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New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Records
About the Collection
Contents Listing
NOTE ABOUT THIS WEB PAGE
This web location provides a general index to the 266 page New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Records finding aid--previously available only in paper format . As of April 6, 1998, the entire finding aid is now available via the Internet.
NOTE TO RESEARCHERS
This guide to the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad Records is
an archival finding aid prepared to assist researchers in using the
collection. Due to the size and complexity of this collection, which
contains more than 2,000 linear feet of documents, a brief explanation of
how to use this guide is in order.
Two basic archival principles guided us in arranging and describing the
records in this collection. The records have been maintained according to
their office of origin and their original order. The documents are
organized in record groups, each of which contains the files created by a
particular department (e.g., Secretary, Trustees). Only two record groups,
Annual Reports and Bound Volumes, are based on type of material rather than
office of origin.
Within each record group, documents are filed in sub-categories called
series. Each series contains records which were generated by a specific
office within a department, created as a result of a particular type of
activity, or related to a specific topic. The arrangement of files in each
series reflects, to the extent possible, the original filing system under
which the records were created and maintained by each office.
Although this finding aid can be used profitably before visiting the
Archives, please remember that it was developed specifically for use in
consultation with a reference archivist. There is no substitute for
discussing your research query directly with the reference archivist, who
will assist you in locating information and in avoiding some of the many
potential wrong turns and dead-ends which frequently make archival research
both challenging and, sometimes, frustrating.
This finding aid will not enable you to identify individual items, or to
locate in one place all the material on a given subject. Nor can the
Archives staff provide photocopies of individual pieces or specific
information on a topic. With a collection of more than 2,000 linear feet of
documents, it is impossible to list or catalog each item or topic. In most
cases, only a general listing of filing categories is available. The
finding aid is merely an aid to research, not a substitute for it.
This guide can, however, assist you in narrowing your search and in
identifying which series or boxes are likely to contain useful information.
The first step is to determine which of the major offices within the company
was likely to have dealt with the issue or topic you are researching. This
will guide you to one or more of the record groups. The narrative
description of the records should be read carefully for an overview of the
filing systems and the types of records in each record group and series.
After identifying which series might contain useful information, you
should scan the contents list for each appropriate series. The contents
lists for some series only identify the numerical or alphabetical grouping
of files in each box. In some cases, they provide a listing of the file
folder titles in the boxes. The only listing which is more detailed than
this is provided for the record group Bound Volumes, which lists each type
of record book for the various companies. For some series, a card file
index prepared by the office of origin provides more detailed access to
names, places, and topics (see Appendix A). The contents list will lead you
to the box numbers which should be requested for research use (include both
record group number and box number, since boxes in each record group are
numbered separately).
Because of the size and complexity of this collection, researchers
investigating most topics should carefully examine the listings for each of
the record groups and series. Information about a particular railroad
company or a local station, for example, might be located in two or three
different record groups. A large number of files and individual documents
refer to numerous railroad companies, stations, or topics; however, the size
of the collection made it impossible to list each such reference. Thus,
some information about the Naugatuck Railroad, for example, may be located
in Secretary's Office Legal Records, even though the company's name does not
appear in the contents list for this series. Other clues, such as dates of
major events, topics of special importance to the company, or secondary
subjects related to the main topic of inquiry, will need to be followed in
order to locate such information.
It should be noted that this collection contains only the core group of
New Haven Railroad records in the
Thomas J. Dodd Research Center . Many of the company's
historically valuable records have been
destroyed or scattered among other archival repositories and private collectors. The Railroad Archives already has acquired several other groups of
New Haven Railroad records, and welcomes information about other railroad
records which might be donated for preservation and research use.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This project was funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities, with additional funding from the University of Connecticut
Libraries and matching gift funds from the New Haven Railroad Historical and
Technical Association and several individuals. For their many contributions
to the project, we wish to thank Advisory Board members Fred V. Carstensen,
L. Peter Cornwall, William G. Dulmaine, Jr., Charles B. Gunn, Alan M.
Levitt, Karl Schlachter, Karl Stieg, and Gregg M. Turner.
The staff members who completed this undertaking include: project
archivists Marguerite Giguere-Davis, Peter Latincsics, Heather Smith, and
Cheryl Turkington; project assistants Jill Padelford, Aldo Salerno, and John
Wraight; students assistants Peter Cote, Laura Ebert, Brian Fitzgerald,
Christine Klimek, Elise Orringer, and Jeffrey Wilson; and project director
Randall Jimerson.
HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK, NEW HAVEN AND HARTFORD RAILROAD
During the centennial celebration of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
Railroad in 1926, President E. J. Pearson boasted that the "...history of the
New Haven system was a history of transportation in this country." Had he limited
his claim to the New York - Boston corridor, Pearson would have been substantially
correct. For almost one hundred years the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
Railroad, better known as the New Haven Railroad, was the primary means of passenger
and freight transportation in Southern New England. Chartered in 1872, this
merger between the New York & New Haven and Hartford & New Haven railroads
later included the long desired rail link between Boston and New York. Approximately
one hundred small independent railroads were built in southern New England between
1826 and the 1880s. By 1904 the majority were absorbed into the vast New Haven
system. At its peak in 1929, the New Haven Railroad owned and operated 2,131
miles of track throughout New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
The local railroad lines that eventually became part of the New Haven system
developed in response to local business and transportation needs. Unlike the
Western states, where railroads preceded and shaped settlement, in the Northeast
they served primarily to link existing towns, businesses, and markets. The New
Haven system thus developed as a result of numerous consolidations and mergers.
The New Haven traced its founding to 1826, when one of its predecessor companies
originated, but the New York, New Haven and Hartford was not chartered until
1872. The company followed the pattern of consolidation established by the Pennsylvania
Railroad and other companies, particularly after 1889, when major lines in Connecticut,
Rhode Island, and southern Massachusetts provided a strong network linking New
York and Boston. By 1890, company revenue exceeded $100,000,000 per year, and
the New Haven employed 4,000 people to serve twelve million passengers annually.
This success led a wealthy group of New York investors, headed by J. P. Morgan,
to seek and gain control of the New Haven's board. In 1903, Morgan installed
Charles Mellen as president of the railroad. Together Morgan and Mellen set
out to achieve a complete monopoly of transportation in New England. Substantial
improvements to the system were made during the Mellen years, including electrification
of rail lines between Woodlawn, New York, and New Haven, Connecticut, and construction
of a power generating plant in Cos Cob, Connecticut. These accomplishments,
however, were overshadowed by Morgan's ambitious schemes to dominate all modes
of transportation in New England. Steamboat lines, trolley companies, and other
railroad lines were purchased regardless of price and incorporated into the
New Haven system.
An investigation of the New Haven's activities by Louis Brandeis in 1907 revealed the overextended railroad was on the verge of financial collapse. Morgan's death in 1913 and Mellen's subsequent resignation brought to a close a stormy period in the New Haven's history.
During the First World War all of the railroads in the United States, including
the New Haven Railroad, were operated by the federal government. After the war,
under Edward Pearson, President through 1928, the railroad was able to recover
partially, despite increasing competition from automobiles, by sharing in the
national economic growth of the 1920s. The company tried to meet this transportation
competition by forming the New England Transportation Company, which operated
a fleet of trucks and buses. Recovery of the New Haven, however, was cut short
by the Depression of the 1930s, and in 1935 the New Haven plunged into bankruptcy.
The company remained in trusteeship until 1947, when it returned to private
ownership.
A series of struggles for control of the company in the post World War II period
severely weakened the management of the company and its ability to adapt to
changes in the transportation industry. The completion of the Connecticut Turnpike
and other superhighways and the start of air shuttle service between Boston
and New York intensified competition. The company's historic liability as a
railroad overburdened with many short, costly branch lines further accelerated
its decline.
On July 2, 1961, the New Haven Railroad once again went into receivership.
A seven year trusteeship period followed, culminating in the absorption of the
New Haven in the Penn Central system on January 1, 1969. Three years later the
Penn Central itself collapsed into bankruptcy. The former components of the
New Haven Railroad were divided among several entities. Freight service was
assumed by Conrail when it was formed in 1976, although the Providence &
Worcester also provided freight service on portions of the former New Haven,
as did a few other operators. Passenger commuter service was funded by the New
York Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
Long-haul passenger service was provided by Amtrak beginning in 1971. After
1976 passenger commuter service was operated by Conrail. In 1982 the United
States Congress passed legislation that forced Conrail to divest itself of its
commuter rail lines. On January 1, 1983, Metro-North Commuter Railroad, under
joint ownership of the states of New York and Connecticut, took over all commuter
passenger service. Amtrak continued to handle all long-haul passenger service.
The history of the New Haven Railroad reveals a company formed by one of the
classic merger and consolidation patterns of the late 19th century, which was
later unable to respond effectively to major changes in the transportation industry.
The company's rapid growth, collapse, temporary recovery, and final dissolution
offer a dramatic story, with government regulation, internal management decisions,
and market competition playing important roles in the company's history.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
This collection of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad records
contains central administrative and financial records of the New Haven
Railroad and approximately 300 predecessor and subsidiary companies. The
records are dated from 1831 to 1980, with the bulk of material dated 1935 to
1968.
These records constitute the official records of the company, primarily
from the central administrative offices. In particular, they document
activities of the Board of Directors and Comptroller. Operational,
engineering, and personnel activities are less fully covered, and there are
major gaps in coverage of many aspects of the company's history. This
collection does not include: personnel or employee records; operational
records regarding equipment, schedules, etc.; maps, engineering drawings, or
mechanical records; or detailed information about financial and operational
activities on a daily basis. There are few administrative files for the
Mellen-Morgan years, and gaps exist in several record groups and series for
various time periods. Some of these gaps apparently exist because records
were lost or destroyed. In some cases, records were scattered and some of
these records were found and preserved by collectors and historical groups.
Several other collections at the University of Connecticut and other
repositories thus supplement or fill in some of these gaps.
This collection, however, is the largest known concentration of New Haven
Railroad records. It thus forms an important research collection for a wide
range of topics relating to the company and its predecessors and
subsidiaries. The collection is organized in seven record groups:
Secretary's Office; Trustees; Annual Reports; Comptroller's Office;
Accounting Department; Legal Department Claims; and Bound Volumes.
The SECRETARY'S OFFICE record group contains central administrative files
for the New Haven Railroad and many of its subsidiary companies. As the
official record-keeping officer for the company, the Corporate Secretary
maintained minutes of meetings, reports, administrative files, agreements,
real estate records, stocks and stockholder records, legal records, and
records of subsidiary companies. This record group is thus important for
many issues pertaining to administrative and legal activities, particularly
those under purview of the Board of Directors.
The TRUSTEES record group contains files relating to the company's
activities during reorganization under court-appointed Trustees. The major
concentration of records covers the second reorganization, from 1961 to its
merger with Penn Central in 1968. These records include publications,
reports, administrative files, legal and court records, financial records,
and related materials.
The ANNUAL REPORTS record group was created by combining annual reports
prepared by the Secretary and the Accounting Department. These records
include annual reports to stockholders, the Interstate Commerce Commission,
and various state governments, as well as annual reports by other railroad
companies.
The COMPTROLLERS record group consists of records from the Comptroller's
Office. These relate primarily to financial and administrative concerns,
including employee relations, strikes, passenger fares, revenue forecasts,
government relations, audits, freight operations, abandonment of rail lines,
and subsidiary companies.
The ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT record group contains additional financial and
reporting records, relating to financial transactions. This includes
Securities and Exchange Commission reports, stock portfolios, rate structure
studies, claims, journal entries, vouchers, and subsidiary company records.
The LEGAL DEPARTMENT CLAIMS record group contains claim files and cases
handled by the Legal Department.
The BOUND VALUES record group was created for convenience in organizing
and handling oversize bound volumes from a variety of offices and companies.
These include bound volumes from the New Haven Railroad's Secretary's
Office, Accounting Department, and Comptroller's Office. There are also
bound volumes from approximately 300 predecessor and subsidiary companies.
This collection of New Haven Railroad records is the largest archival
collection for the company and its predecessors and subsidiaries. The
University of Connecticut also holds several major collections from the New
Haven Railroad, received from other sources or donors. New Haven
Railroad records and collections of materials about the company are also
maintained by a number of other archival repositories. These other
collections should be consulted by researchers interested in further
information.
Size of the Collection
1,305 Boxes
2,199 Bound Volumes
2,088 Linear Feet
History of the Records
The history of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company records and the records of its predecessor and subsidiary companies is almost as complex as the organization itself.
In 1952, approximately 1,945 bound volumes, mostly financial ledgers of the New Haven Railroad and its predecessor and subsidiary companies, were placed on "permanent deposit" at Yale University Library by the New Haven Railroad. Within ten years, space shortages forced Yale to consider transferring the volumes to other repositories. In 1962, the New Haven Railroad authorized Yale University to destroy the material on permanent deposit that could not be transferred elsewhere. The volumes were then transferred to Baker Library at Harvard University, the Marine Historical Society in Mystic, Connecticut, and the Connecticut Electric Railway Association at Warehouse Point, Connecticut. There is no record that any documents were destroyed.
In February, 1969, William E. Wood, Director of the National Railway Historical Society transferred over 500 bound volumes and several cartons of timetables, vouchers, and stock certificates to the University of Connecticut Library from their storage location at Warehouse Point, Connecticut. The bulk of the New Haven's 20th century records remained in a records center at Cedar Hill, Connecticut.
In June, 1978, the Trustees of Penn Central, the New Haven's successor, designated the University of Connecticut the official repository for records of the New York, New Haven Hartford Railroad. Later that year, the first group of records from the Cedar Hill records center were transferred to the University. The records included approximately 1,150 cartons (over 1,200 linear feet) of Accounting Department and Comptroller records, personal injury claims, and legal case files.
American Financial Enterprises, Inc., successor to the New Haven Railroad, signed a formal Deed of Gift, donating additional records to the University, on October 24, 1980. This agreement renewed the designation of the University of Connecticut as the official repository for historical records of the New Haven Railroad. In 1980, the University received over 1,000 linear feet of records from the railroad's headquarters at 54 Meadow Street, New Haven. The records included approximately 1,000 bound volumes, annual reports, Secretary files, Trustee files, and claims.
This page is maintained by B. Pittman
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