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Massachusetts railroads collection

 Collection
Call Number: MS 971

Scope and Contents

The Massachusetts Railroads Collection consists of correspondence and papers, 1822-1909, of various Massachusetts railroads eventually incorporated by lease or merger into the Boston and Maine Railroad or the New York Central Railroad. The Nashua and Lowell Railroad pooled facilities with the Boston and Lowell Railroad in 1857-1878 and was leased by the latter in 1880. The Boston and Lowell Railroad was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1887. The Boston and Worcester consolidated with the Western Railroad in 1867 to form the Boston and Albany Railroad, the last named acquiring the Grand Junction Railroad and Depot Company in 1868. In 1900 the Boston and Albany was leased to the New York Central Railroad.

Papers of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, 1822-1882, include a history of the title of Lechmers Point Flats for right of way along the Merrimack River, minutes of directors' meetings, contracts, petitions, lists of shareholders, and a small amount of correspondence. Persons represented here are Patrick Jackson, 1780-1857, first treasurer, Charles Storrow, 1809-1904, civil engineer and general manager for ten years, and George Stark, manager for twenty years.

Papers for the Nashua and Lowell Railroad from March and April of 1839 include lawyers' briefs, testimony, evidence, etc., in the case of Nashua and Lowell versus Boston and Lowell, involving the right of the Massachusetts government to prescribe the toll paid by the former railroad to the latter for the joint use of its facilities. The lawyer for the Boston and Lowell Railroad was R. R. Nichols, and for the Nashua and Lowell Railroad, Peleg Sprague, 1793-1880, the famous Massachusetts jurist.

Papers of the Boston and Albany Railroad include those collected by Ebenezer Baldwin relative to the prospect for a railroad, 1828-1829, and papers from 1851-1909, which include memos of bills payable and receivable, records of incoming freight, balance sheets, cash collection, and correspondence.

Papers of the Grand Junction Railroad and Depot Company, 1859-1869, include fire insurance policies, bids and estimates for wharf repairs, a drawing of a plan for the Grand Junction's wharves and storehouses in East Boston, receipts, correspondence, and statements on the condition of the steamer Wide Awake.

Papers of the Boston and Worcester Railroad, 1865-1866, include four letters and the decision of the Suffolk Supreme Court in the case of Charles Darling versus The Boston and Worcester Railroad.

For additional information on Massachusetts railroads of this period see: Francis B. C. Bradlee, The Lowell Railroad (Salem, 1918) and Boston & Maine R. R. (Salem, 1921).

Dates

  • 1822-1909

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection are in the public domain. There are no restrictions on use. Copyright status for other collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (1 box, 1 folio)

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/mssa.ms.0971

Overview

Correspondence, financial and legal documents, maps, schedules, and newspaper clippings from the records of various Massachusetts railroads eventually incorporated by lease or merger into the Boston and Maine Railroad or the New York Central Railroad.
Title
Guide to the Massachusetts Railroads Collection
Status
Under Revision
Author
compiled by Miriam Levi
Date
September 1979
Description rules
Finding Aid Created In Accordance With Manuscripts And Archives Processing Manual
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository

Contact:
Yale University Library
P.O. Box 208240
New Haven CT 06520-8240 US
(203) 432-1735
(203) 432-7441 (Fax)

Location

Sterling Memorial Library
Room 147
120 High Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Opening Hours