The Society was founded by Charles F. Martin in 1973 under the name "The Fraternal Order of Empire Builders", and it was dedicated to the preservation of everything related to the Great Northern Railway. In 1982 the Society name became "The Great Northern Railway Historical Society". With this name change the Society also became chartered under the not-for-profit laws of the State of Illinois, and acquired tax exempt status from the Federal government under the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Under the original name of "The Fraternal Order of Empire Builders", journals containing facts, photographs, drawings and general information relating to the Great Northern Railway and its predecessor companies were published. With the revised name, The Great Northern Railway Historical Society (GNRHS) continues that tradition. Each quarterly issue of the GNRHS 'Goat' normally contains sixteen pages of general information and society affairs, new member lists, member sales and want items, and books/videos listings of subjects related to the GN and its pre/post merger corporate identities. Issues include 40 to 60 additional pages within separately stapled titles known as Reference Sheets. Each issue of the 'Goat' also contains a section of pages dedicated to GN modeling, the Modelers' Pages.
Walter Grecula was born in Hibbing, Minn., and resided for many years in Seattle, Wash. Walter graduated from Dunwoody College in 1942 before going to work for the Great Northern Railway. He retired from the Burlington Northern in 1984. He was a long-time member of the Great Northern Railway Historical Society, the Pacific Northwest Post Card Club and Pacesetters.
Wade Griffis was a member of the Friends of the Burlington Northern Railroad, an active supporter of The BN Expediter magazine, and a Burlington Northern modeler, with a large layout in his basement (see it in the October 2006 issue of The BN Expediter). He had a very large collection is still in work by the Friends of the Burlington Nothern. Unfortunately he did not label his photos very well, so in many cases we don’t know the location and sometimes not even the date. His collection was donated by his wife.