This collection includes the records of the Cedar Rapids passenger ticket agent for the Chicago North Western Railway from 1896 to 1899. The collection includes the record books necessary for selling tickets, correspondence with the railroad headquarters in Chicago, and correspondence dealing with the problems of passenger transportation. While the collection is most complete for the period from 1896 to 1899, there is some material covering the period from 1890 to 1907. The collection is of greatest significance for the period from 1896 to 1899. However, since the records of the Chicago North Western Railway are incomplete, this collection could be valuable in studying policies of the road, passenger traffic methods, and business methods for the last decade of the nineteenth century. The collection was in very poor condition when brought into the library, having been subject to water damage and having served as a roost for pigeons. However, most of the collection was salvaged, and only minor parts of it, which were illegible and impossible to restore, were destroyed. The records of the Cedar Rapids ticket agents for the Chicago North Western Railway were obtained through the cooperation of Frank Anderson, librarian-in-charge of the Masonic Library in Cedar Rapids. The records themselves had been preserved by historically-minded individuals at the time the Union Depot in Cedar Rapids was wrecked. The records were obtained for the University July 19, 1963, by Jack King.
