Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Sutter Lodge No. 340 Collection, 1890 - 1951
Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Sutter Lodge No. 340 collection
- Dates:
- 1890 - 1951
- Abstract:
- This collection contains ledgers and correspondence from the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and one ledger from its women's group, Golden State Lodge.
- Extent:
- 10 Linear Feet 10 oversize boxes
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Sutter Lodge No. 340 Collection, MS 411, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains ledgers and correspondence from the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and one ledger from its women's group, Golden State Lodge.
- Biographical / historical:
-
The Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen was a cooperative association founded in the summer of 1883 in Albany, New York for the main purpose of providing disability benefits to its members. A rival Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen branch was founded in 1883 by eight brakemen for the Delaware & Hudson Railroad who met secretly in Oneonota, New York. This group became Lodge No. 1 of the Brotherhood. By 1884, at their first annual convention, they had 39 lodges and 900 members in the United States and Canada. In January 1889, in Fort Gratiot, Michigan, the Brotherhood created a women's group which they named the Grand Lodge.
In 1890, the name of the organization was changed to the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Concerned with practical issues such as providing pension and disability benefits for its members, the Brotherhood also supported shorter hours, better wages, education and other improved working conditions for its members. Grievance committees were set up to hear members' grievances against employers and to try to facilitate a resolution between employees and employers on these issues. The Brotherhood created an Auxiliary to do charitable works, such as the establishment of a home for indigent and elderly members, and tuberculosis research.
In 1969, the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen merged with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers, the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, and the Switchmen's Union of North America to form the United Transportation Union.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Gail Cortopassi, 1998. From the collection of Alfred Francis Wollmering, a Southern Pacific employee for 34 years.
- Arrangement:
-
This collection is arranged into seven series:
- Series 1: Attendance Registers
- Series 2: Financial Records
- Series 3: Grievance Committee
- Series 4: Membership and Policy Register
- Series 5: Minutes of Meetings
- Series 6: Record Books
- Series 7: Visitors' Register
- Physical location:
- Statewide Museum Collection Center
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-04-06 16:24:57 +0000 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research by appointment. Contact Library Staff.
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright has not been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. Permission for publication must be submitted in writing to the CSRM Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Sutter Lodge No. 340 Collection, MS 411, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
111 I StreetSacramento, CA 95814, US
- Contact:
- (916) 323-8073