Photograph Album of Pacific Electric Railroad Employees, 1920-1937

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Summary

Title:
Photograph album of Pacific Electric railroad employees
Dates:
1920-1937
Abstract:
The collection consists of nearly 300 pages of black and white photographs of male Pacific Electric railroad employees, arranged alphabetically by the first letter of the surname, but not in precise alphabetical order.
Extent:
1 Linear Feet 1 oversized box
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Photograph album of Pacific Electric railroad employees, MS 76, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of nearly 300 pages of black and white photographs (image size: 1-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches) with 24 images pasted on each page) of male railroad employees, arranged alphabetically by the first letter of the surname, but not in precise alphabetical order. Each photograph includes a date (possibly a hire date), a job title (brakeman, motorman, conductor), and a geographical identification (regional or specific: Pasadena, Long Beach, Pomona). The men are not in uniform.

The album was compiled by the donor's father, Walter Bales, who worked for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, and the Pacific Electric Railway. His tenure at the latter company was from the 1930s until his 1971 retirement. During the mid-1950s, Mr. Bales was chairman of a regional chapter of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. A presumption as to the corporate affiliation of these gentlemen is to the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen or the Pacific Electric Railway.

Biographical / historical:

Walter Bales was born in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma on Feb. 7, 1907, the son of William and Sarah. He married Lucile Miller on August 20, 1929, in Flagstaff, Arizona. At the time of the 1930 U.S. Census, Bales and his wife were living in Los Angeles, California and he was employed as a blacksmith. In 1940, Bales and his family were still living in Los Angeles, and he was employed as a brakeman. At the time of the 1940 census, Walter and Lucile were parents to three children, Ruth, Walter Jr. and Shirlee.

Prior to his death, Bales had worked with youngsters at the Wilmington Teen Post, instructed Comprehensive Employment Training Act workers in restoring six structures at the Los Angeles International Hostel in San Pedro and was associated with the office of City Councilman, John Gibson, Jr.

He passed away on September 30, 1980, and was survived by a son, Walter Jr., daughters, Shirlee and Ruth, 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. The burial was in Westminster Memorial Park.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Shirlee J. Thomson, 1993
Arrangement:

Album is arranged alphabetically, A-Z

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

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Library Archives staff
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-05-05 21:58:02 +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], Photograph album of Pacific Electric railroad employees, MS 76, 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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