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Walter Boyd Townsend Family papers
MS 627
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Title: Walter Boyd Townsend Family papers
Dates: 1890-1950s
Collection Number: MS 627
Creator/Collector:
Townsend (Walter Boyd) Family
Extent: 1 box
Repository:
California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives
Sacramento, California 95814
Abstract: This collection (1890-1950s) contains a scrapbook, membership cards and passes pertaining to Walter Boyd Townsend's career
as a traveling and freight agent for several railroads and information regarding his father, Henry Clay Townsend, who was
also a railroad man. Also includes a baby book for his daughter Jeanne.
Language of Material: English
This collection is open for research at our off-site storage facility with one week's notice. Contact Library & Archives
staff to arrange for 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 Capital District Collections Manager. 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.
Walter Boyd Townsend Family papers. California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives
Gift of Ruth W. Savage, 2005.
Scope and Content of Collection
Contains a scrapbook begun in 1902 by Walter Boyd Townsend (1875-1956). The scrapbook contains newspaper and magazine clippings,
business cards, photographs and correspondence relating to his career as a traveling freight and passenger agent for the Chicago,
Rock Island and Pacific, Missouri Pacific, Denver & Rio Grande, Texas & Pacific, and Western Pacific Railroads. He worked
in Salt Lake City and the San Francisco Bay Area. Also contains information regarding his father, Henry Clay Townsend (1847-1908)
who was General Passenger Agent for the Missouri Pacific and President of the American Association of General Passenger &
Ticket Agents. Includes two letters, 1890, from Jay Gould (1836-1892) to Henry C. Townsend. There are photographs of W.
B. Townsend, his travels, and his wife, and an interesting print of a theatre screen lavishly decorated with railroad advertisements.
There is also a baby book for Jeanne Townsend, daughter of Walter Boyd Townsend and Leila McKillican Townsend, circa 1900.