Series 8 C5: Chicago, Burlington & Northern Railroad Company, 1872-1905
Scope and Content of the Collection
Most series include a volume of corporate records detailing articles of incorporation, meeting minutes, resolutions, and notice of acquisition or dissolution. Other materials include annual reports, financial statements, correspondence, journals, ledgers, legal papers, contracts, construction statements, equipment reports, and memos. Many series contain materials concerning relations with other roads, and correspondence on the company’s acquisition by CB&Q. Also included are a few non-railroad entities, such as bridge, coal, and construction companies. This record group contains some of the earliest materials in the CB&Q collection, and offers a unique look at the rapid expansion of the railroad, as well as the interconnected relationships between the major players– including James F. Joy, J. M. Forbes, C. E. Perkins, and J. W. Brooks.
Forms part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company Records.
This finding aid supersedes the Guide to the Burlington Archives in the Newberry Library, 1851-1901 (Chicago: Newberry Library, 1949), and incorporates subsequent additions to the company records. Certain materials have been deaccessioned and donated to the Burlington Route Historical Society; see curator for details.
Dates
- Creation: 1872-1905
Creator
- From the Record Group: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company Records are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).
Biographical/Historical note
The Chicago, Burlington & Northern was initially two companies, one in Wisconsin, and one in Minnesota. They consolidated almost immediately after forming in 1885. The line was to run from Oregon, Illinois, northwest to the Illinois-Wisconsin border, then north along the Mississippi River to the Twin Cities. CB&Q was anxious to obtain a share of the growing freight business in Minneapolis-St. Paul, but as the area was already serviced by three other roads at the time, competition for this business became a source of conflict between the CB&Q and CB&N. While CB&N wished to engage in rate cutting to lure business, the CB&Q, who was the primary investor, did not wish to antagonize the other roads for fear of retaliation. After several attempts, CB&N was finally deeded to the CB&Q in 1899. The series contains considerable correspondence between officials of each line as well as materials on relationships with other roads and construction of bridges and terminals.
Arrangement note
Arranged in four subseries: Correspondence, 1885-1892 (8 C5.1); General, 1885-1905 (8 C5.2); Financial Materials, 1885-1901 (8 C5.3); and Relations with Other Lines, 1872-1918 (8 C5.4). Oversize volumes follow at end of series.
General Physical Description note
22 boxes, 5 folders, and 26 oversize volumes
Repository Details
Part of the The Newberry Library - Modern Manuscripts and Archives Repository
60 West Walton Street
Chicago Illinois 60610 United States
312-255-3512
reference@newberry.org