
5 items.
1906-1908
10 444
Paper
1 item.
1906
10 445
Paving Blocks
1 item.
1909
10 446
Peas & Beans
1 item.
1905-1907
10 447
Penalty
2 items.
1905-1906
10 448
Marble Scrap
1 item.
1905
10 449
Wooden Pipe
1 item.
1911
10 450
Claim
1 item.
1909
10 451
Leatheroid
1 item.
1910
10 452
Grits
1 item.
1910-1911
10 453
Rice
1 item.
1910-1911
10 454
Roadmaking Machinery
1 item.
1904-1905
10 455
Candy Pails
1 item.
1905-1906
10 456
Paints
2 items.
1904-1907
10 457
Signs
2 items.
1907-1911
10 458
Soap
6 items.
1905-1909
10 459
Staves
2 items.
1905-1906
10 460
Construction, New Lines
2 items.
1909-1911
10 461
Chip Board
1 item.
1905-1921
10 462
Track Repair
1 item.
1906
10 463-466
Trackage
9 items.
1906-1911
10 467
Puget Sound Electric Co.
1 item.
1906-1908
10 468
Talc & Silica
2 items.
1902-1910
10 469
Tanks
1 item.
1905-1917
10 470
Trackage
1 item.
1923-1924
10 471
Vegetables
1 item.
1922-1924
10 472
Rental of Lots
1 item.
1904-1908
10 473
Box Shocks
1 item.
1927-1930
10 474
Flour
1 item.
1905
10 475
Leather Dressing
1 item.
1902-1922
10 476
Salmon
1 item.
1905-1906
10 477
Port Arthur
1 item.
1907
10 478
Seattle
1 item.
1903-1904
10 479
Vancouver, Washington
1 item.
1908
10 480
Vancouver, B.C.
1 item.
1907-1908
11 481
Claims
3 items.
1906-1908
11 482
Complaint
1 item.
1920-1922
11 483
Similkameen
1 item.
1907
11 484-489
Meetings
6 items.
1909-1910
11 490
Walnuts
1 item.
1909-1910
11 491
Yellow Metal
1 item.
1904-1907
11 492-493
Railway Commissioners for Canada
2 items.
1911
11 494
Demurrage
1 item.
1910-1911
11 495-496
Rules
4 items.
1908-1910
11 497
Hickory Dust
1 item.
1908
11 498
Randomite
1 item.
1908-1910
11 499
Bridges, Columbia River
1 item.
1909-1911
11 500
Wine
1 item.
1908-1909
11 501
Albers Brothers
1 item.
1908
11 502
Portland Railway
2 items.
1908-1909
11 503
Three Lakes Lumber Co.
1 item.
1909
11 504
Whiton Hardware Co.
1 item.
1909
11 505
George Carter & Co.
1 item.
1906

Series 2: Ledger, 1902-1911Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
12 506
Ledger
1 item.
1902-1911

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Railroad companies--Washington (State)--Seattle--Records and correspondence
  • Railroads -- Washington (State)--Seattle

Personal Names

  • Stewart, Bruce. waps (donor)

Corporate Names

  • Great Northern Railway Company (U.S.). General Agent --Archives (creator)