The Colored Trainmen of America Papers: An Inventory of Records at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library


Descriptive Summary
	Creator	Colored Trainmen of America
	Title	Colored Trainmen of America Papers
	Inclusive Date	1918-1982
	Bulk Date	1940-1969
	Identification	RG R 3
	Extent	36 boxes
	Language	Materials are in English.
	Repository	Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library

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 condidions, 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 merger with the International Association of Railway Employees and the Association of Railway Trainmen and Locomotive Firemen failed to save the union.

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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 hightlight of the publications is an incomplete run of the Negro Railway Labor News 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.

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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.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

None.

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.

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Index Terms

	Subjects
		African Americans--Civil rights
		African Americans--Louisiana--DeQuincy
		African Americans--Texas--Kingsville
		African Americans--Social conditions
		Labor unions--Louisiana
		Labor unions--Texas
		Race discrimination
		Railroads--Texas
		Railroads--Louisiana
		Railroads--Employees
	Subjects (Organizations)
		Colored Trainmen of America
		Missouri Pacific Railroad Company

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Administrative
Box	Folder
1	1	Union charter, 1918
	2	C.T.A. Christmas cards,
	3	New Iberia & Northern Railroad seniority list, 1916
	4	Pay rates: General Order 27 and Supplement 16, 1918-1919
	5	Photographs
	6	Traveling cards
	7	Union constitution booklets, 1929, 1941, 1947
	8	Union dues set up, 1917
	9	Union letterhead stationary
	10	Union member charter, 1940's-1950's
	11	Union member charter, blank
	12	Union membership list, 1947
	13-17	Application for membership in C.T.A., 1928-1960
	18	Union Representation Authorization Cards, 1945
	19-20	Union Representation Authorization Cards, 1947
	21-23	Union constitution, rules, and resolution matters, 1940-1969
	24-26	Union elections, appointments, 1939-1978
	27	Union mergers, 1960-1966
	28	Dissolution of C.T.A., 1968-1969
Box	Folder
2	1	Annual pass correspondence
	2	Board and meal deducations correspondence
	3-5	C.T.A. Ladies Auxiliary, 1940-1966
	6	Health benefits, insurance, pensions
	7	Health, welfare, and pension plans seminar, 1954
	8-15	Hospital Association, 1936-1969
Box	Folder
3	1	Box: 32 rubber stamps (addresses, signatures, logo, etc.)
	2	Grand Lodge notary seal
	3	Brass plaque: Missouri Pacific Safety Award, Kingsville Division, 1950
Box	Folder
4	1-21	Union meeting minutes, 1936-1963
Box	Folder
5	1-2	Union meeting minutes, 1964-1967
	3	Union meeting member attendance logbook, 1951-1954
	4	Union meeting member attendance logbook, 1956-1957
	5	Union meeting minutes logbooks, 1940-1946
	6	Union meeting minutes logbook, 1943-1955
	7	Union meeting minutes logbook, 1947-1950
	8-10	Union meeting minutes logbooks, 1962-1967
Item
6-7		Oversized union meeting minutes logbooks, 1956-1961
Box	Folder
8	1-18	Internal union correspondence, 1927-1952
Box	Folder
9	1-16	Internal union correspondence, 1953-1959
Box	Folder
10	1-15	Internal union correspondence, 1960-1965
Box	Folder
11	1-7	Internal union correspondence, 1965-1982

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Missouri Pacific Lines Correspondence
Box	Folder
11	8-18		Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen, 1928-1943
Box	Folder
12	1-11		Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen, 1944-1949
	12		Grievances, reinstatements, pay: James Dotson, 1950-1959
	13		Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen, 1950
Box	Folder
13	1-14		Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen, 1950-1958
Box	Folder
14	1-13		Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen, 1959-1963
Box	Folder
15	1-6		Grievances, reinstatements, pay: individual brakemen, 1963-1968
	7-22		Jobs and working conditions, 1928-1954
		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.
Box	Folder
16	1-13		Jobs and working conditions, 1955-1967
		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.
	14-18		Leave of absence correspondence, 1940-1967
	19-21		Missouri Pacific Lines leave of absence notice, 1930-1959
Box	Folder
17	1		Missouri Pacific Lines leave of absence notice, 1950-1959
	2		Indebtedness correspondence
	3		Military leave correspondence
	4		Missouri Pacific Lines meeting minutes
	5-6		Missouri Pacific Lines mileage circulars, 1926-1967
	7		Missouri Pacific Lines newsletters
	8-11		Missouri Pacific Lines seniority list, 1934-1969
	12-13		Missouri Pacific Lines seniority queries,
	14		Missouri Pacific Lines Time Return and Delay reports
	15-17		Pay rates and related correspondence, 1928-1967
	18-22		Vacation requests and correspondence, 1950-1967

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Legal and Regulatory
Box	Folder
18	1	Houston, Houston, Hastie & Waddy attorneys, 1943-1944
	2-20	Houston, Houston, Hastie & Waddy attorneys, 1947-1962
Box	Folder
19	1-2	Accordion files, court case 75-B-110, exhibits, reports, 1930-1970
Box	Folder
20	1-3	Correspondence to/from other law firms
	4	Civil rights, discrimination: general literature
	5	Interstate Commerce Commission releases, 1928
	6	Job Protection Agreement, 1936
	7	Federal government legislation and correspondence
	8-9	State government correspondence, 1940-1967
	10-11	National Mediation Board, 1940-1968
	12-13	National Railroad Adjustment Board, 1940-1959
	14-15	Railroad Retirement Board, 1940-1963
	16	Wage Stabilization Board,
	17-23	Agreements and mediations, 1919-1946
Box	Folder
21	1-18	Agreements and mediations, 1947-1974

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Financial
Box	Folder
22	1-16	Union Dues and Monthly Lodge Reports, 1940-1952
Box	Folder
23	1-13	Union Dues and Monthly Lodge Reports, 1953-1957
Box	Folder
24	1-10	Union Dues and Monthly Lodge Reports, 1957-1959
Box	Folder
25	1-13	Union Dues and Monthly Lodge Reports, 1960-1962
Box	Folder
26	1-12	Union Dues and Monthly Lodge Reports, 1962-1967
Box	Folder
27	1-26	Finance reports and correspondence, 1941-1967
	27-39	Expense claims to union, 1938-1951
Box	Folder
28	1-16	Federal and State taxes, 1947-1963
	17-24	Audit reports, 1956-1968
	25-27	Federal and State taxes, 1947-1963
	25-27	Federal and State taxes, 1940-1946
Box	Folder
29	1-7	Federal and State taxes, 1947-1963
	8-18	Office Expenses, 1944-1967
Box	Folder
30	1	Senior Choir Journal/Finance Logbook, 1943-1944
	2	Finance Logbook, 1947-1951
	3	Finance Logbook, 1948-1952
	4	Finance Logbooks, 1958-1959
	5	Finance Logbook, 1958-1964
	6	Finance Logbook, 1960-1964
	7	Finance Logbook, 1960-1965
	8	Finance Logbook, 1970-1971
	9	Receipt and expense logbooks, 1958-1965
	10	Receipt logbook, 1958-1961
	11	Receipt logbook, 1966
	12	Collections logbook, 1951
	13-14	Money receipt registers, 1951-1958
	15	Salary and finance logbooks, 1939-1949
	16	Salary and finance logbooks, 1944-1947
Box	Folder
31	1-2	Disbursement and expense logbooks, 1952-1959
	3	Banking records, Calcasieu-Marine National Bank, 1944-1945
	4	Banking records, Kleberg First National Bank, 1951-1958
	5	Banking records, Kleberg First National Bank, 1965-1968
	6	Banking records, State Bank of Kingsville, 1950-1970
	7-8	Monthly Statement, First National Bank of Kingsville, 1940-1948
	9	Monthly Statement, First National Bank of Kingsville, 1960-1963
	10	Monthly Statement, First National Bank of Kingsville, 1964
	11-12	Check Logbook, First National Bank of Kingsville, 1936-1945
	13	Check Logbook, First National Bank of Kingsville, 1947-1949
	14	Check receipt register, 1952-1957
	15	Check receipts and logbook, 1960-1962
	16	Check book and register,
Box	Folder
32	1	Donation logbooks, 1957-1959
	2	Union dues and disbursements logbook, 1943-1944
	3	Union dues and finance logbook, 1937-1944
	4	Union dues and finance logbook, 1940-1951
	5-6	Union dues logbooks, 1935-1945
	7-8	Union dues logbooks, 1944-1948
	9	Union dues logbooks, 1947
	10	Union dues logbook, by member name, 1947-1948
	11	Union dues logbook, by member name, 1956-1957
	12	Union dues logbook, 1960-1962
	13	Union dues receipt stib booklets, 1945-1947
Item
33		Oversize union dues logbook, 1948-1950
Item
34		Oversize finance logbook, 1951-1952

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Other Unions
Box	Folder
35	1	Dining Car & Railroad Food Workers Union
	2	International Association of Railway Employees
	3	National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
	4	Negro Railway Labor Executive Committee meeting minutes
	5	United Transportation Union
	6-7	Correspondence to/from other unions
	8-10	National conferences, committees, and meetings with other unions, 1940-1969

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Publications and Literature
Box	Folder
35	11	Negro Railway Labor News, newsletter, 1948-1949
	12	Report on history of the Locomotive Fireman Brotherhood
	13	Publications: railroad companies
	14	Alternate transportation: Buses, etc. brochures
	15	Church newsletters and correspondence
	16	Houston Belt & Terminal Railroad Co., time table, 1950-1951
	17-18	Interstate Commerce Commission Accident Reports
	19	Publications: correspondence to/from
	20-21	Publications: US Code Annotated - Railroads, 1946-1959
	22	Newspaper articles
	23	America is Different, report by Danish Labor Unionists, 1949
Box	Folder
36	1	Daily Worker, newspaper, 1949
	2	Labor, international weekly newspaper, 1964-1965
	3	Political newspapers and publications
	4-5	Publications: federal government
	6	Publications: law
	6	Publications: universities

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