WILLIAM W. LANDMESSSER AND FAMILY:
An Inventory of Their Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Landmesser, William W. (William Walter), 1904-2003, creator. | |
| Title: | William W Landmesser and family papers. | |
| Dates: | 1902-1995. | |
| Language: | Materials in English. | |
| Abstract: | Diaries, logbooks, correspondence, locomotive photographs, collective bargaining agreements, rule books, manuals, and memorabilia of William W. Landmesser, an employee of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Company, where he eventually rose to superintendent of the mechanical department, and materials relating to his later contract railroad work in Yugoslavia. Also includes papers kept by Landmesser's father related to his employment with the Iowa Central Railway as well as diaries kept by his wife. | |
| Quantity: | 2.0 cubic feet (2 boxes). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
William W. Landmesser was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa on August 29, 1904 to railroad worker William N. Landmesser and his wife Marjorie. William W. eventually settled in Minnesota with his wife, Grace, and their two daughters. He worked in the railroad industry in the Midwest and abroad for over 40 years.
William W. began working for the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Company in 1920 as a clerk in the Sales Department, and has risen to superintendent of the Mechanical Department by 1960, when he was laid off at the sale of the company to the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. After being laid off, William W. was hired on a contract basis by the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, where he worked as an advisor on operation, maintenance, and repair of diesel locomotives.
After William W. and wife returned to Minnesota, he worked odd jobs, mostly in the the oil industry, until his retirement in 1970. William W. died December 6, 2003, at the age of 99 in Red Wing, Minnesota.
William N. Landmesser lived in Oskaloosa, Iowa and in Minneapolis, where he worked as a machinist and welder for the Iowa Central Railway from 1902-circa 1932. Along with his son, William W., he was a member of the International Association of Machinists, joining in 1911.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. William W. Landmesser and Family Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 16,324
Processing Information:
Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Catalog ID number: 990073598130104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| 123.D.15.10F | Personal materials: | ||||||||||
| Biographical summary, undated. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence, 1961-1962. | |||||||||||
| Letters of William W. and Grace Landmesser, written to his parents while living in Yugoslavia. | |||||||||||
| Historical materials compiled by William W. Landmesser, undated and circa 1994. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| International Association of Machinists, 1928-1947. | |||||||||||
| Locomotive technical drawings, circa 1991. | |||||||||||
| Minneapolis and St. Paul Railroad Veteran Survivors, undated and 1910, 1989-1993, 1995. | |||||||||||
| Includes photocopies of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Company steam locomotive specifications, 1910; and the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Company engineman's exam for license on the Steamboat Minnehaha, undated. | |||||||||||
| Personal data, circa 1961. | |||||||||||
| Photo album of locomotives, undated and 1922-1927. | |||||||||||
| Photographs, circa 1990. | |||||||||||
| Selected Questions & Answers on Railroad Retirement Act, 1937. 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| 123.D.15.10F | The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway Company: | ||||||||||
| Articles of Association, undated. | |||||||||||
| Clippings, undated and 1938-1944. | |||||||||||
| Diesel Locomotive Operation, 1944. 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| Electro-motive 4050 H. P. diesel-electric freight locomotives operations, undated. | |||||||||||
| Instruction Manual for Gas-electric Railway Equipment, 1929. 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| Inflammable signage, undated. | |||||||||||
| Labor agreement and personnel rosters, circa 1958. | |||||||||||
| The Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Company List of Officers, Agencies, Stations, Etc., Nos. 37 and 45, January 1945 and January 1953. 2 volumes. | |||||||||||
| Locomotive characteristics, June 1926. | |||||||||||
| Minneapolis & St. Louis Locomotive Diagrams, 1952. 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| Manuals, certificates, and agreements, 1956-1958. | |||||||||||
| Mechanical employees in the 2000 series, undated. | |||||||||||
| Memoranda, 1949. | |||||||||||
| Includes memos of agreements regarding shop crafts, firemen and oilers, and disputes over a 40 hour work week. | |||||||||||
| Photographs: locomotives, undated. | |||||||||||
| Railway passes, 1948-1961. | |||||||||||
| Rules and regulations, 1920, 1922, 1931, 1938, 1942, 1953, and 1955. 7 volumes. | |||||||||||
| Service records and settlement, 1960-1963. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Includes correspondence, copies of the class action lawsuit, and settlement materials regarding William W., et al., termination of employment from the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Company in 1960. | |||||||||||
| The Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Company Time Table No. 14, April 5, 1959. 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| Union agreements, 1922, 1934, 1945, 1953, and 1955. 5 volumes. | |||||||||||
| Includes agreements by the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway Company with the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway System Association, December 1922; System Federation No. 15 Railway Employees Department Mechanical Section thereof, November 1934; International Brotherhood of Firemen, Oilers, Helpers, Roundhouse, and Railway Shop Laborers, February 1945; The Railway Transfer Company of the city of Minneapolis, April 1953 and February 1955. | |||||||||||
| 123.D.15.10F | The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia: | ||||||||||
| Advisor on operation, maintenance, and repair of diesel locomotives, description, 1961-1962. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Contracts, December 1961. | |||||||||||
| 123.D.15.10F | William N. Landmesser papers: | ||||||||||
| International Association of Machinists membership card, 1911-1912. | |||||||||||
| Iowa Central Railroad Company railroad equipment, undated. 1 volume. Photocopy. | |||||||||||
| Journal of hours worked at Iowa Central Railway, June 1902-circa 1932 and 1952. 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| Photograph: Engine 103, undated. | |||||||||||
| 123.D.16.10F | Logbooks and diaries | ||||||||||
| William W. Landmesser: | |||||||||||
| Logbooks, 1944-1948, 1950-1953, 1955, 1958, 1960-1970. 22 volumes. | |||||||||||
| Missing 1949, 1954, 1956, 1957, and 1959. Includes daily work activities, notable incidents, and notes. 1970 logbook spans William's official retirement and pension collection, while the remainder of the volume serves as a diary. | |||||||||||
| Diaries, 1971-1978, 1980-1993. 20 volumes. | |||||||||||
| Includes weather related information, daily activities, notes, and plans. | |||||||||||
| Grace Landmesser diaries, 1945-1948 and 1952. 5 volumes. | |||||||||||
| Includes information about the weather; family health; and activities such as, household chores, shopping, meal preparation, and social events and outings. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Railroads -- Employees.
- Railroads -- Yugoslavia.
- Organizations:
- Iowa Central Railway.
- Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway.
- Document Types:
- Diaries.
- Photographs.
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