HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT: COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE:

An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society

Government Records

Expand/CollapseOVERVIEW

Creator: Minnesota. Department of Highways. Commissioner's Office.
Title:Records.
Dates:1939-1973.
Language:Materials in English.
Abstract:The records comprise an alphabetical set of subject files, materials relating to a wheelage tax lawsuit, and reports and correspondence sent to the Legislature's Highway Interim Commission/Joint Highway Executive Committee.
Quantity:4.1 cubic feet (4 boxes and 1 partial box).
Location: See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Expand/CollapseSCOPE AND CONTENTS

There are also legal documents, correspondence, and newspaper articles detailing the department's role in Minnesota State Automobile Association v Twin City Metropolitan Transit Commission (approximately 1968-1971), a lawsuit concerning the constitutionality of using proceeds from a wheelage tax to fund the transit commission; and correspondence and reports sent by the department to the Legislature's Highway Interim Commission/Joint Highway Executive Committee (1959-1970).

The subject files, which also contain commissioner's official memos (1939-1964, incomplete), minutes of the department's Committee on Legislation (1961), and staff meeting minutes (November 1966-January 1967), cover such diverse topics as borrow pits; bridges; office space; the Interstate and Defense Highway System; transit planning; finance, including trunk highway bonds, federal aid cutbacks, and gas user taxes; safety; legislation; motor vehicle registration license; proposed construction of a highway through Minnehaha Park; extension of the Great River Road through Canada into the Northwest Angle; the highway patrol; relocation; and snowplowing and sanding. They also include 1965 lists of department facilities, sites, buildings, and gravel pits; and document the department's relations with the Legislative Building Commission, Minnesota Good Roads, Inc., and the Minneapolis Park Board.


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Expand/CollapseADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota. Department of Highways. Commissioner's Office. Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 978-59; 979-65; 994-22; 2022-14

Processing Information:

Catalog ID number: 990017301250104294


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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Location
109.B.17.5BSubject files:
Bond program, 1969-1971.
Borrow pit condemnation and hearing, 1971-1972. 2 folders.
Bridge funding program, 1970-1971.
[Legislative] Building Commission, 1968-1970.
Building office space analysis: State Highway Building, 1968-1971.
Byrd amendments, 1965-1966.
Regarding Interstate and Defense Highway System.
Committee on Legislation: Highway Department, 1961. 2 folders.
Location
126.G.6.5B-1Dedication of Interstate Highway 94 documents, December 9, 1968. 2 items in 1 folder.
One document is the official dedication program (called "Tieing the Twins") for the interstate segment between Minneapolis and St. Paul; included is a list of participants. The second document is a map of the interstate segment between Minneapolis and St. Paul, called "The Metro Freeway", showing the cross streets and freeway entrances and exits; on the reverse of the map is a brief narrative with construction costs, statistics, and the benefits of the new freeway.
Location
109.B.17.5BDeLeuw, Cather & Co., 1966-1967.
Chicago engineering firm consulting on long range transit planning.
Drainage policy, 1968-1969.
Examiners: Drivers license, 1968-1969.
Federal aid financing cutbacks, 1968-1969.
Federal aid financing cutbacks, 1968-1970.
Financial reports (unpublished), 1969-1970.
Gas tax, 1970.
1972-1973 alternative financing plans.
Highway user tax distribution fund, 1968-1971.
Highway safety projects, 1969-1971.
Interstate and extensions: General, 1968-1971.
Legislation: 1969 session, 1969.
Legislation: 1969 session, proposed, 1967-1969.
Legislative committees, reports to, 1968-1969.
Location
109.B.17.6F[Legislative] correspondence, 1967.
Legislative recommendations, 1967.
Covers acceleration of trunk highway improvements.
Legislature: Appropriations Committee: House, 1971.
License study, 1969-1970.
Proposal to base cost of motor vehicle registration licenses on the value of the vehicle.
Maintenance costs, 1969-1970.
Minnehaha Park, 1968-1971.
Re-routing a highway through the park.
Minnesota Good Roads, Inc. [MGR]: Regional meetings, 1967-1969. 3 folders.
Includes reports from its 9 districts. Also correspondence, speeches, notices, clippings, and maps.
Minnesota Highway Department facilities, 1965. 1 volume.
Minnesota Highway Department gravel pits owned in fee, 1965. 1 volume.
Minnesota Highway Department list of department owned sites and buildings, 1965. 1 volume.
Northwest Angle, 1960-1973.
Agreement, map, correspondence, and clippings documenting an agreement with Manitoba for extension of the Great River Road through Canada into the Northwest Angle.
Officials memos from the commissioner, 1939-1964. 4 folders:
1939-1949.
1950-1959.
Location
109.B.17.7B 1960-May 1961.
January 1963-February 1964.
Park Board, Minneapolis: Condemnation and settlements, 1969-1970.
Public Safety Department: Patrol, 1963-1970. 3 folders.
Relocation assistance, 1968-1972.
Snowplowing and sanding, 1967-1971.
Speeches, Commissioner Waldor, 1968-1970.
Staff meeting minutes, November 1966-January 1967.
Minnesota State Automobile Association [AAA] v Twin City Metropolitan Transit Commission (wheelage tax), approximately 1968-1971. 14 folders:
Legal documents, correspondence, and newspaper articles detailing the department's role in a lawsuit concerning the constitutionality of using proceeds from a wheelage tax to fund the transit commission.
File No. 662117: Findings of fact, conclusions of law, and order for judgment, 1971.
Highway User's Committee.
Attorney general's comments.
Legal documents.
Deposition, July 10, 16, 17, 1970.
Lawsuit.
Press.
Exhibits. 3 folders.
Location
109.B.17.8FExhibits. 5 folders.
Interim Highway Commission/Joint Highway Executive Committee, 1959-1970. 9 volumes and 9 folders:
Mainly correspondence and reports sent by the Highway Department to the Legislature's Interim Highway Commission (after 1968, Joint Highway Executive Committee). Also some background materials and meeting transcripts/minutes. Topics covered include highway construction contracts, safety activities, proposed interstate defense system freeway route locations, eminent domain v direct purchase, maintenance radio system, highway patrol, drivers license system, and legislation.
1959-1960. 4 volumes and 2 folders.
1963. 5 volumes and 1 folder.
1965. 2 folders.
1967-1968. 2 folders.
1969.
1970.

Expand/CollapseCATALOG 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:
Borrow pits -- Minnesota.
Bridges -- Minnesota.
Federal aid to transportation -- Minnesota.
Gravel pits -- Minnesota.
Highway departments -- Minnesota -- Buildings.
Interstate Highway System -- Minnesota.
Motor fuels -- Taxation -- Minnesota.
Offices -- Location -- Minnesota.
Roads -- Minnesota -- Finance.
Roads -- Snow and ice control -- Minnesota.
Transportation, Automotive -- Taxation -- Minnesota.
Urban transportation -- Minnesota -- Planning.
Organizations:
Metropolitan Transit Commission.
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
Minnesota Good Roads, Inc.
Minnesota State Automobile Association.
Minnesota. State Highway Patrol.
Minnesota. Legislature. Legislative Building Commission.
Minnesota. Legislature. Joint Highway Executive Committee.
Minnesota. Legislature. Highway Interim Commission.
Places:
Canada -- Boundaries -- Minnesota.
Great River Road.
Minnehaha Park (Minneapolis, Minn.).
Minnesota -- Boundaries -- Canada.
Northwest Angle (Minn.)
United States -- Relations -- Canada.

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