NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY. CHIEF OF SPECIAL AGENTS:

In three series: special agents record books (1909-1957); secret service record books (1909-1955); and files regarding Mexican nationals (1943-1956).

Two series of registers summarize crimes and accidents investigated by the railroad detectives, and the disposition of each case. A small group of subject files (1943-1946) document the department's involvement with Mexican nationals employed as track laborers, primarily in escorting them back to Mexico following their term of service.

Return to top

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Chief of Special Agents records. Northern Pacific Railway Company Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 11,297; 11,298; 11,299; 11,300; 11,301; 11,302; 11,303; 11,304; 11,305; 11,306; 11,307; 11,308; 11,309; 11,310; 11,311; 11,312; 11,313; 11,314; 11,315; 11,316; 11,317; 11,318; 11,319; 11,320; 11,321; 11,322; 11,323; 11,324; 11,325; 11,326; 11,327; 11,328; 11,329; 11,330; 11,331; 11,332; 11,333; 11,334; 11,335; 11,336; 11,337; 11,338; 11,339; 11,340; 11,341; 11,342; 11,343; 11,344; 11,345; 11,346; 11,347

Processing Information:

Catalog ID number: 990017199040104294

Work on the Northern Pacific Railway Company records was supported with funds granted by the Northwest Area Foundation, the Grotto Foundation, and the Jerome Foundation.

Return to top

The record books synopsize the special agents' files pertaining to investigations of freight items damaged or missing in transit. The records are arranged by sequential file numbers, as well as by location and freight car number. Information categories include: file number date, agent's identification, consignor, consignee, origin and destination, waybill number, car number, description of freight, amount of loss, amount recovered and miscellaneous remarks. In every entry, several of these categories are usually blank.

Return to top

The record books synopsize the secret service case files of the Northern Pacific special agents. The entry for each file contains the following information: file number, special agent identification, subject (nature of the case or crime), station where it occurred, offender's name, when and where arrested, disposition of case, property recovered, date and to whom returned. The volumes are indexed.

Return to top

The files are concerned with the employment of Mexican Nationals by the Northern Pacific Railway Company as track laborers. Due to labor shortages during World War II, the Mexican and United States Governments allowed railroad companies to hire Mexican citizens for periodic employment, chiefly between 1943-1946.

The Office of the Chief of Special Agents supervised the recruiting, placement, and movement of the Mexican Nationals in and out of the United States. Special agents were sent to recruit laborers in Mexico and accompany the groups of men northward to their particular work locations. According to their contracts, meals and lodging were arranged for them during these movements. Special agents also assisted the Mexican Nationals in making necessary arrangements because of illness, accidents, problems between the laborers, and occasional problems with law enforcement officials. Special agents worked to expedite the laborers' return to Mexico, prior to the expiration of their contracts, when such circumstances prevented the successful completion of their term of employment.

When the term of employment expired for each group of Mexicans, the Office of Special Agents arranged for their deportation, and its agents generally accompanied such movements. Occasionally the laborers returned to Mexico individually or in small groups; if special agents were unable to escort them, they usually initiated a check at various stops to ensure that the laborers were still enroute to Mexico or had crossed the border. Although the program to import Mexican workers was discontinued in 1946, special agents continued their efforts to locate Mexican Nationals who had disappeared, and assisted with their deportation.

The first box contains records and correspondence regarding the travel, food, lodging, and importation and deportation arrangements made for the Mexican laborers between 1943 and October, 1945. The second box contains similar records from November 1945-1956. It also contains files on the the movements or activities of particular individual laborers, who for various reasons were relocated or deported at different times than others in their groups. Files concerning the expenses incurred by special agents as they arranged these movements are also included in the second box.

Return to top

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:

Alien labor, Mexican -- Northwestern States.

Criminal investigation -- Northwestern States.

Railroads -- Northwestern States -- Accidents.

Railroads -- Northwestern States -- Claims departments.

Railroads -- Northwestern States -- Vandalism.

Organizations:

Northern Pacific Railway Company.

Northern Pacific Railway Company -- Security measures.

Occupations:

Private investigators -- Northwestern States.

Railroad construction workers -- Northwestern States.

Railroad police -- Northwestern States -- Registers.

Return to top