Gilbert Harold Kneiss collection, 1863 - 1967

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Summary

Abstract:
The Gilbert Harold Kneiss Collection consists largely of records he obtained while working for the Western Pacific Railroad. These documents date from the time of the construction of the Western Pacific Railway to the road's first receivership and reorganization in 1915-1916.
Extent:
14.179 Linear Feet 43 boxes + 1 half-size box + 6 oversize boxes + MS OV B1
Language:
English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Gilbert Harold Kneiss Collection , MS 17, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Gilbert Harold Kneiss Collection consists largely of records he obtained while working for the Western Pacific Railroad. These documents date from the time of the construction of the Western Pacific Railway to the road's first receivership and reorganization in 1915-1916.

They are derived principally from the papers of Virgil G. Bogue, Western Pacific's vice-president and chief engineer, circa 1905-1915. The papers include significant amounts of correspondence from the company's president Edward Turner Jeffery (1843-1927), and cover a number of subjects, including location of the line, acquisition of the right of way, construction of the railroad, facilities, and terminals, branch lines, relations with other railroads (especially the Southern Pacific), operations and equipment.

In addition, a lesser amount of Western Pacific Railroad material dating from 1916 to 1963 is included. A second major portion of the collection consists of records from the Nevada Central, Virginia and Truckee, and Carson and Colorado Railroads.

The Nevada Central material is principally letterpress copy books of C. W. Hinchcliffe as superintendent, secretary, treasurer, cashier, general passenger and freight agent, and receiver. The Virginia and Truckee/Carson and Colorado items consist of shipping bills, train registers, a time book, and records of bank deposits.

The collection also contains Kneiss personal and family materials, research notes and notebooks by Kneiss on a number of California and Nevada railroads. The notebooks contain locomotive roster information for many California and Nevada short and branch lines.

Biographical / historical:

Gilbert Harold Kneiss was born in San Francisco August 28, 1899 and graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the University of Nevada in 1923. During the 1920s he worked for Standard Oil of California, and in the following decade formed the Audisk Corporation.

Kneiss served as technical director for railroad pageants at the Golden Gate International Exposition and the New York World's Fair in 1939-1940. After serving as the San Francisco district manager for the War Production Board from 1941 to 1947, he became assistant to the president and head of a new public relations department for the Western Pacific Railroad. Among his accomplishments were the inauguration of a military blood procurement car during the Korean War and special trains to the circus for children in outlying areas in Nevada.

Kneiss authored two books on railroading, BONANZA RAILROADS (1941) and REDWOOD RAILWAYS (1956). He was a founding member of the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society and served as a vice-president of the national organization. Gilbert Kneiss died February 2, 1964.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Mrs. Gilbert H. Kneiss
Arrangement:

MS 17 is arranged into five series:

Series 1. Western Pacific Railway records

Series 1.1 Office of Vice-President and Chief Engineer, Virgil G. Bogue

Series 1.2 Publicity and Public Relations Department

Series 2. Nevada railroads records

Series 2.1 Nevada Central Railroad records

Series 2.2 Virginia & Truckee / Carson & Colorado

Series 3. Subject files

Series 3.1 General

Series 3.2 Gilbert Kneiss Personal and Family

Series 3.3 Manuscripts

Series 4. Gilbert Kneiss notebooks

Series 4.1 Research Notebooks

Series 4.2 Locomotive Rosters

Series 4.3 Miscellaneous Notebooks

Series 5. Miscellaneous railroad records

Physical location:
Statewide Museum Collection Center
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

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], Gilbert Harold Kneiss Collection , MS 17, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Location of this collection:
111 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814, US
Contact:
(916) 323-8073
Library.CSRM@parks.ca.gov
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