YMCA of the USA. Transportation Dept.

Organized YMCA work with railroad and other transportation workers dates to 1872, when the first railroad YMCA was founded in Cleveland, Ohio. These associations were founded to provide railroad workers with such amenities as a place to read, participate in Bible study classes or take a bath. With the growth of the railroad industry during the late 19th and early 20th century, the YMCA work expanded quickly. A traveling secretary was appointed to help organize more associations, and the first railroad convention was held in 1877. By 1910, there were 230 such associations around the country, and the American model was also being successfully adopted abroad in places like India, Russia, and Mexico. In 1920 the name of the Railroad Department changed to the Transportation Department to "make its name conform to the inclusive character of its work." A merchant marine department was set up, with five posts in the U.S. and eight abroad. The Depression took a major toll on the railroad Ys. By the 1950s, with the decline of the railroad system, most railroad Ys had closed or been incorporated into community YMCAs. The Transportation Department was reorganized as the separately incorporated Transportation YMCA of the USA in 1983. In 1989, it was disbanded.

From the description of Transportation and railroad department records, 1958-1989 (bulk 1900-1960). (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62703581

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