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Jay Lentzner Collection of Milwaukee Road Western Extension Records, 1857-2020

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Lentzner, George Jacob, 1944-2024
Title
Jay Lentzner Collection of Milwaukee Road Western Extension Records
Dates
1857-2020 (inclusive)
Quantity
44.2 linear feet and 511 sets of blueprints and maps
Collection Number
Mss 1028
Summary
The Jay Lentzner Collection of Milwaukee Road Western Extension Records focuses on the history of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, commonly known as the Milwaukee Road, primarily as it ran through Montana, Idaho, and Washington to the coast. The collection includes maps, correspondence, diagrams, studies, reports, and other documents and photographs generated by the railroad's construction and operation of its Pacific Extension or "Lines West" of Mobridge, South Dakota. Lentzner supervised the closing of this western portion of the Milwaukee Road following its bankruptcy in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His collection unites a vast array of records documenting transcontinental and electric railroad history in Montana and the Pacific Northwest.
Repository
University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula.

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

George Jacob “Jay” Lentzner was born on November 14, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois to George and Catherine Lentzner. He was raised in East Troy, Wisconsin. From an early age he had a deep interest in railroads. He studied civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin, paying for some of his tuition by working summers for the engineering department of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad, commonly known as the Milwaukee Road. After graduating college in 1967, Lentzner enlisted in the United States Army and was sent to Vietnam, where he served during the Tet Offensive.

After he returned to the United States, Lentzner worked as a civil engineer with the Milwaukee Road, initially assigned to the Dubuque and Illinois Division at Savanna, Illinois. Throughout his nearly 30-year career, he worked and lived in a variety of positions and locales in Minnesota, Iowa, Montana, and Washington. Acting as the Assistant Division Manager for Maintenance in the Non-Core West, Lentzner oversaw the closing of the Milwaukee Road’s western extension (all track west of Miles City, Montana) as the company faced bankruptcy in the late 1970s and 1980s.

In 1988, Lentzner began working as the Design and Maintenance Engineer for Montana Rail Link, Inc. in Missoula, Montana. In 1991, he was named Assistant Chief Engineer, a position he held until he retired in 1999. In his retirement, Lentzner dedicated his time to collecting more railroad documents and photographing and recording railroad infrastructure across the United States. Jay Lentzner died in Missoula on January 1, 2024.

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Content Description

The Jay Lentzner Collection of Milwaukee Road Montana Western Extension Records contains maps, correspondence, diagrams, studies, reports, and other documents and photographs charting the history of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, commonly known as the Milwaukee Road, primarily in Montana and parts of Idaho and Washington. Lentzner supervised the closing of the western portion of the Milwaukee Road and saved records related to engineering, administration, service, and other operations in the west. Of note are over 500 blueprints and drawings, consisting of right of way, station, and track maps. Also of note are electrification documents (the Milwaukee Road was electrified with an overhead trolley line for over 400 miles from Harlowton, Montana to Avery, Idaho), depot and facility records, and construction contract information for the firms and individuals responsible for bringing the Pacific Extension into being.

A note about divisions: Milwaukee Road division names and profiles changed over time, and some sections were historically part of multiple divisions. Most commonly, the Rocky Mountain Division referred to the electrified 440 miles of track from Harlowton, Montana to Avery, Idaho. The wider Montana Division generally encompassed all portions of the Milwaukee Road that ran through Montana, including sections that were not electrified, and eventually incorporated parts of Idaho and “The Gap” (the non-electrified portion of the line in between the Rocky Mountain Division and the Coast Division in Washington). Although there are materials in this collection from other divisions, the main geographic focuses are the Montana Division and the Washington Division.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Non-exclusive copyright to content created by Jay Lentzner is held by the University of Montana.

Preferred Citation

Jay Lentzner Collection of Milwaukee Road Western Extension Records, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 29 series. Several of those series include subseries.

Series I: Blueprints and Maps, 1898-1989, 511 drawing sets

Series II: Bridge Books, 1911-1949, 1.2 linear feet

Series III: Survey Exhibits, 1906-1971, 4.0 linear feet

Subseries 1: Montana Division Exhibits, 1906-1967, 2.4 linear feet

Subseries 2: Washington Division Exhibits, 1909-1971, 1.6 linear feet

Series IV: Profile Books, 1926-1977, 3.6 linear feet

Series V: Car Diagram Books, 1891-2015, 2.6 linear feet

Subseries 1: Milwaukee Road Cars, 1891-1977, 0.8 linear feet

Subseries 2: Burlington Northern Cars, 1940-1979, 0.4 linear feet

Subseries 3: Soo Line Cars, circa 1940-2015, 1.4 linear feet

Series VI: Rocky Mountain Division Building Records, circa 1897-1954, 1.0 linear foot

Series VII: Signal Diagrams, 1902-1978, 1.0 linear foot

Series VIII: Authorization for Expenditure Index, circa 1910s-circa 1970s, 0.2 linear feet

Series IX: Agreements and Studies, circa 1891-2006, 10.2 linear feet

Series X: Other Maps, Diagrams, and Plans, 1890-circa 1980s, 2.8 linear feet

Series XI: Train Movement Reports and Other Reports and Memoranda, 1921-1985, 1.4 linear feet

Series XII: Bridges, Tunnels, and Roads, 1910-circa 2010s, 1.0 linear foot

Series XIII: Locomotives, Cars, and Equipment, circa 1888-1981, 1.0 linear foot

Series XIV: Weights, Tables, and Charts, circa 1907-1988, 0.4 linear feet

Series XV: Signals, Signage, and Trademarks, 1905-1974, 0.6 linear feet

Series XVI: Newsletters, 1971-1998, 0.8 linear feet

Series XVII: Brochures, Catalogs, and Manuals, circa 1914-circa 1980s, 0.4 linear feet

Series XVIII: Freight Service, 1888-2010, 0.8 linear feet

Subseries 1: General Rail Freight, 1888-2007, 0.4 linear feet

Subseries 2: Ferry and Barge Service, 1928-2010, 0.4 linear feet

Series XIX: Passenger Service, 1884-circa 1999, 0.4 linear feet

Series XX: Directories and Rosters, 1928-1980, 0.4 linear feet

Series XXI: World War I and other National Defense, 1917-circa 1959, 0.4 linear feet

Series XXII: Construction Contracts, 1920-2004 (bulk 1920-1924), 0.2 linear feet

Series XXIII: Accidents, 1910-1978, 0.2 linear feet

Series XXIV: Abandonments, Bankruptcy, and Reorganization, 1936-1999, 1.2 linear feet

Series XXV: Jay Lentzner Personal Records, 1965-1985, 0.2 linear feet

Series XXVI: Substations, circa 1910s-1960, 0.2 linear feet

Subseries 1: Substation Plots and Plans, 1914-1960, 3 folders

Subseries 2: Substation Photographs, circa 1910s-circa 1920s, 9 folders

Series XXVII: History and Commemoration, circa 1907-2015, 1.2 linear feet

Series XXVIII: Miscellaneous, 1857-2000, 4.2 linear feet

Subseries 1: Montana Division, 1905-1985, 0.4 linear feet

Subseries 2: Washington Division, 1909-2000, 0.8 linear feet

Subseries 2: Other Divisions or Inter-Divisional, 1857-1993, 3.0 linear feet

Series XXIX: Montana Rail Link, 1980-2020, 1.8 linear feet

Custodial History

Jay Lentzner held this collection until his death in 2024. His estate did extensive organization of the collection before donating it to Archives and Special Collections in March of 2025.

Acquisition Information

Gift of the George Jacob Lentzner estate via John Shontz, estate executor, March 2025.

Processing Note

Significant organization of the collection was completed by R. Milton Clark on behalf of the Lentzner estate in 2024.

Related Materials

The Milwaukee Public Library holds the official records of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road.) Additional Milwaukee Road materials from Jay Lentzner's estate were given to the Milwaukee Road Historical Association in Illinois and the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive in Seattle. The University of Montana's Archives and Special Collections holds a collection of Milwaukee Road photographs taken by Jay Lentzner, and also a collection of Montana Rail Link photographs by Lentzner.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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Finding aid prepared by Kristin Goss and Sam Jackson
2026

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

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