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William Miller and William Patterson Union Pacific Railroad correspondence, 1864-1888

Overview of the Collection

Title
William Miller and William Patterson Union Pacific Railroad correspondence
Dates
1864-1888 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 box, (0.25 linear feet)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 374
Summary
This collection consists of correspondence from contractors William Miller and William Patterson dating from 1864 to 1888.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

William L. Patterson, a native of Sterling, Illinois and his business partner William Miller, were contractors who worked on the Union Pacific portion of the transcontinental railroad in the late 1860s. They were notably involved with the construction of Cut No. 5 at Red Buttes in Wyoming and Tunnel No. 2 at Echo Canyon, Utah.

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Content Description

This collection consists of correspondence from contractors William Miller and William Patterson dating from 1864 to 1888. It relates to their involvement in the construction of the Union Pacific section of the transcontinental railroad, mainly in Wyoming along the Green River and in Echo Canyon, Utah. Included are letters regarding supplies for the work camp, competition among builders for contracts, and interactions with The Latter-day Saints Church, among other topics. It also includes letters written between Miller and Patterson after the end of their partnership. Notable among the correspondence is a copy of a letter written by William Patterson to Brigham Young asking for a copy of the church leader's contract with the Union Pacific Railroad.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the William Miller and William Patterson Union Pacific Railroad correspondence must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.

Preferred Citation

Initial Citation: William Miller and William Patterson Union Pacific Railroad correspondence USU_COLL MSS 374, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.

Following Citations: USU_COLL MSS 374, USUSCA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged in chronological order.

Processing Note

Processed in May of 2012.

Acquisition Information

The materials in this collection were purchased by Special Collections and Archives from Michael Vinson Western Americana in 2012.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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Subject Terms

  • Railraods--Equipment and supplies--Purchasing.
  • Railroad tunnels--Utah--Echo Canyon (Summit County, Utah)--Design and Construction.
  • Railroads--Design and Construction--Subcontracting--Utah.
  • Railroads--Design and Construction--Subcontracting--Wyoming.
  • Railroads--Utah--Echo Canyon (Summit County)--Design and Construction.
  • Railroads--Wyoming--Design and Construction.

Finding aid/Register created by Melissa Allen and Clint Pumphrey
2012

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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