Part VI

Land Management and the Railroads<

Record Group 48 Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior

VI.1 Established by the Department of the Interior Act of March 3, 1849, the Office of the Secretary of the Interior supervises all operations and activities of the Department of the Interior and its constituent units. Initially, the duties of the Secretary related principally to the public domain, Indian affairs, pensions, and patents. Since 1849, the major responsibilities of territories and island possessions, mine safety, Depression and wartime emergency programs, geological and boundary surveys, national parks and monuments, fish and wildlife, mineral resources, river basin programs, and soil conservation were added. Major responsibilities concerning railroads included assistance to railroad construction which involved land-grants to railroads, supervision of actual railroad construction, and direction of railroad land survey commissions. The Secretary of the Interior was involved with land-grant railroads from 1862 to 1904. Before 1862, railroads had been constructed with Federal grants administered by the States. With the passage of the Pacific Railroad Act in 1862, the Federal Government began granting land directly to railroads. The act also incorporated the Union Pacific Railroad that was then required to file annual reports to the Secretary of the Treasury. In 1868, an act required that these reports be filed with the Secretary of the Interior. The Office of Auditor of Railroad Accounts was established in 1878 to examine the accounts of Federally aided railroads and to see that the laws concerning these companies were enforced. In 1881, this office was redesignated as the Commissioner of Railroads. Most of the financial obligations of the railroads to the Federal Government had been eliminated by 1904, and the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads was abolished the same year. The records of the Commissioner of Railroads are in the National Archives in Record Group 193. The Secretary was also responsible for the approval of rails used by railroad and streetcar companies in the District of Columbia and the supervision of the Alaskan Engineering Commission (1914-23) and its successor, the Alaska Railroad (1923-67). The records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior are described in the Inventory of the Records of the Department of the Interior, I 13.

VI.2 The series letters received and related records concerning miscellaneous subjects, 1869-1907 (10 ft.)(MLR Entry 315, A1), is among the "Pre-1907 Records: Records Relating to Territories and Other Possessions, Records Relating to the District of Alaska, 1869-1911." The Secretary of the Interior was empowered to regulate the enforcement of U.S. laws and to take care of public business in the District of Alaska, including mining claims, education of native children, and railroad construction. The bulk of the series is arranged by file number assigned in order of receipt (1884-1907) and the rest of the series is arranged by date of letter (1869-83). It is mostly letters received, but contains other types of records including railroad rate schedules. The letters relate to many subjects, including construction of railroads.

VI.3 Letters sent by the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads, August-September 1884 (1 vol., 0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 383, A1), arranged chronologically, consists of press copies, chiefly of letters to officials of railroad companies requesting data, photographs, and maps for use in preparing an exhibit. The series is part of "Records Relating to Expositions, 1872-1915: Records Relating to the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, 1884-88."

VI.4 The Louisiana Purchase Exposition was held in St. Louis in 1904. The Department of the Interior presented a departmental exhibit and was in charge of the exhibits presented by the District of Alaska and the Indian Territory. Among the "Records Relating to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1901-07," is the series publicity and procedural material, 1903-04 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 388, A1), arranged for the most part by type of record. It includes railroad and steamship schedules, among other records.

VI.5 In 1870, the Pacific Railroad Division was merged into the Lands and Railroads Division, which took over the work concerning the Pacific railroad, aiding of construction of railroads by Federal land grants and the construction of wagon roads. The records of the "Lands and Railroads Division, 1848-1907", include several series (Entries 538-558) of registers and indexes of letters received, letters and other communications received, registers and indexes of letters sent, and letters sent from railroad officials concerning railroad land grants and rights-of-way. Other records concerning the same subjects include opinions and decisions of the Secretary of the Interior. The series letters sent, 1849-1904 (307 vols., 53 ft.)(MLR Entry 557) has been reproduced as National Archives Microfilm Publication M620, Letters Sent by the Lands and Railroads Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, 1849-1904.

VI.6 Among the "Records of the Wagon Roads, Railroads, and Other Construction Projects, 1849-1907," are the records of the Engineer Office and the Pacific Railroad Division which were responsible, among other things, for supervising construction work relating to the Union Pacific Railroad, the Northern Pacific Railroad, and land-grant railroads.

VI.7 The "General Records, 1862-1880," in Record Group 48 contain several series of interest:

1. registers of letters received concerning railroads and other subjects, 1862-1880 (2 vols. 0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 590, A1), arranged for the most part alphabetically by name of railroad company or other subject and thereunder chronologically by date of receipt of letter. There is a separate section on "Right-of-Way Railroads." It consists of registers of letters received by the Engineer Office, Pacific Railroad Division and Lands and Railroads Division. Entries give date of letter, date of receipt, name (and often address) of writer, subject of letter, indication of action, and often a file reference.

2. register of miscellaneous letters received by the Engineer Office, 1866-1867 (1 vol., 0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 591, A1), arranged alphabetically by first initial of surname or position of writer and thereunder chronologically. This is a register of letters received relating to land grants to railroads, among other subjects. Most of the letters are also registered in the miscellaneous section of the first volume described in Entry 590.

3. miscellaneous letters sent by the Engineer Office, December 6, 1865-December 28, 1866 (1 vol., 0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 592, A1), arranged chronologically. These are handwritten copies of letters to the Secretary of the Interior, members of Congress, and railroad officials, among others, relating to railroads and other subjects. There is an index to surnames in the front of the volume.

4. press copies of miscellaneous letters sent by the Engineer Office, 1865-1867 (1 vol., 0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 593, A1), arranged chronologically. The series consists of letters to the Secretary of the Interior, members of Congress, officials of railroads, and others relating to land-grant railroads and Pacific railroads. Many of the letters are also copied in the volume of handwritten miscellaneous letters (Entry 592) or in the volumes of letters sent concerning land-grant railroads (Entry 601) and Pacific railroads (Entry 599). Included is a lengthy report (with many exhibits) to the Secretary of the Interior, dated November 23, 1865, from Lt. Col. James H. Simpson concerning the Union Pacific Railroad, the Central Pacific Railroad, and the Northern Pacific Railroad.

5. press copies of letters sent concerning railroads and wagon roads, 1872 ( 2 vols., 0.1 ft)(MLR Entry 594, A1), arranged chronologically. These letters continue the previously separate series of letters concerning the Pacific railroads, land-grant railroads, and wagon roads.

VI.8 The Engineer Office and later (1867) the Pacific Railroad Division were responsible for supervising construction work relating to the Union Pacific Railroad, the Northern Pacific Railroad, and other land-grant railroads. In 1870, the Pacific Railroad Division merged with the Lands and Railroads Division. Among "Records Concerning Railroads, 1849-1907," are several relevant series:

1. register of letters received by the Engineer Office concerning Pacific railroads, 1865-1867 (1 vol., 0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 595, A1), arranged for the most part alphabetically by initial of surname or position of writer and thereunder chronologically. There is a separate section of letters from the President. Most entries give date and subject of letter, name and address of writer, and indication of action. Many of the letters are also registered in Entry 590. The letters are usually among those described in Entry 598.

2. register of letters received by the Engineer Office concerning land grant railroads, 1865-1867 (1 vol., 0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 596, A1), arranged alphabetically by initial of surname or position of writer and thereunder chronologically. The entries are similar to those described in Entry 595.

3. register of letters received concerning Pacific railroads, 1867-1873 (1 vol., 0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 597, A1), arranged chronologically by date of receipt. This register is of letters received by the Pacific Railroad Division and the Lands and Railroads Division. Some letters concerning land-grant railroads are also registered. The entries are similar to those described in Entries 595 and 596. The letters are usually among those described in Entry 598.

4. "Railroad Packages," 1849-1901 (18 feet)(MLR Entry 598, A1), arranged in numbered packages for the most part alphabetically by name of railroad and thereunder in rough chronological order. The contents of the packages consist mainly of letters relating to land-grant and Pacific railroads. The last packages, consisting chiefly of annual reports of the railroad companies submitted to the Secretary of the Interior and reports of commissioners on the completion of sections of lines, are not part of the alphabetical sequence. The records relate to surveys, routes, rights-of-way (packages #183-188); land and land grants (packages #100-108, 305-307); road directors, finances, Pacific railroads in general (packages #179-181); and many other subjects. A list of packages is available. The records consist of letters received from the President, the Commissioner of the General Land Office, special commissioners, Army officers, members of Congress, other Federal officials, state and local government officials, directors of railroad companies, attorneys, and others relating to land-grant and Pacific railroad surveys, routes, and rights-of-way. Other subjects covered are appointments of commissioners and Government railroad directors and finances. Included in these records are voluminous correspondence and annual reports relating to the Pacific railroads and the construction of the transcontinental railroad. One prime example of these annual reports is the report submitted by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869 (Railroad Package #318) which proclaimed the connecting of the rails of the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroad on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Point, Utah. In his letter at the beginning of the report, the President of the Union Pacific, Oliver Ames, declared that "the extraordinary efforts of these two companies in pushing forward this great transcontinental railway to completion seven years in advance of the time prescribed by law (1876) has resulted in a very heavy increase in the cost of construction; yet the rapid development of the mining and agriculture districts, consequent upon the cheap and easy transportation thus afforded, will be of great advantage to our whole country, and hence more than compensate the government for the subsidies granted." The report also includes lists of the names of the board of directors and the stockholders. The report of the chief engineer describing the construction of the railroad and the report of the operating department of the railroad are also prominent in the annual report. A similar annual report was submitted to the Secretary of the Interior by Leland Stanford, President of the Central Pacific Railroad, which included an annual report to Central Pacific stockholders (Railroad Package #310). Other significant documents include a letter of acceptance by the Union Pacific Railroad to the provisions of the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 (Railroad Package #239); a letter from Thomas Durant, President, Union Pacific Railroad, asking for approval of the permanent location of the first 100 miles of track, dated November 3, 1864; an Executive order, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, dated January 21, 1863, setting the gauge of the track; other Lincoln letters appointing commissioners to the Pacific Railroad Commission; and a Report of Commission, Pacific Railroad (Railroad Package #181), dated May 14, 1869, including a survey of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific lines to date. In addition, there is a lengthy report, dating 1869, including a list of structures and their dimensions along the Union Pacific from Omaha to Prometory Point, Utah. For registers, see Entries 590, and 595-597. For related maps, see Entries 605-622.

5. letters sent concerning Pacific railroads, 1862-1872 (3 vols., 0.6 ft.)(MLR Entry 599, A1), arranged chronologically. Each volume is indexed by surname of addressee and by subject. This series consists of handwritten copies of letters sent by the Engineer Office, the Pacific Railroad Division, and the Lands and Railroads Division to the President, members of Congress, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, the Commissioner of the General Land Office, other Federal officials, state and local officials, officials and Government directors of railroad companies, and others. The records relate to determination of routes of Pacific railroads; and branches, inspection and acceptance of construction; land grants; issuance of bonds to companies; and other subjects.

6. press copies of letters sent concerning Pacific railroads, 1865-1871 (7 vols, 0.7 ft.)(MLR Entry 600, A1), arranged chronologically. These are chiefly copies of the letters described in Entry 599.

7. letters sent concerning land grant railroads and copies of mortgages, 1866-1884 (2 vols., 0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 601, A1), arranged chronologically. Each volume is indexed by name of addressee and by subject. The mortgages dated from 1866 to 1871, and 1879 to 1884, are arranged separately in rough chronological order. Also included are handwritten copies of letters sent by the Engineer Office, Pacific Railroad Division, and Lands and Railroads Division from 1866 to 1871, and copies of mortgages of railroad companies from 1879 to 1884. The letters were sent to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, the President, members of Congress, special commissioners, state and local officials, officials of railroad companies, and others. The letters relate to determination of routes, inspection of completed roads, issuance of patents, disputed titles to land, construction across Indian reservations, and other subjects. For 1871, there are copies of documents relating to mortgages of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad.

8. press copies of letters sent relating to land grant railroads, 1866-1871 (4 vols., 0.3 ft.)(MLR Entry 602, A1), arranged chronologically. These are press copies of the same letters that were described in Entry 601.

9. register of railroad selection lists, 1896-1898 (1 vol., 0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 603, A1), arranged for the most part alphabetically by name of railroad and thereunder chronologically by name of list. There is also an alphabetical index by name of railroad. Entries give list number, land limit, number of acres, land district, amount of fees paid, and information concerning administrative handling. Some of the lists are located in Record Group 49, Records of the Burau of Land Management, Division "F".

10. list of "Right of Way Railroads," 1898-1907 (1 vol., 0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 604, A1), arranged alphabetically by initial letter of name of railroad. Under M is a list of mortgages granted to railroads that includes volume and page references to copies of mortgages recorded among the records described in Entries 599 and 601. Entries for individual railroads give name of state or territory in which incorporated and sometimes the date of filing of articles of incorporation.

VI.9 The Indian Division was primarily a clerical unit for the handling of correspondence of the Secretary of the Interior and the maintenance of records relating to Indian affairs. Specifically, the Division was concerned with such matters as legislation, estimates and appropriations, the negotiation and ratification of treaties, and administrative organization and personnel matters. The Bureau of Indian Affairs had primary responsibility for the actual conduct of Indian administration. The records include documentation concerning railroads and railroad rights-of-way in Indian territories. There are several series related to railroads among the "Records of the Indian Division, 1828-1907":

1. letters received, 1849-80 (104 ft.)(MLR Entry 649, A1), arranged by source of letter, which were various Federal Government departments or bureaus. The series consists of incoming correspondence relating to many subjects, including railroads.

2. letters received, 1881-1907 (174 ft.)(MLR Entry 653, A1), arranged by year and thereunder by file number assigned in order of registration. Among many other subjects, there are letters relating to railroads.

3. press copies of letters sent, 1854-1907 (26 ft.)(MLR Entry 658, A1), arranged chronologically by date of letter, except that from 1879 through 1882 letters to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs were copied in separate letter books. The letters relate to many subjects, including railroads.

4. miscellaneous records, 1838-1905 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 662, A1), arranged by subject. A list of subject headings is available. Included are originals and copies of letters received by the Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, copies of letters sent, instructions, reports, memorandums, drafts of bills, opinions and decisions, transcripts of meetings, and other records relating to many subjects including railroad rights-of-way. There are several files concerning railroads, including the Dakota Central Railway, ca. 1890 (file #138); the Leavenworth, Pawnee & Western Railroad, 1865 (file #155); the Bismarck, Fort Lincoln & Black Hills Railroad (file #183); the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway, 1881 (file #190); the Pacific Railroad, 1886 (file #192); and the Union Pacific Railroad, 1876 (file #206). There are additional files concerning the rights-of-way for railroads.

5. Other records concerning railroads and railroad rights-of-way are included in press copies of memorandums, 1888-1903 (2 vols., 0.1 ft.)(MLR entry 661, A1) and special files relating to negotiations with Indians, land matters, investigations, and other subjects, 1848-1907 (5 ft.)(MLR Entry 663, A1).

VI.10 The Secretary of the Interior acted as trustee for trust funds established for Indian tribes. Some funds were intended for the general benefit of the tribe, others had some specific purpose, such as the maintenance of schools. The most common source for the principal for a fund was the proceeds from the sale of tribal lands known as "trust lands."Funds were usually invested in state and Federal bonds and railroad securities. Among "Records Relating to Indian Trust Funds, 1828-98," are records relating to the investment of funds in state bonds and railroad securities included in the unregistered letters received relating to trust funds, 1828-69 (1 ft.)(MLR entry 685, A1); registered letters relating to trust funds, 1866-81(5 ft.)(MLR entry 687, A1); and correspondence concerning bond purchases, 1861-63 (1 vol., 0.1 ft.)(MLR entry 695, A1).

VI.11 The Indian Territory Division was established by an order of the Secretary of the Interior of July 25, 1898. It was in charge of all business relating to the Indian Territory and the Five Civilized Tribes, previously done by the Indian Division. The Secretary had to approve deeds and patents, leases, tribal acts, and the rolls compiled by the Dawes Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes. Such matters as railroads, among others, came to the attention of the Secretary. Among "Records of the Indian Territory Division, 1898-1914," are records relating to railroads included in the letters received, 1898-1907 (75 ft.)(MLR Entry 705, A1); letters sent to persons other than federal officials, 1898-1902 (3 vols., 0.5 ft.)(MLR entry 708, A1); press copies of letters sent, 1898-1907 (30 ft.)(MLR entry 709, A1); press copies of memorandums, 1898-1907 (6 vols., 0.7 ft.)(MLR entry 710, A1); and special files, 1898-1907 (34 ft.)(MLR Entry 713, A1).

VI.12 The Office of Pacific Railroad Explorations and Surveys was established in the War Department to make explorations and surveys to determine the best route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. This Office supervised the work of the surveying parties and prepared their reports for publication. These survey parties also conducted studies of geology, botany, and zoology, as well as the topographical studies. The Pacific railroad surveys were completed by 1857. In 1865, the records of this Office were turned over to the Department of the Interior. The reports of the Pacific surveys were published in 12 volumes entitled Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to Ascertain the Most Practicable and Economical Route For A Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean (S. Ex. Doc. 78, 33d Cong., 2d sess.; H. Ex. Doc. 56, 36th Cong., 1st sess.). Among "Other Office Records, 1849-1909: Records of the Office of Explorations and Surveys, 1849-65," are the series:

1. correspondence, 1852-61 (4 ft.)(MLR Entry 724, A1), arranged by subject and thereunder chronologically. These are letters received and some copies of letters sent to survey officers, printers, scientists, and Treasury Department officials relating to Pacific railroad expeditions and surveys, scientific work, printing and engraving work, and other subjects.

2. correspondence and other records concerning Isaac Stevens' survey of a northern route for the Pacific railroad, 1853-61 (1 vol., 0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 725, A1), arranged chronologically and indexed by surname of correspondent. Letters received, copies of letters sent, reports, memorandums, and lists concerning the survey conducted by Governor Isaac Stevens of Washington Territory and the publication of his reports. These records have been reproduced as National Archives Microfilm Publication M126, Correspondence of the Office of Explorations and Surveys Concerning Isaac Steven's Survey of a Northern Route for the Pacific Railroad, 1853-1861.

3. reports, field notes, and related records, 1853-65 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 726, A1), arranged in part by subject and in part in rough chronological order. These are reports of operations, field notes of Pacific railroad surveys, correspondence, memorandums, lists, tables, schedules, profiles, newspaper clippings, and other records relating to Pacific railroad survey work.

VI.13 A Central Mails and Files Division was established in 1907 to handle almost all communications received by the Office of the Secretary. The classified filing system initiated in that year provided for the maintenance of the records, formerly divided into divisional files, into one series, except for personnel supervision and management among others. In the "Post-1907 Records: General Records, 1862-1964," are the central classified files, 1907-72 (1907-58: 1524 ft.)(MLR Entries 749A, 749B, 942, A1), composed of several different subseries arranged by date (1907-36, 1937-53, 1954-58, 1959-63, 1964-68, 1969-72). The records dated 1907 to 1953 are arranged according to a numeric-subject classification system. Twenty-five major numerical classifications were established for records relating to activities of bureaus of the Department and for other important subject areas. Each of these files was divided into a number of secondary classifications and assigned subnumbers. Included are letters received, copies of letters sent, memorandums, narrative and statistics reports, orders, circulars, bulletins, manuals, minutes, contracts and agreements, leases, bonds, lists, tables, charts, maps, photographs, and other records relating to various subject areas. There is an index to the central classified files, 1907-72 (1907-58: 51 ft.)(MLR Entries 748, 943, A1), which is arranged chronologically. Entries give the date, file number, and usually an indication of the specific subjects. There are files relating to railroads scattered among the records. The most significant bodies of records relating to railroads in the 1907-53 segment are located in the following sections: Class 2, General Land Office, under "Railroad Rights-of-Way" (file 2-6), and "Miscellaneous Rights of Way" (file 2-11); Class 5, Bureau of Indian Affairs, under "Railroad Rights-of-Way" (file 5-106); and Class 10, Appeals, under "Settlement" (file 10-6). The first three files are arranged alphabetically by name of railroad company and the fourth is arranged alphabetically by name of individual or legal action.

VI.14 Cartographic records related to railroads in this record group are found in three places:

1. "General Records" includes maps of the United States showing, among other items, railroads, maps and profiles of railroad lines, and a map of Alaska showing railroads.

2. "Records of the Lands and Railroads Division" contain several series of maps and related records (Entries 605-622). These include maps of railway systems in the west, 1887 to 1891, such as the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe; Atlantic and Pacific; the Central Pacific, 1878-1887; a profile of part of the Burlington and Missouri River; and maps and other related records pertaining to individual railroads including the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy; the Colorado Central; the Georgetown, Breckinridge, and Leadville; the Hailey, Gold Belt and Western; the Nebraska and Colorado; the New Mexico and Southern Pacific; the Northern Pacific; the Pueblo and Arkansas Valley; the Salmon Creek; the Southern Pacific; the Union Pacific; the Winona and St. Peters; and the Worthington and Sioux Falls.

3. "Records of the Office of Explorations and Surveys" include several series (Entries 728-737) of maps, charts, profiles, and manuscripts of sketches accompanying surveys of exploration for railroad routes and particularly Pacific railroad surveys. These maps include surveys of routes near the 32nd, 35th, 38th, 39th, 41st, 47th and 49th parallels, and in Oregon and California. In addition, there are maps, profiles, and lithographic prints concerning surveys of a transcontinental railroad route dating from 1853 to 1857.

VI.15 A few records in Record Group 48 contain still and moving images related to railroads. There are color slides of "Earthquake Damage to the Alaska Railroad, 1964" (48-ARR), which show earthquake and flood damage to railroad tracks, bridges, and structures. Also, there are engravings and drawings of various routes for the proposed Pacific railroad in the "Pacific Railway Expeditions and Survey Records, 1858" (48-PR). The prints illustrate the terrain and environs explored by the Pacific Railway Expedition and Survey team. There is a motion picture entitled "The Alaska Railroad," ca. 1950, produced by the Department of the Interior.

Record Group 49 Records of the Bureau of Land Management

VI.16 An act of April 25, 1812, established the General Land Office (GLO) as a bureau in the Department of Treasury to administer all public land transactions except surveying and mapping work. In 1849, the GLO was transferred to the Department of the Interior. In 1946, the GLO and the Grazing Service were consolidated to form the Bureau of Land Management. The functions of the GLO have been and are to supervise the survey, management, and disposition of the public domain. The Bureau classifies, manages, and disposes of public lands and their resources according to principles of multiple-use land management. It also administers Federally owned mineral resources on non-Federal lands and on the continental shelf. There are records relating to railroads scattered throughout the records of the Bureau of Land Management, mainly concerning the management of railroad land grants and railroad rights-of-way through public lands. The bulk of the files are located among the records of Division F. The following series descriptions are based on a draft inventory of Division F records.

VI.17 Division F: Railroad, Rights-Of-Way, and Reclamation Division was charged with the adjustment of grants, by congressional legislation, of lands for railroad-purpose military wagon roads and of laws relating to the right of way through the public lands. Established in 1872, the duties of the Division were largely the examination of settlers' claims in conflict with those of railroad companies. Cases of conflict of title between individuals or corporations were examined and rulings were made. More specifically, the functions of this division were registering letters received regarding disposition of land entries within railroad, wagon road, and canal grant limits; docketing contested land entries and applications for land within such grants; examining and deciding land-grant applications; noting and transmitting appeals from decisions made to the Secretary of the Interior; making public the Secretary's decisions; registering and examining all articles of incorporation and maps filed by railroad companies claiming rights-of-way over U.S. public lands under the act of March 3, 1875; listing and patenting railroad right-of-way lands, and adjusting railroad and wagon road grants. Numerous series in Division F's records are of interest:

1. indexes to withdrawals of lands for railroads, canals, and other rights-of-way, 1856-83 (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 533, UD);

2. letters sent relating to railroad grants and rights-of-way, miscellaneous series, 1856-90 (17 ft.)(MLR Entry 534, UD), arranged chronologically. These 78 volumes (volumes 66-133) contain record copies of letters sent to the Secretary of the Interior, Congress, registers and receivers, officials of railroads, contestants, and private persons relating to railroad grants and rights-of-way.

3. letters sent, Pacific railroad series, 1862-72 (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 535, UD), arranged chronologically. These two volumes (volumes 64-65) contain record copies of letters sent to the Secretary of the Interior, Congress, registers and receivers, state officials, and officials of individual railroads pertaining to the implementation of the act of July 1, 1862, and subsequent acts concerning the Pacific Railroad.

4. correspondence and reports file of land grant railroad companies, 1892-1935 (34 ft.)(MLR Entry 553, UD), arranged by name of railroad or wagon road company and thereunder in rough chronological order. This series includes the records of the approximately 79 land-grant railroads and wagon roads. The records consist of correspondence from registers and receivers, private parties, railroad company representatives, state officials, and private persons concerning implementation of the grants and adjustment of the controversies arising over them. These may include withdrawals of land for sale, covering letters for selection and adjustment lists, maps, field notes, appeals by contestants and railroad companies, decisions of the Secretary of the Interior, and related records. A typical file in this series is the file entitled "Sioux City and St. Paul Railroad" (box 83). The file contains documents dating form 1858 to 1900. By the act of May 12, 1864, Iowa received a grant to aid in the construction of a railroad from Sioux City to the Minnesota line. The loose bundles in this series contain correspondence received leading to the issuance of the grant, letters transmitting maps of location, approved lists, indemnity lists, inquiries concerning the progress of construction, correspondence from the Secretary of the Interior to attorneys for interested parties regarding conflicts with land entries within the grant, appeals to revoke parts of the grant and reopen them to entry, and relinquishments by the railroad.

5. tax lists and other records relating to Oregon & California RR revested lands, 1916-31 (27 ft.)(MLR Entry 554, UD), arranged by name of county and thereunder chronologically by type of record. This series consists of approximately 90 volumes, bundles, folders, and miscellaneous loose sheets. These records pertain to the Federal Government's reimbursement to certain counties in Oregon of unpaid and accrued tax revenues lost by them when title to the Oregon and California Railroad Grant was revested in the United States by the act of June 9, 1916. These reimbursements were to be paid by the Treasury upon order of the Secretary of the Interior. A special unit was set up in Division F in 1926 to deal specifically with this issue. The records consist primarily of tax lists compiled by the counties tabulating their claim for reimbursement. The tax lists usually list the description of the land involved, the number of acres, the value of the land, the total value of taxable property, and the amount owed for state, county, school, and highway taxes.

6. record of railroad mortgages in Alaska, 1910-16 (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 555, UD), consists of record copies of two mortgages: the first, between the Alaska Northern Railway Company and the Trust & Guarantee Company, Ltd., dated May 1, 1904, and the second, between the Alaska Anthracite Railroad Company and the National Bank of Commerce of Seattle, dated October 14, 1916.

7. railroad mortgage index, 1886-1940 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 556, UD), one volume arranged alphabetically by name of railroad company. Entries list railroad company, number, dates, and type of mortgage in chronological order, and volume and page number. This series indexes the record copies of railroad mortgages,

8. record of railroad mortgages, 1886-1946 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 557, UD), arranged chronologically. The volumes are numbered 1-9 with volume 7 missing. These volumes contain written copies of the mortgages and accompanying official documents and certifications. The written copies cease with page 171 of volume 9 which is the last entry covered by the Railroad Mortgage Index. The rest of volume 9 contains typewritten copies and printed original mortgages, dating 1940 to 1946.

9. docket of railroad, state, and school selection lists arranged by state and land office, 1886-97 (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 558, UD), comprises one volume arranged by name of land office and thereunder numerically by list number;

10. railroad company selection lists, 1865-1929 (34 ft.)(MLR Entry 560, UD), arranged by name of railroad, thereunder by land office, and thereunder numerically by list number. Records include a letter of deposit and the lists, which include the land description and the disposition of the land. The selector, appointed by the railroad or state, inspected land within the land-grant area and selected those available. The selection lists were then filed with the register of the local district land office for patenting. The selector also had to file an affidavit with the register affirming that he had inspected the lands, that they were nonmineral and not settled on or claimed by any other individual. In terms of finding aids, there is a Preliminary Checklist of the Railroad Land Grant Selection and Adjustment Lists of the General Land Office, 1850-1921 (PC 45-20) that provides descriptive information, box and folder lists, and an index arranged alphabetically by railroad.

11. railroad company indemnity selection lists, 1865-1929 (36 ft.)(MLR Entry 561, UD), arranged by name of railroad, thereunder by state and land office, and thereunder by list number. These lists are similar to the railroad company selection lists.

12. railroad company adjustment lists, 1870-1933 (174 ft.)(MLR Entry 562, UD), arranged by name of railroad, thereunder by state, and thereunder chronologically. Filed similarly to selection lists, except that this series contains primary and indemnity adjustment lists. Since so much examination of the records and adjudication of conflicts preceded patenting, it was necessary for the states, railroads, and the GLO to know the status of the adjustments for each land grant on a yearly basis. Therefore, adjustment lists were drawn up every year for each land-grant state or railroad. These lists show the status for all lands within the primary limits and the first and second indemnity limits. PC 45-20 (see description for railroad selection lists) also serves as a finding aid for this series.

13. railroad docket cards, 1890-1906 (0.4 ft.)(MLR Entry 564, UD), arranged by state, thereunder by name of local land office, and thereunder numerically by clear list number. The cards show clear list numbers of lands selected by the Northern Pacific, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, Atlantic & Pacific, Santa Fe Pacific, and Central Pacific railroads, and indicate action taken on individual pieces of land under the various lists.

14. memoranda showing dates of laws, filing of maps, attachment of rights, correspondence, decisions, pertaining to land grant railroads in the state of Minnesota, 1857-89 (0.06 ft.)(MLR Entry 565, UD), arranged by name of railroad and thereunder chronologically by date of law;

15. railroad rights-of-way files under the act of March 3, 1875, 1878-1931 (40 ft.)(MLR Entry 571, UD), arranged by name of railroad and thereunder in rough chronological order. These records originated under the act of March 3, 1875, which granted rights-of-way through public lands of the United States to any railroad company duly incorporated in the state or territory to the extent of 100 feet on each side of the central line of track, as well as adjacent areas for stations and yard structures. A typical file contains applications for right-of-way; letters transmitting and acknowledging receipt of maps, plats, and field notes; articles of incorporation; proof of organization; by-laws; affidavits; proof of construction; and miscellaneous correspondence concerning the disposition of the land.

16. records concerning railroad rights-of-way across Indian reservations, 1908-38 (6 ft.)(MLR Entry 573, UD), arranged numerically by number of letter. The records include folders, numbered consecutively, of Division F miscellaneous letters sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the district land office. The cover of the folder lists the letter number, act of Congress under which right-of-way was granted, date and purpose of grant, date filed, date approved, state and land district, land description, name of applicant, and contents of the file.

17. records concerning rights-of-way across forest reserves, 1908-39 (16 ft.)(MLR Entry 575, UD), arranged numerically by letter number. This series is similar to records concerning railroad rights-of-way across Indian reservations, except that the letters were directed to the U.S. Forest Service and concerned railroad rights-of-way through forest reserves.

18. index to railroad maps, 1856-75 (0.2 ft)(MLR Entry 576, UD), arranged by railroad and thereunder chronologically. The maps themselves are among the cartographic materials (See VI.20-VI.22).

19. railroad dockets, credit books, Railroad Division, 1872-1911 (Volumes 232-235)(1 ft.)(MLR Entry 578, UD);

20. railroad dockets, railroad docket of contested cases, 1872-1909 (Volumes 236-253)(4 ft.)(MLR Entry 580, UD), arranged numerically by case number;

21. railroad dockets, docket of contested cases, 1872-1909 (Volumes 260, 262-267)(1 ft.)(MLR Entry 581, UD), arranged numerically by case number. Individual docket books have an index to contestants in the front. Entries include case number, names of contestants, land description, a list of documents in the file, and remarks concerning the action taken.

22. railroad dockets, railroad contest docket files, 1872-1909 (335 ft.)(MLR Entry 582A, UD), arranged numerically by case number. These records originated with claims by settlers to prior occupancy of land within railroad grants. The files contain affidavits, testimonies, and miscellaneous correspondence relating to individual claims to prior rights to the land. The jackets to the files list location, contestants, case number, volume and pages of docket volume, and action taken. A typical file is Docket #18123, which pertains to the case of Copper River and Northwestern Railroad v. Alaska Pacific Railway and Terminal Company. Alaska Pacific applied in 1906 for a terminal tract near Katalla, Alaska. The Copper River and Northwestern Railroad opposed the application, claiming a right-of-way over the tract in question. The file contains letters to the Secretary of the Interior from attorneys of the two companies, affidavits, articles of incorporation, and maps and plats of the tract at issue. The Commissioner of the General Land Office decided on November 9, 1907, in favor of the Alaska Pacific, and on February 20, 1908, the Secretary of the Interior sustained his decision.

23. railroad dockets, old docket files, n.d. (4 ft.)(MLR Entry 582B, UD), arranged numerically by case number. These are similar in content to railroad contest docket files.

24. railroad dockets, reception register of appeals, 1867-78, 1893-97 (Volumes 256-257)(0.3 ft.)(MLR Entry 583, UD), arranged alphabetically by name of contestant. These are registers in which appeals from settlers were recorded and given a case number. Entries include case number, docket volume number, names of parties, land office, land description, date received, and remarks concerning action taken.

25. railroad dockets, docket of Minnesota railroad contested cases, 1885-94 (Volumes 258-259)(0.3 ft.)(MLR Entry 584, UD), arranged numerically by number of letters received. Entries list miscellaneous letter received number, date of letter, name of parties involved, land office, land description, date of action, and remarks.

26. railroad dockets, old docket of contested cases, 1872-74 (Volume 261)(0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 585, UD), arranged numerically by docket number;

27. office files of Mr. Adkins, 1875-1933 (3 ft.)(MLR Entry 586, UD), arranged by type of records and thereunder chronologically. The files consist of plats of townships in various states constituting bases of indemnity for the Northern Pacific Railway; Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad; and Southern Pacific Railroad. In addition, there are court documents and congressional hearings concerning the case of United States v. Northern Pacific Railway.

28. lists and patents of lands selected by the Northern and Southern Pacific Railroads, n.d. (18 ft.)(MLR Entry 592A, UD);

29. oversized adjustment lists of railroad, canal, and wagon road land, n.d. (51 ft.)(MLR Entry 592B, UD), arranged by name of railroad;

30. classification lists and other records relating to the Northern Pacific Railroad, ca. 1900-1920 (4 ft.)(MLR Entry 592C, UD), arranged by geographical location. The series consists of correspondence, maps, and lists relating to classification of the land within Northern Pacific Railroad land grants as either mineral or nonmineral by the U.S. Geological Survey.

31. record of funds deposited by railroad companies with the General Land Office to pay for land surveys, ca. 1880-1939 (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 592D, UD);

32. dockets of contested cases, n.d. (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 592E, UD);

33. records relating to the Santa Fe and Pacific Railroad, ca. 1907-17 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 592F, UD), arranged by type of record. The records include lists and miscellaneous correspondence concerning reconveyances of the Santa Fe and Pacific Railroad and Lieu Selection Abstracts (#1-17). The records constitute Miscellaneous Docket, Case #1110.

34. There are also several entries of press copies of letters sent and miscellaneous letters sent to registers and receivers of United States Land Offices and to the Secretary of the Interior, dating 1851 to 1908 (MLR Entries 536-551, UD).

VI.18 In addition to these records, there are uninventoried record series including:

1. case files relating to monthly reports concerning the mineral classification of lands granted to the Northern Pacific Railroad, 1895-1904 (3 ft.)(MLR Entry 941, UD);

2. records relating to railroad selection survey costs, 1870-90 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 987, UD);

3. draft of the annual report of the Commissioner of Railroads, November 1, 1894 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1007, UD);

4. tabulation of timber sales in lands of the Oregon and California Railroad and of the Coos Bay Wagon Road, 1939 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 1044, UD);

5. lists of withdrawals for the Northern Pacific Railroad, 1929-30 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 1065, UD);

6. published documents relating to the organization of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, 1851 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1173, UD);

7. list of public lands received by the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railway Company, 1896 (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 1174, UD);

8. township plats showing location of railroad lands in portions of Arkansas, Missouri, Florida, Mississippi, and Iowa, ca. 1856-58 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 1175, UD);

9. record of certificates issued for moneys deposited by railroad companies, 1894-1922 (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 1200, UD);

10. register of and indexes to various railroad rights-of-way and irrigation files, 1867-1909 (6 ft.)(MLR Entry 1342, UD);

11. lists of selections Northern Pacific Railroad Company, ca. 1890, Montana, Idaho, and Utah (31 ft.)(MLR Entry 1344, UD);

12. records relating to the McGregor Western Railroad land grant, 1864-87 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1356, UD);

13. photostats of lists of railroad and internal improvement grants and agricultural college grants, Iowa, 1860 (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 1358, UD);

14. statements of land grants to states for railroad purposes, 1878 (0.6 ft.)(MLR Entry 1359, UD);

15. conflicts in railroad lists, Leavenworth, Lawrence, and Galveston RR, Kansas, 1872 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1372, UD);

16. list of railroad lands, Des Moines, Iowa, 1860 (F70470-61)(1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1375, UD);

17. list of selections Aztec Land and Cattle Company and Santa Fe Railroad Company, 1905 (0.4 ft.)(MLR Entry 1378, UD);

18. statement exhibiting land concessions by acts of Congress to states and corporations for railroads and military wagon roads, 1850-1872 (0.9 ft.)(MLR Entry 1386, UD);

19. McGregor Western Railroad land grant, 1866 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1394, UD);

20. Sioux City and St. Paul Railroad land grant, Act of May 17, 1864 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1397, UD);

21. McGregor Western Railroad land grant, 1867-68 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1398, UD);

22. Exhibits A.B.C., Northern Pacific Railroad Company, 1923-24 (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 1411, UD);

23. record of railroad grants and restoration of lands of entry, ca. 1837-52 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1430, UD);

24. record of railroad selection lists, 1868-95 (0.3 ft.)(MLR Entry 1479, UD); and

25. railroad docket cards, 1866-1907 (10 ft.)(MLR Entry 1487, UD).

VI.19 The records of the Bureau of Land Management regional, state, and district land offices are located in the National Archives regional archives branches. These records contain information concerning railroads and public land. Some examples follow:

1. The "Records of the California State and the Nevada State Land Offices" include tract books and survey plats showing entries made by railroad companies on public land. In addition, there are railroad selection lists for different land offices in the states, arranged by railroads and thereunder by list number. The lists were filed in lieu of patents under the authority of several Congressional acts granting public domain to railroads to aid in the construction of lines to the Pacific Coast. These records are in the custody of the National Archives-Pacific Sierra Region.

2. The "Records of the Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming State Land Offices" consist of the records of the district land offices. For example, in Colorado, there are the records of the Glenwood Springs, Gunnison, Lamar, and Pueblo Land Offices. These records include letters, registers of cash entries, record books, and dockets relating to the rights-of-way of the Colorado Railway, Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, and Union Pacific Railroad. These records are in the custody of the National Archives-Rocky Mountain Region.

3. The "Records of the Los Angeles District Office, Railroad Land Grants" include four series involving the Southern Pacific Railroad's entitlement to land, or forfeiture thereof, after the act of March 3, 1887, required adjustments to the railroad company's holdings for land they had not earned. These records include legal documents that support claims for land forfeited by the railroad, lists of approved railroad patents, and granted and indemnity limit lists of land selected by the Southern Pacific. These records are in the custody of the National Archives-Pacific Southwest Region.

VI.20 Cartographic records in this record group related to railroads include maps in the General Land Office "General Records." There is an incomplete set of published maps of the United States, 1873-1941, and individual states and territories, 1876-1944, compiled from the official records of the General Land Office. These maps show the extent of the public land surveys, private land claims and grants, Indian and military reservations, national parks and forests, railroads and railroad land-grant limits, and the location of land offices, among other subjects.

VI.21 The records of GLO's "Division E (Surveys)" include manuscript and annotated maps, dating 1790 to 1946, unofficially referred to as the "Old Map File," which includes maps of the United States and of individual states and territories showing their development and the disposal of public lands. Among these records are maps of states and territories or parts thereof showing, among other subjects, railroad land-grant limits. These maps are arranged alphabetically by state and thereunder numerically by assigned number. The maps are described individually in Special List #19, List of Cartographic Records of the General Land Office, (Washington, 1964).

VI.22 The records of "Division F (Land Grants, Railroads, Rights-Of-Way, and Reclamation), 1851-1939," include published General Land Office state maps annotated to show railroad land-grant limits, and manuscript and annotated maps showing the limits of land grants to states and corporations for specific railroads and wagon roads, arranged alphabetically by state. The records also include manuscript and annotated maps and diagrams showing rights-of-way through public lands for railroads, other roads, canals, and other rights-of-way. Among the railroad maps are maps of proposed lines, located lines, lines of constructed roads, and plans of railroad stations. The railroad maps are arranged by bundle or tube number.

VI.23 Still pictures in this record group include photographs from the opening of the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma Territory (49-AR) showing trains and train stations there. Also, there are photographs relating to U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, Civil Case Number 46, United States v. Southern Pacific Company (49-DC), which includes plaintiff's exhibit 541, pictures of geological formations and conditions in California.

Record Group 57 Records of the Geological Survey

VI.24 The United States Geological Survey (USGS) was established in the Department of the Interior by an act of March 3, 1879, which provided for the classification of the public lands and the examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain. The USGS major responsibility is to survey, investigate, and conduct research on the nation's topography, geology, and mineral and water resources and classify land according to mineral compositions and water and power resources.

VI.25 Records of the Topographic Division include topographic quadrangle maps of the United States, ca. 1880-1986 (97,200 items), arranged by geographic area. This is a record set, with indexes, of the obsolete editions of published topographic quadrangle maps at varying scales (usually 1:24000) that comprise the Topographic Map of the United States. The quad maps show railroad lines and railroad structures, for different time periods.

VI.26 Still pictures in the records of USGS include photographs taken by William Henry Jackson during the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories. The survey, under the direction of Ferdinand V. Hayden, explored areas in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Utah, and Wyoming. Among the photographs taken were pictures of survey members and equipment, Native Americans, military posts, mining operations, and railroads, dating 1869 to 1878 (57-HS). There are early film base negatives, stripping film negatives, glass negatives and albumen prints taken by F.A. Nims and others to document areas explored during a 1889-90 survey of the Colorado River and its tributaries by Robert F. Stanton, chief engineer of the Denver, Colorado Canyon, and Pacific Railroad (57-RS, 57-RSA, and 57-RSB). The survey was conducted for the purpose of establishing a railway route from the Colorado coal fields to the Pacific coast. In addition, there are panorama drawings in the Hayden Survey Artwork, 1869-72 (57-HAA), by Henry Wood Elliot, taken in Wyoming, Utah, and Montana. Some of these drawings are along the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way from near Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Brigham, Utah, dating 1870.

Record Group 75 Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs

VI.27 The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was established in 1824 within the War Department. The BIA is responsible for most of the Federal Government's relations with Native Americans (only those living on reservations), including their economic development, education, and legal rights. The Bureau develops and implements economic, social, educational, and other programs for the benefit and advancement of Indian and Alaskan native peoples, in cooperation with tribal governments, Native American organizations, other Federal agencies, and state and local governments. Records relating to railroads include documentation regarding disputes concerning railroad rights-of-way through Indian lands, case files concerning damage caused to Indian lands by railroad construction and improvements, and land sales to railroads. The records are described in the Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Volumes I and II, PI 163.

VI.28 The BIA's "General Records, 1824-1907," contain the series special cases, 1821-1907 (185 ft.)(MLR Entry 102, PI 163). The pre-1881 records are arranged by jurisdiction, thereunder by year, thereunder alphabetically by first letter of surname of writer, and thereunder by file number or chronologically by date of receipt. The post-1880 records are arranged by year and thereunder by file number, which are chronological by date of receipt. Records include case files concerning land disputes. The case files include incoming letters (general correspondence) filed separately from the general files into special files that relate to such matters as railroad rights-of-way. The special cases are indexed by the index to special cases, n.d. (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 100, PI 163). This index also indexes names of agencies or areas concerned. There are also registers and lists of special cases available.

VI.29 The Land Division of the BIA dealt with the location and survey of lands set apart for the various Indian tribes and the examinations of claims arising out of reservations and grants to individual Indians. A significant part of the early records of the Division relate to the cession of Indian land east of the Mississippi River and their removal to the West. Among later functions were Indian allotments, sale of land and leases to non-Indians, tribal enrollment, and citizenship. The following series in the Land Division records are related to railroads:

1. schedules of appraisements of damages by railroads, 1899-1908 (0.6 ft.)(MLR Entry 413, PI 163). The schedules are divided into two groups: Indian Territory and other parts of the country. Within each group, they are arranged alphabetically by name of railroad. The records consist of schedules for damages caused to Indian lands and improvements by the construction of railroads. The schedule usually gives the name of Indian allottee, location of land, length of railroad right-of-way through allotment, acreage and value of land involved, appraisal of damage to improvements, and notations of payment by railroad.

2. tract book, 1871-90 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 456, PI 163), arranged by location of land. This is a tract book for Kickapoo Indian lands sold, allotted, and held in common. The only purchaser was the Atchison and Pike's Peak Railroad Company (later the Central Branch of the Union Pacific Railroad). Entries give location, acreage, and name of allottee or purchaser.

3. stubs for land certificates issued to the Atchison and Pikes Peak Railroad Company, January 2, 1866 (0.5 ft)(MLR Entry 457, PI 163), arranged by location of land. The series includes the stubs for scrip issued to the company as evidence of purchases of land in Kansas from the Kickapoo Indians, under the terms of the treaty of June 28, 1862. Each stub gives certificate number, date of issue of certificate, location and acreage of land, and information concerning delivery of certificate.

4. tract book, 1871-83 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 458, PI 163), arranged by location of land. This is a tract book for Omaha Indian lands allotted in 1871, sold in 1873, set aside for railroad purposes, and sold to the Winnebago.

5. canceled certificates for Potawatomi lands in Kansas purchased by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company, October 17, 1868 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 465, PI 163). This general certificate, issued by the Secretary of the Interior for all land purchased by the company under the provisions of the treaty of February 27, 1867, was canceled in 1869 and replaced by individual certificates for quarter sections.

6. stubs for certificates issued to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company, February 22, 1869 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 466, PI 163), arranged by location of land and numbered in order. This series contains stubs for certificates issued for Potawatomi lands in Kansas that were purchased by the railroad under the provisions of the treaty of February 27, 1867. These individual certificates for quarter sections replaced the general certificate described in entry 465. The individual stubs give certificate number , date of issue, location and acreage of land, and information concerning delivery of certificate.

7. tract books, 1866-73 (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 467, PI 163), arranged by location of land. These tract books are for Potowatomi lands sold, allotted to individual Indians, and held in common (Diminished Reserve) as provided by the treaties of 1861 and 1867. Entries for individual tracts give location and acreage of land, name of allottee or purchaser, price, and information concerning the issuance of the patent. All sales were made to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.

VI.30 Cartographic records among the "General Records, 1878-1944," include manuscript and published maps of individual Indian reservations showing, among other subjects, roads and railroads. The "Central Map Files, 1800-1939," include manuscript, published, annotated, and photoprocessed maps of the United States, and parts of the United States, containing a wide variety of information about Indians and Indian lands. These maps consist of general maps showing routes of exploration, Indian tribal lands, Indian land cessions, existing and proposed reservations, roads and railroads, and other details.

Record Group 126 Records of the Office of Territories

VI.31 Established in the Department of the Interior by Administrative Order 2577, July 28, 1950, the Office of Territories administered U.S. territorial possessions. The Office was abolished July 1, 1971, by Secretary's Order 2942. Predecessor agencies include the Alaskan Engineering Commission (1915-23), the Alaskan Railroad (1923-36), and the Alaskan Railroad, Division of Territories and Island Possessions (1936-50). There are records relating to the construction and maintenance of the Alaskan Railroad and other railroads in Alaska among these records. The records are described in the Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Office of Territories, PI 54, except as noted.

VI.32 Among the "General Records" of the Office of Territories are the following series of interest:

1. central classified files ("9" classification), 1907-51 (608 ft.)(MLR Entry 1A, PI 154), arranged according to a subject classification scheme and thereunder chronologically. These are letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, reports, circulars, newspaper clippings, press releases, publications, minutes of meetings, blueprints, maps, and records relating to territorial administration. These records were created and maintained as parts of the files of the Secretary of the Interior from 1907 until 1934, when they were placed in the custody of the Division of Territories and Island Possessions which later became the Office of Territories. In 1907, all papers in the Office of the Secretary were assigned the number "9" with sub-parts for each territory. File designation #9-1-3 (boxes 202-209) covers construction of railroads in Alaska for the period 1914 to 1930. The important subcategories include accounts, administrative (including annual reports and progress reports of the Alaska Engineering Commission), Alaska Northern Railway Company, Alaska Railroad Record, construction, general, labor conditions, land and industrial development, legislation, location (Copper River and Northwestern Railroad), maps and blueprints, and supplies and equipment.

2. central classified files ("18" classification), 1916-51 (76 ft.)(MLR Entry 3, PI 154), arranged according to a subject classification scheme and thereunder chronologically. Since the records relating to the construction and operation of the Alaska Railroad could not be filed properly by the Office of the Secretary under the "9" classification, it was decided, in 1916, to establish the "18" classification, to be used exclusively for filing these records. The types of records are similar to the "9" classification and relate to the construction of the railroad by the Alaska Engineering Commission and the administrative operations of the completed railroad system. The major subcategories include accounts, administrative, construction, land and industrial, mechanical, medical, operation and maintenance, transportation, personnel, and reports. An act of March 12, 1914, directed the President to locate, construct, and operate a railroad in the Territory of Alaska. The Alaskan Engineering Commission, with members appointed by the President, was established to supervise the actual construction of the railroad. Surveys to determine the best possible route for the proposed railroad were completed during 1915, and its recommendations were included in its 1915 report. Final construction plans were approved in 1915, and headquarters were established at Seward, with bases in Anchorage and Fairbanks. The railroad was built north from Anchorage and south from Fairbanks. During 1923, the railroad was completed and the Alaska Engineering Commission was renamed as the Alaska Railroad. The Division of Territories operated the Alaska Railroad until 1959 when the railroad became a separate bureau of the Department of the Interior.

3. "oversized" central classified files, 1907-51 (23 ft.)(MLR Entry 5, PI 154), arranged alphabetically by location. These are maps, blueprints, charts, publications, narrative and statistical reports, printed Congressional bills, memoranda, ships logs, and other records that were filed separately because of their bulk or size. Under the category "Alaska," there are Alaska Northern Railway, Minutes and Proceedings, 1910-14 (box 3), freight tariffs, timetables, maps of the Alaska Railroad (box 4), and a corporate history (origins and various managements) of the Alaska Railroad (box 5).

4. central classified file, Alaska Railroad, 1951-61 (25 ft.)(MLR Entry 9, A1), arranged according to a subject classification scheme and thereunder chronologically. These records are a continuation of the central classified files ("18" classification). The subcategories include accounting, commerce and industry, contracts, employment, lands, organization and management, personnel (voluminous files), railways, reports and statistics, and Alaska International Rail and Highway Commission.

5. central files, 1951-71 (192 ft.)(MLR Entry 3, A1), arranged by location and thereunder alphabetically by subject. Under the file designation Alaska-Railways (boxes 180-182), there are reports concerning the Copper River and Northwestern Railroad and a survey report of the proposed Trans-Canadian-Alaskan Railway, which includes maps and charts.

6. index to central classified files, 1907-51 (8 ft.)(MLR Entry 1, A1), arranged alphabetically by subject or name. The index cards abstract the message, giving date and subject of message, and indicate the central classified file designation. "Alaska Railroad" and "Railroads" are useful subject categories.

7. The following indexes are similar to the index to central files, 1907-51: index to central files, 1951-61 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 2A, A1), which is arranged alphabetically by subject or name; index to central files, 1961-67 (3 ft.)(MLR Entry 2B, A1), which is arranged alphabetically by subject or name; and index to central files, 1968-71 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 2C, A1), which is arranged alphabetically by subject or name.

IV.33 The following series are uninventoried records:

1. office file of Ernest Walker Sayer, Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior, 1929-31 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 11, PI 154), arranged by subject and thereunder in chronological order. These are letters received, copies of letters sent, memoranda, press releases, photographs clippings, and publications relating to activities of the Department of the Interior in Alaska and to the Alaska Railroad.

2. Alaska Engineering Commission, progress reports, 1916-23 (3 ft.)(MLR Entry 1, UD), arranged chronologically by report. These are monthly progress reports of the Alaska Engineering Commission. The reports detail the operations, labor conditions, and construction of the Alaska Railroad by location.

3. Alaska Engineering Commission, bidding circulars, March 1917-May 1924 (0.4 ft.)(MLR Entry 2, UD), arranged chronologically. These consist of documentation concerning contract bidding from file 1803 of the "Central Classified File, 1916-51."

VI.34 Nontextual records in this record group include the territorial files, 1923-27, that contain maps of Alaska prepared by or for the Alaska Road Commission showing wagon roads, sled roads, pack trails, railroads, and telegraph and telephone lines, and maps of the Alaska Railroad showing the progress of construction of certain railroad lines. There are also still pictures, "Photographs Taken and Acquired by the Alaska Engineering Commission of Alaskan Railroads, 1908-20" (126-AR), showing the Copper River Railroad and the survey, construction, and operation of the Alaska Railroad. The photograph albums in the Views of the U.S. Government Alaska Railroad and other Alaska Pictures, 1915-20 (126-ARA) includes photos of railroad tracks and bridges in Alaska. The Photographs of the Alaskan Railroad, 1908-1920 (126-ARS) includes lantern slides taken by the Alaska Engineering Commission of the Alaskan Railroad showing the construction of the line.

Record Group 145 Records of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service

VI.35 The Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) was established in the Department of Agriculture by the Secretary's Memorandum 1458, June 5, 1961. The Service administers agricultural price support, production adjustment, and conservation assistance programs as well as international commodity agreements. These functions were inherited from several predecessor agencies, beginning with the Agricultural Adjustment Agency (1933-42). Railroad lines can be traced using the aerial photography taken by the ASCS. They are in the records of the agency's Aerial Photography Field Office, in the series aerial photography, 1934-54, arranged on rolls of film by symbol and roll number. Most of the photography is from surveys undertaken by the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, a predecessor agency. These surveys were made between 1934 and 1954 for the ASCS to make acreage determinations, ensure compliance with planting regulations, and carry out other programs as required by the Agriculture Act of 1938. The film consists mainly of single lens, vertical roll film negatives covering most of the agricultural areas of the United States at an approximate scale of 1:20000 (1 inch to 1667 feet). This film is indexed alphabetically by state and thereunder by country and date or by project name. Railroad lines, including trackage and railroad structures can be seen on the film, but there are no identifying labels for railroads or any other features.

Record Group 322 Records of the Alaska Railroad

VI.36 Established in the Department of the Interior by Secretary's Order, August 15, 1923, upon completion of the railroad, the Alaska Railroad operated railroad lines in Alaska. The predecessor agency of the Alaska Railroad was the Alaska Engineering Commission which was created by the Alaska Railroad Act (38 Stat.305), on March 12, 1914. The headquarters of the Alaska Railroad were in Anchorage, Alaska, and the Liaison Office was located in Washington, DC. Records include general records relating to the operation of the Alaska Railroad, 1933-68, and records relating to personnel and administration of the Alaska Railroad, 1939-68. The records are in the custody of the National Archives-Alaska Region.