Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Gene H. Kuhn collection
- Dates:
- May 1885-1986
- Abstract:
- The Gene Kuhn collection includes records, maps, and photographs of railroads across the United States collected by Gene Kuhn, who worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad and Alaska Railroad in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Extent:
- 10.3 Linear Feet 7 record cartons + 5 oversize boxes
- Language:
- English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Gene H. Kuhn Collection, MS 878, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Gene Kuhn collection includes records, maps, and photographs of railroads across the United States collected by Gene Kuhn, who worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad and Alaska Railroad in the 1970s and 1980s. The focus is on the movement of freight and passengers. The collection includes freight and baggage agent's waybills, ticket invoices, tariffs, correspondence, bulletins and notices, clearance record booklets, train and enginemen time reports, agent seal record books, accident reports, photographs, and blue prints. Other materials include tariffs, train register tickets, conductors time return forms, perishable freight service reports, a freight damage log, employee time record/ reports book, and a letter press book.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Gene Kuhn was born in Yuba City, California in November of 1946. Gene graduated from Yuba City High School and completed two years at Yuba College. During his high school years he worked at the Del Monte Cannery on Plumas Street south of Bridge Street. One of his jobs for Del Monte was driving a forklift loading trucks. Gene lived most of his entire life in Sutter County with about 9 years spent in Yuba City. He has watched Yuba City grow from a population of around 3,000 people in the late 1940's to over 50,000 today.
After his tour of duty in the Navy, Gene went to work for Pacific Gas & Electric. His main passion was to work for the Southern Pacific, and after 6 months with PG & E, Gene was hired by Southern Pacific in September of 1971 as a laborer at the SP's Sacramento General Shops, than became a locomotive machinist apprentice, and after 3 years as an apprentice he became a Journeyman Machinist. He was a member of IAM, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
After a downturn in the nation's economy, Gene was laid off from Southern Pacific. He then moved to Alaska in 1983 to become a machinist for the Alaska Railroad (ARR).
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Gene Kuhn, 2020
- Arrangement:
-
MS 878 is arranged into 4 series:
Series 1. Southern Pacific Railroad
Series 2. Western Pacific Railroad
Series 3. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Series 4. Other Companies
- Accruals:
-
Additional accruals are expected.
- Physical location:
- Statewide Museum Collections Center: I2.212.R1 Boxes 1-3 I2.212. R2 Boxes 4-6 I2.212.R3 Boxes 7, OV 1, OV 2, OV 3 I2.212.R4 Boxes OV 4, OV 5
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-09-22 14:24:07 +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. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the CSRM Library & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the CSRM as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Gene H. Kuhn Collection, MS 878, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
111 I StreetSacramento, CA 95814, US
- Contact:
- (916) 323-8073