Montana Historical Society Library & Archives Archives
MC
345
Order of Railway Conductors and
Brakemen, District 356 (Black Eagle, Mont.)
Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen,
District 356 (Black Eagle, Mont.) records
1896-1967
5.5 linear feet
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.
16:3-3
English
Historical Note
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.
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.
This collection is arranged into nine series.
Collection open for research.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical
Society Library & Archives. The Library & Archives does not necessarily hold
copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require
additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an
archivist.
[item description and date]. Name of Collection. Collection Number. [box and folder
number]. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request.
Processed in 2008.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society
Library & Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics,
persons, or places should search under these terms.
Order of Railway Conductors and
Brakemen, District 356 (Black Eagle, Mont.)
Black Eagle (Mont.)
Great Falls (Mont.)
Labor unions--Montana
Railroad brakemen--Montana
Railroad conductors--Montana
Montana
Labor
Unions
Railroads
Detailed Description of the Collection
Interoffice Correspondence
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 Correspondence
3 / 9-10
Great Northern Railway
1913-1946, 1960
3 / 11-15
Chronological (includes other railroad brotherhoods,
Congressmen, political committees, etc.)
1918-1957
Financial Records
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 Documents
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
Minutes
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
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)
circa 1930-1959
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
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
circa 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
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
11 / 26
Certificates (includes Co-operative Broom
Manufacturing Company stock certificate, Plumb Plan League membership certificate,
Official Commendation re payroll savings plan)
1905, 1919, circa 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
circa 1950-1959
11 / 32
Strikebreaker list: Missouri and Arkansas Railroad
strike
1921 - circa 1922
11 / 33
Transfer sheet: list of artifacts transferred to
Museum program
undated
11 / 34
Miscellaneous
undated