Montpelier Railroad Unions Records

CAINE COLL MSS 22-24

Scope and Content Note:

The history of the labor movement in the Western United States is one dominated by the unions representing the major industries such as mining and railroading. The papers in Caine collections 22-24 chronicle railroad union activity on the Oregon Shortline (later the Union Pacific) of Idaho, Utah, and Oregon. Specifically the collections contain records from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, which later became the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen; the Women’s auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen; and the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. These records were found together in the Oddfellows Hall in Montpelier, Idaho, at which location the unions held their regular meetings. The records span the period from 1884 through 1954.

Construction of the Oregon Shortline Railroad, a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad, began in 1881 and was finished in 1884. The line left the mainline of the U.P. at Granger, Wyoming and joined the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company line at Huntington, Oregon. By the end of 1882, the company had built 330 miles of track. The route of the road came through Montpelier, so that in 1883 this Idaho farming community became a division point for the railroad. By the turn of the century a shop and roundhouse had been built in the Idaho town. Town histories indicate that the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers established a lodge in 1883. Another union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive of Firemen’s Re-Echo Lodge 195 moved their headquarters from Shoshone, Idaho to Montpelier in 1887. The earliest records in this collection chronicle the B.L.F.’s Re-Echo Lodge 195 and date back to 1884 when the lodge was headquartered in Shoshone, Idaho.

The railroad was a boon to Montpelier and became the main employer of that town into the 1950’s. However, as trains became faster and more powerful and as engines changed from steam power to diesel, the need for a large railroad work force in Montpelier declined. By the 1950’s many of the union men were moved to the divisional headquarters in Pocatello.

These railroad labor records cover important periods for the American labor movement. They document union activity through two world wars as well as the Great Depression. They also describe a period in which railroad employment played a key role in small western towns such a Montpelier, Idaho. In addition, the papers recount the difficulties of a manufacturing type of industry blending into a religious farming community.

Collection 22:
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Enginemen

The records of the Re-Echo Lodge 195 cover the most extensive time period and contain the most complete record of activity of the three lodges. The Re-Echo records begin in 1884 and continue through 1950. The 1884 date is significant because it is only seven years after the general strike of 1877 that destroyed the American labor movement. This collection contains minute books, financial records, correspondence files, grand lodge publications, and reports from the general chairman’s association, usually affiliated with grievance issues. The lodge also served as the parent lodge for members who worked in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

The earliest records are holographic ledgers that include meeting minute books and financial records. The minute books begin in 1884 and end in 1942. They record the meetings of the lodge, which were held on a weekly basis. The financial ledgers begin in 1886 and continue into the 1930’s. These records document payment of dues and the purchase of insurance policies. The financial records also show the interaction between the local, regional, and national organizations.

The lodge files make up the bulk of the collection. These files contain a variety of documents—correspondence, reports, receipts, etc. These files have been kept in their original filing order, which was chronological. The local correspondence consisted primarily of issues addressed are primarily non-payment of dues or need of extension on dues payments. Otherwise, the correspondence tends to be between the lodge secretary and the regional representative. Much of this correspondence involves grievances brought by the union against the railroad company. In addition, the files contain material pertaining to legislative action taken by the union. The union established the Idaho Legislative Council in the 1930’s that became the political arm of the union.

Finally, the collection contains a variety of reports from the different union committees. Included are the Chairman’s Association, joint union meetings, and Idaho or Central Division Grievance Committee. Most of these documents concern grievances brought by the union against management and report upon how they were resolved.

Collection 23:
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Lodge # 607, Montpelier Idaho.

Vol. 17 1939-1948

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