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Jay Lentzner Collection of Milwaukee Road Rocky Mountain West Division Records, circa 1857-2014

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Lentzner, George Jacob, 1944-2024
Title
Jay Lentzner Collection of Milwaukee Road Rocky Mountain West Division Records
Dates
circa 1857-2014 (inclusive)
Quantity
43.0 linear feet and 506 sets of blueprints and maps
Collection Number
Mss 1028
Summary
The Jay Lentzner Collection of Milwaukee Road Records focuses on the history of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, commonly known as the Milwaukee Road, in the Rocky Mountain Division area, including Montana, Idaho, and Washington. The collection includes blueprints, right of way information, diagrams, profile booklets, consolidation studies, track maps, and other documents. Lentzner supervised the closing of the western portion of the Milwaukee Road following its bankruptcy in the late 1970s and early 1980s and saved many records related to engineering, administration, and operations.
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

This collection is currently being organized to facilitate research. Some content may require an appointment to view. Please contact Archives and Special Collections to request access.

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 Lenztner. 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, Letnzner 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 records contains documents, drawings, publications, and photographs charting the history of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, commonly known as the Milwaukee Road, in the Rocky Mountain Division of Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Lentzner supervised the closing of the western portion of the Milwaukee Road and saved records related to engineering, administration, service, and operations in the west. Of note are over 500 blueprints and drawings, primarily 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 for nearly six decades.

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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 Rocky Mountain West Division 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 currently being processed. The following series have been identified to date:

Series I: Blueprints and Maps, 1898-1989, 506 drawing sets

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. A box-level inventory and descriptions of over 500 sets of blueprints, drawings, and maps, referred to by the donor as the "juried collection," was provided to Archives and Special Collections by the Lenztner estate. The collection is currently being processed by Archives and Special Collections, and therefore, the donor-provided inventory may no longer be accurate.

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.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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Finding aid prepared by Sam Jackson and Kristin Goss
2025

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

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