Descriptive Summary
Colored Trainmen of America
Colored Trainmen of America PapersBulk, 1940-19691918-1982RG.R.0003
54.0 Linear feet,
36 boxes
Materials are in English.
Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library
Processing Information
Processed by: Mark Carley, 1996.
Acquisition Information
Donated by: C.T.A. representatives Woody Horn, Jr. and Leamer Williams.
Preferred Citation
Colored Trainmen of America Papers. Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish or reproduce materials from the Colored Trainmen of America Papers must be obtained from the Houston Metropolitan Research Center or the appropriate copyright holder.
Access Restrictions
None.
Arrangement
The original order of some of the material was by C.T.A. officer position; however, since this order was not consistently maintained over the years, it has now been arranged by subject to allow for easier access. The collection is divided into six subgroups: Administrative, Missouri Pacific Lines Correspondence, Legal and Regulatory Correspondence, Financial Reports and Logbooks, Correspondence with other Unions, and Publications and Literature pertaining to the C.T.A. and labor unions in general. Each subgroup is sorted by subject, then by year only.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of the original records of the Kingsville, Texas, and DeQuincy, Louisiana, Chapters of the Colored Trainmen of America, and contains papers such as correspondence, publications, newspaper and magazine articles, logbooks, minutes, and finance statements. One highlight of the publications is an incomplete run of the
<emph render="italic">Negro Railway Labor News </emph>between June 1948 and February 1950.
The major topics of the collection are the administration of the union, including internal correspondence and union meeting minutes, and the correspondence between the C.T.A. and the Missouri Pacific Lines, which consisted of union member grievances, reinstatements, vacation time, seniority rights, and legal matters. One of the main problems the C.T.A. had over the years was in union dues collection, which also was recorded in detail. The time span of the collection is from the union's inception on April 6, 1918, to its dissolution in 1968. A few final logbooks are dated 1969-1972, and several funeral announcements are dated up to 1982.
Historical Note
The Colored Trainmen of America (C.T.A.) was formed on April 6, 1918, with the purpose, as the founding charter stated, "of promoting the condition and welfare of its members and to elevate their social, moral, and intellectual standing." The C.T.A. was one of the earliest black unions in America and from its inception the union strived to protect the rights of its members, the vast majority being railroad brakemen and stewards. Through the years, the union had assisted in areas such as civil rights, discrimination, equal pay rates, job safety, working conditions, and health benefits. With the increased usage of other modes of transportation and the cancellation of many of the train runs in Texas and Louisiana, the C.T.A. had no choice but to dissolve in 1968. Even a merger with the International Association of Railway Employees and the Association of Railway Trainmen and Locomotive Firemen failed to save the union.
Index Terms
Colored Trainmen of America
Missouri Pacific Railroad Company
African Americans--Civil rights
African Americans--Louisiana--DeQuincy
African Americans--Social conditions
African Americans--Texas--Kingsville
Labor unions--Louisiana
Labor unions--Texas
Race discrimination
Railroads--Employees
Railroads--Louisiana
Railroads--Texas
Administrative
1
1
Union charter,
1918
1
2
C.T.A. Christmas cards,
1
3
New Iberia & Northern Railroad seniority list,
1916
1
4
Pay rates: General Order 27 and Supplement 16,
1918-1919
1
5
Photographs
1
6
Traveling cards
1929,
1941,
Union constitution booklets,
1947
1
7
1
8
Union dues set up,
1917
1
9
Union letterhead stationary
1
10
Union member charter,
1940's-1950's
1
11
Union member charter, blank
1
12
Union membership list,
1947
1
13-17
Application for membership in C.T.A.,
1928-1960
1
18
Union Representation Authorization Cards,
1945
1
19-20
Union Representation Authorization Cards,
1947
1
21-23
Union constitution, rules, and resolution matters,
1940-1969
1
24-26
Union elections, appointments,
1939-1978
1
27
Union mergers,
1960-1966
1
28
Dissolution of C.T.A.,
1968-1969
2
1
Annual pass correspondence
2
2
Board and meal deductions correspondence
2
3-5
C.T.A. Ladies Auxiliary,
1940-1966
2
6
Health benefits, insurance, pensions
2
7
Health, welfare, and pension plans seminar,
1954
2
8-15
Hospital Association,
1936-1969
3
1
Box: 32 rubber stamps (addresses, signatures, logo, etc.)
3
2
Grand Lodge notary seal
3
3
Brass plaque: Missouri Pacific Safety Award, Kingsville Division,
1950
4
1-21
Union meeting minutes,
1936-1963
5
1-2
Union meeting minutes,
1964-1967
5
3
Union meeting member attendance logbook,
1951-1954
5
4
Union meeting member attendance logbook,
1956-1957
5
5
Union meeting minutes logbooks,
1940-1946
5
6
Union meeting minutes logbooks,
1943-1955
5
7
Union meeting minutes logbooks,
1947-1950
5
8-10
Union meeting minutes logbooks,
1962-1967
6-7
Oversized union meeting minutes logbooks,
1956-1961
8
1-18
Internal union correspondence,
1927-1952
9
1-16
Internal union correspondence,
1953-1959
10
1-15
Internal union correspondence,
1960-1965
11
1-7
Internal union correspondence,
1965-1982
Missouri Pacific Lines Correspondence
11
8-18
Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen,
1928-1943
12
1-11
Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen,
1944-1949
12
12
Grievances, reinstatements, pay: James Dotson,
1950-1959
12
13
Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen,
1950
13
1-14
Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen,
1950-1958
14
1-13
Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen,
1959-1963
15
1-6
Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen,
1963-1968
15
7-22
Jobs and working conditions,
1928-1954
Scope and Contents note
Note: This is general correspondence between the C.T.A. and Missouri Pacific regarding job announcements and applications, railroad and yard safety and equipment, and meeting attendance requests.
16
1-13
Jobs and working conditions,
1955-1967
Scope and Contents note
Note: This is general correspondence between the C.T.A. and Missouri Pacific regarding job announcements and applications, railroad and yard safety and equipment, and meeting attendance requests.
16
14-18
Leave of absence correspondence,
1940-1967
16
19-21
Missouri Pacific Lines leave of absence notice,
1930-1959
17
1
Missouri Pacific Lines leave of absence notice,
1950-1959
17
2
Indebtedness correspondence
17
3
Military leave correspondence
17
4
Missouri Pacific Lines meeting minutes
17
5-6
Missouri Pacific Lines mileage circulars,
1926-1967
17
7
Missouri Pacific Lines newsletters
17
8-11
Missouri Pacific Lines seniority list,
1934-1969
17
12-13
Missouri Pacific Lines seniority queries
17
14
Missouri Pacific Lines Time Return and Delay reports
17
15-17
Pay rates and related correspondence,
1928-1967
17
18-22
Vacation requests and correspondence,
1950-1967
Legal and Regulatory
18
1
Houston, Houston, Hastie & Waddy attorneys,
1943-1944
18
2-20
Houston, Houston, Hastie & Waddy attorneys,
1947-1962
19
1-2
Accordion files, court case 75-B-110, exhibits, reports,
1930-1970
20
1-3
Correspondence to/from other law firms
20
4
Civil rights, discrimination: general literature
20
5
Interstate Commerce Commission releases,
1928
20
6
Job Protection Agreement,
1936
20
7
Federal government legislation and correspondence
20
8-9
State government correspondence,
1940-1967
20
10-11
National Mediation Board,
1940-1968
20
12-13
National Railroad Adjustment Board,
1940-1959
20
14-15
Railroad Retirement Board,
1940-1963
20
16
Wage Stabilization Board
20
17-23
Agreements and mediations,
1919-1946
21
1-18
Agreements and mediations,
1947-1974
Financial
22
1-16
Union Dues and Monthly Lodge Reports,
1940-1952
23
1-13
Union Dues and Monthly Lodge Reports,
1953-1957
24
1-10
Union Dues and Monthly Lodge Reports,
1957-1959
25
1-13
Union Dues and Monthly Lodge Reports,
1960-1962
26
1-12
Union Dues and Monthly Lodge Reports,
1962-1967
27
1-26
Finance reports and correspondence,
1941-1967
27
27-39
Expense claims to union,
1938-1951
28
1-16
Federal and State taxes,
1947-1963
28
17-24
Audit reports,
1956-1968
28
25-27
Federal and State taxes,
1947-1963
28
25-27
Federal and State taxes,
1940-1946
29
1-7
Federal and State taxes,
1947-1963
29
8-18
Office Expenses,
1944-1967
30
1
Senior Choir Journal/Finance Logbook,
1943-1944
30
2
Finance Logbook,
1947-1951
30
3
Finance Logbook,
1948-1952
30
4
Finance Logbooks,
1958-1959
30
5
Finance Logbook,
1958-1964
30
6
Finance Logbook,
1960-1964
30
7
Finance Logbook,
1960-1965
30
8
Finance Logbook,
1970-1971
30
9
Receipt and expense logbooks,
1958-1965
30
10
Receipt logbook,
1958-1961
30
11
Receipt logbook,
1966
30
12
Collections logbook,
1951
30
13-14
Money receipt registers,
1951-1958
30
15
Salary and finance logbooks,
1939-1949
30
16
Salary and finance logbooks,
1944-1947
31
1-2
Disbursement and expense logbooks,
1952-1959
31
3
Banking records, Calcasieu-Marine National Bank,
1944-1945
31
4
Banking records, Kleberg First National Bank,
1951-1958
31
5
Banking records, Kleberg First National Bank,
1965-1968
31
6
Banking records, State Bank of Kingsville,
1950-1970
31
7-8
Monthly Statement, First National Bank of Kingsville,
1940-1948
31
9
Monthly Statement, First National Bank of Kingsville,
1960-1963
31
10
Monthly Statement, First National Bank of Kingsville,
1964
31
11-12
Check Logbook, First National Bank of Kingsville,
1936-1945
31
13
Check Logbook, First National Bank of Kingsville,
1947-1949
31
14
Check receipt register,
1952-1957
31
15
Check receipts and logbook,
1960-1962
31
16
Check book and register
32
1
Donation logbooks,
1957-1959
32
2
Union dues and disbursements logbook,
1943-1944
32
3
Union dues and finance logbook,
1937-1944
32
4
Union dues and finance logbook,
1940-1951
32
5-6
Union dues logbooks,
1935-1945
32
7-8
Union dues logbooks,
1944-1948
32
9
Union dues logbooks,
1947
32
10
Union dues logbook, by member name,
1947-1948
32
11
Union dues logbook, by member name,
1956-1957
32
12
Union dues logbook,
1960-1962
32
13
Union dues receipt stub booklets,
1945-1947
33
Oversize union dues logbook,
1948-1950
34
Oversize finance logbook,
1951-1952
Other Unions
35
1
Dining Car & Railroad Food Workers Union
35
2
International Association of Railway Employees
35
3
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
35
4
Negro Railway Labor Executive Committee meeting minutes
35
5
United Transportation Union
35
6-7
Correspondence to/from other unions
35
8-10
National conferences, committees, and meetings with other unions,
1940-1969
Publications and Literature
35
11
Negro Railway Labor News, newsletter,
1948-1949
35
12
Report on history of the Locomotive Fireman Brotherhood
35
13
Publications: railroad companies
35
14
Alternate transportation: Buses, etc. brochures
35
15
Church newsletters and correspondence
35
16
Houston Belt & Terminal Railroad Co., time table,
1950-1951
35
17-18
Interstate Commerce Commission Accident Reports
35
19
Publications: correspondence to/from
35
20-21
Publications: US Code Annotated - Railroads,
1946-1959
35
22
Newspaper articles
35
23
America is Different, report by Danish Labor Unionists,
1949
36
1
Daily Worker, newspaper,
1949
36
2
Labor, international weekly newspaper,
1964-1965
36
3
Political newspapers and publications
36
4-5
Publications: federal government
36
6
Publications: law
36
6
Publications: universities