Railroads have been an important means of transportation in the settlement, growth, and commerce of Minnesota. The Minnesota Historical Society holds the corporate records for several major railroad companies.
Search the library catalog for books and other published materials, manuscript collections, and State Archives collections about railroad transportation. Useful search terms: railroads, railroad travel, railroad construction, railroad routes
Selected manuscript and State Archives collection finding aids detailing box locations and contents are available online. Others are available in notebooks in the Library.
Photographs, artwork, and artifacts documenting railroads can be found in Collections Online. Useful search terms: transportation railroad, railroads, locomotives, trains, railroad tracks, shops, and yards.
Newspapers may contain advertisements and stories about railroad transportation.
The Minnesota Historical Society holds many published histories as well as the records of several railroad companies. Some of the corporate records, particularly of the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railroads, include records of numerous branch lines and subsidiary railroads. Among the records held by MNHS are:
The Railroad Construction Research Guide contains extensive resources on railroad construction.
Gale Family Library
Minnesota Historical Society Library
Located on the Second Floor of the Minnesota History Center
345 West Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102
Library Hours:
Thursday to Saturday: 10am to 4pm
Sunday to Wednesday: Closed
More Information on Visiting the Library
Contact Us:
651-259-3300
