Elisabeth Batchelder Smith papers, 1944-2024, bulk 1944-1946

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Summary

Abstract:
Contains autobiographies, a biography, a memory prompt, and photographs of Elisabeth Batchelder Smith who served as a passenger aide for Southern Pacific Railroad during World War II.
Extent:
.165 linear feet Linear Feet 5 folders
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Elisabeth Batchelder Smith Papers, MS 964, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Elisabeth Batchelder Smith Papers contain autobiographies, a biography, a memory prompt, and photographs of Elisabeth Batchelder Smith who served as a passenger aide for Southern Pacific Railroad during World War II. Of particular interest are Elizabeth's personal observations in her autobiographies and daughter Louise's memory prompt of wounded Army nurses, war brides, and the transportation of German, Italian, and Japanese prisoners of war. Some of the statements in the memory prompt were later edited with redactions and revised by Elisabeth. Her biography written by her daughter, Barbara, provides a much more detailed history of Elisabeth's life, which includes her time with the railroad. Photographs include portraits of Elisabeth in her passenger aide uniform during the 1940s.

Biographical / historical:

Elisabeth Batchelder Smith was born December 8, 1919 in Elko, Nevada to Frank and Edith Batchelder. In 1936, at the age of 17, she dropped out of high school and married Wilbur Harry Schultz. Along with their two daughters -- Eleanor Louise and Wilma Alice – the family moved to Richmond, California shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Elisabeth and Wilbur found work as welders together in the Richmond shipyards working on Liberty ships; however, the couple divorced in 1942. Elisabeth and her two daughters moved from Richmond to Oakland where Elizabeth worked as a welder in the Oakland shipyards. She eventually sent the children to Elko, Nevada to live with her parents until the war ended.

Elisabeth then took on a series of jobs including an armed security guard for U.S. Army war supplies, a chiropractor's assistant, and a private investigator. In 1943, Elisabeth was hired by Southern Pacific Railroad to be in their Passenger Aide program. The program was established during wartime to hire women to replace nurse stewardesses who either transferred to military hospitals or joined the services. Her routes took her from Oakland to Portland, as well as Oakland to Ogden. On her travels she encountered many passengers traveling coast to coast, including military personnel, wounded Army nurses, war brides, and prisoners of war.

After the war ended, Southern Pacific discontinued the passenger aide program, and Elisabeth found a job working as an operator and receptionist for the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in San Francisco. She met and married Franklin R. Smith in 1947 and moved with him and her two daughters to Menlo Park and later Hayfork, California. By 1957, the Smith's had four daughters together – Barbara, Joni Rebecca, Lucinda, and Cecilia.

Elisabeth eventually returned to work as a teacher's aide and later as an office manager for a local fuel broker before retiring. According to her biography written by her daughter Barbara Wheeler (nee Smith), "Instead of sitting at home, Elisabeth decided to do something she had long dreamed of. In 1980, at the age of 61, she graduated from Marie Salinger's School of Design in San Francisco, specializing in historical headwear. She opened her own home-based hat boutique 'Chapeaubeth' in 1983… As a milliner, she created custom hats for singing groups, individuals, her family and the local acting guild."

She was an active member of the Mountain Actors Guild in Trinity County, and enjoyed gardening, birdwatching, making preserves, and winemaking.

On April 18, 1997, Elisabeth died from influenza.

Sources:

Burman, Shirley (2022). SISTERS OF THE IRON ROAD. SBS Publishing, Sacramento, Calif.

Wheeler, Barbara (2024). ELISABETH BATCHELDER SMITH [BIOGRAPHY]. Bonney Lake, Wash.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Barbara Wheeler, 2024
Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

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

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research by appointment. Certain files are restricted. Contact Library Staff.

Terms of access:

Copyright has 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], Elisabeth Batchelder Smith Papers, MS 964, 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
Website