Collection Guide
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Los Angeles Railway Corporation Legal Records and Correspondence
73-DPGTL
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Library and Archives
Title: Los Angeles Railway Corporation legal records and correspondence
Creator:
Los Angeles Railway Corporation
Identifier/Call Number: 73-DPGTL
Physical Description:
14.6 linear feet,
53 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1890-1944
Date (bulk): 1891-1899
Abstract: Legal documents and correspondence generated in the operations of Los Angeles Railway Corporation, the company that operated
local streetcar transit from 1895-1945.
Open for research. Digital copies of some photographs available online. Advance notice required for physical access to collection.
Contact LACMTA Research Library and Archive to make an appointment.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the LACMTA Research Library and Archive. Permission for reproduction
or publication is given on behalf of the LACMTA Research Library and Archive as the owner of the physical items. The researcher
assumes all responsibility for possible infringement that may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the
LACMTA Research Library and Archive collections.
[Identification of item], Los Angeles Railway Corporation Legal Records and Correspondence, 73-DPGTL. Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority Research Library and Archive.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Southern California Rapid Transit District material was passed on to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(LACMTA) after LACMTA was created by the California State Legislature through a merger of the Los Angeles County Transportation
Commission and the Southern California Rapid Transit District
Material from the Los Angeles Railway library became part of the library established by SCRTD in 1971. SCRTD's library and
its materials were retained by LACMTA after the 1993 merger.
Processed by Denise Villegas, May 2013.
Biography / Administrative History
Los Angeles Railway Corporation (LARy) operated local streetcar transit in downtown Los Angeles from 1895-1945. LARy was also
known as the Yellow Cars of Los Angeles, distinguished from the farther-reaching Pacific Electric Railway Company's "red car"
interurban streetcars by vehicle color.
During its operation, LARy expanded service by merging with the Main Street & Agricultural Park Street Railroad. Henry E.
Huntington became owner of LARy in 1898, and the controlling interest remained part of the Huntington estate until 1945 when
the Fitzgerald Brothers purchased those shares.
LARy became part of the National City Lines, was renamed the Los Angeles Transit Lines, and eventually the streetcars were
phased out, replaced by motor buses.
This collection is comprised of documents generated by the operation of Los Angeles Railway Corporation. This includes drafts
and final copies of trust deeds/mortgages, contracts made with stockholders, banks, and other corporations such as the Southern
California Power Company. Also included are check stubs, correspondence, accounting documents, and handwritten notes.
This collection is arranged in the 15 series listed below. Arrangement within each series is chronological, with unknown dates
at the front.
- Board of Directors and Stockholders, 1895 – 1899
- Contracts, Decrees, Deeds, and Agreements, 1890 – 1943
- Construction, 1898
- Corporate Culture, 1898 – 1942
- Correspondence, September 1894 – January 1899
- Divisions, Yards, and Shops, undated
- Equipment, 1939 – 1940
- Female Employees, 1942 – 1945
- Financial Records, 1895 – 1943
- Maps and Routes, 1932 – 1945
- Public Relations, 1921 – 1944
- Reports, 1930 – 1946
- Tickets and Transfers, 1940 – 1941
- Two Bells, 1920 – 1944
- Miscellaneous, 1890 – 1898
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Local transit -- California -- Los Angeles County
Los Angeles (Calif.) -- 1880-1890
Los Angeles Railway Corporation