Object Details
- Collection Creator
- United Telegraph Workers.
- Western Union Telegraph Company
- See more items in
- Western Union Telegraph Company Records
- Date
- 1854-1945
- Archival Repository
- Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Identifier
- NMAH.AC.0205, Series 10
- Type
- Archival materials
- Collection Citation
- Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Arrangement
- This series is divided into six subseries: 1. Correspondence, 1896-1945 2. Narratives, undated 3. Pole & Wire Materials, 1890s 4. Lists of Contracts, General Agreements, and index, 1931, 1939, undated 5. Railway Passes, circa 1890-1920 6. Contracts, undated
- Collection Rights
- Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
- Scope and Contents
- The narratives contain various writings about railroads, Western Union, and the telegraph in general while the pole and wire materials consist of a compilation of statistical data. The lists of contacts contain alphabetical listings of railroad companies with whom Western Union conducted business. These lists reveal the name of the railroad, date of the contact, date of expiration, and other names the railroad used. Railway Passes/Franks and Identification Cards, ca. 1890 to 1920, are arranged alphabetically by the name of the railroad with additional passes for the Art Institute of Chicago, Wells Fargo, Postal Telegraph and Western Union. The cards belong to a variety of Western Union employees from electricians to presidents. The cards entitled officers, agents of the railroad, and other companies with which Western Union had contractual relations to travel between all points on the company's lines within the United States. Restrictions exist in designated territories and were noted by the railroad company issuing the card. The card was countersigned either on the front or back and in some instances was not good for sleeping cars and was not transferable. Most passes expired yearly and were renewed.
- Collection Restrictions
- Collection is open for research but Series 11 and films are stored off-site. Special arrangements must be made to view some of the audiovisual materials. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
- Record ID
- ebl-1503510250829-1503510251236-1
