BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS (U.S.). DIVISION 150 (SAINT PAUL,
MINN.):
An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (U.S.). Division 150 (Saint Paul, Minn.), creator. | |
| Title: | Division 150 records. | |
| Dates: | 1872-1969 (bulk 1872-1951). | |
| Abstract: | Minutes (1872-1951), membership dues ledgers (1872-1901), a cashbook (1875-1906), a membership record book (1872-1903), and miscellaneous papers of a local union of locomotive engineers employed by the Great Northern Railway Company and predecessor and related companies. | |
| Quantity: | 0.9 cubic feet (2 boxes, containing 1 folder and 6 v.). | |
| Location: | P1377 |
HISTORICAL NOTE
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), North America's oldest rail labor union, was founded in Marshall, Michigan on May 8, 1863, as the Brotherhood of the Footboard. Its name was changed in 1864 to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. The BLE is an affiliate member of the AFL-CIO and the Canada Labour Congress.
Local units of the BLE are known as Divisions. Each Division elects four primary local officers (president, local chairman, secretary-treasurer and legislative representative). All the local chairmen on a particular railroad constitute the BLE General Committee of Adjustment on that system; this General Committee is autonomous and responsible for negotiating, making, interpreting, and enforcing contracts between engineers and their railroad. Officers of the International Office, which is located in Cleveland, Ohio, include the international president, first vice-president, general secretary-treasurer and nine regional vice-presidents, who assist and offer resources to the general committees. One American vice-president serves as the BLE's U.S. national legislative representative, administering the Washington, D.C., office and coordinating federal activities of the BLE and its various state legislative boards.
Division 150 was organized on June 7, 1872, at St. Paul. Its first members were H. E. Emerson, W. J. Ferguson, George S. Chrysler, C. F. Yeager, George Pennock, C. W. Deering, and W. D. Hawkins. Officers in earlier years included chief engineer; first and and second engineers; first, second, and third assistant engineers; guide; and chaplain.
Information on the national BLE organization was taken from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers website. Information about Division 150 was taken from the records.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The minutes of meetings deal mainly with the initiation of new members, expulsion of members, and collection of dues. They also contain brief notations on members' activities and on union and railroad policies and interrelationships.
There is a folder of correspondence and miscellaneous financial records (1884-1951) which were found loose in the volumes. This folder contains several memorial resolutions upon the deaths of members.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (U.S.). Division 150 Records. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 13,042; 15,592
Processing Information:
Processed by: David B. Peterson, January 2001
Catalog ID number: 990017151700104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1377 | 1 | Vol. 1. Minutes, June 7, 1872-Sept. 20, 1885. | |||||||||
| Vol. 2. Minutes, Sept. 26, 1937-Sept. 15, 1951. | |||||||||||
| Vol. 3. Membership ledger, 1872-1885. | |||||||||||
| Record of dues assessed and paid by individual members. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P1377 | 2 | Vol. 4. Membership ledger, 1888-1901. | |||||||||
| Record of dues assessed and paid by individual members. | |||||||||||
| Vol. 5. Cashbook, 1875-1906. | |||||||||||
| Vol. 6. Membership roster, 1872-1903. | |||||||||||
| Includes name of each member; date admitted; age; residence; how admitted (initiated or by card); employing railroad company (Great Northern or antecedent or related companies); date the member withdrew or was suspended, expelled, reinstated, or died; and remarks. | |||||||||||
| Materials found loose in volumes, 1884-1951, 1969. | |||||||||||
| Includes loose membership ledger pages; divisional election ballots (1902, 1943); memorial resolutions upon the deaths of members; a historical sketch by Louis W. Hill outlining the early history of the Mesabi Iron Range and the Great Northern's traffic connection therewith (1946); and an historical narrative (1969) concerned with James J. Hill and his associates' purchase of stock in the First Division Company (Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad Company--First Division) from Edwin C. Litchfield. | |||||||||||
RELATED MATERIALS
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:
- Industrial relations.
- Labor movement -- Minnesota.
- Labor unions -- Locomotive engineers.
- Locomotive engineers -- Minnesota.
- Railroads -- Employees.
- Persons:
- Hill, James J. (James Jerome), 1838-1916.
- Litchfield, Edwin Clark, 1815-1885.
- Organizations:
- Great Northern Railway Company (U.S.).
- Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad Company. First Division.
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