Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Collection
Title
Great Northern Railway Historical Society Collection
Date(s)
- 1910-1989 (Creation)
Extent
- 3 films
- 5 boxes
- 61 binders
Name of creator
Administrative history
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.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The Great Northern Railway Historical Society Collection consists of 16mm films and documents: Pacific Coast Railroad annual reports for 1951-1969 and Oregon California and Eastern Railroad annual reports for 1948-1969, Pacific Coast Railroad Interstate Commerce Commission annual reports for 1945-1967, Great Northern Railway - British Columbia annual reports, Great Northern Railway ledgers of California Statistics circa 1966-1969, Great Northern Railway Canadian Activity reports for various years, binders of Great Northern Railway records between 1910 and 1989.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
Please see Section VII of the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive Collection Management Policy for further information.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Please see the Pacific Northwest Railway Archives Reproduction Policy for further information.
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
- Latin
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Printed finding aid in GNRHS accession folder.
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Ownership resides in the Great Northern Railway Historical Society.
Immediate source of acquisition
Custody transferred from the Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul, Minnesota by the Great Northern Railway Historical Society.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
W2017-67, W2018-29
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Describing Archives - A Content Standard (DACS) 2nd Edition 2013
Sources used
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Burlington Northern Railroad Company (Subject)
- Great Northern Railway Company (U.S.) (Subject)
- Northern Pacific Railroad Company (Subject)
- Pacific Coast Railroad Company (Subject)
- Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railway (Subject)
- Other Railroads (Subject)