Railroad records?

[catchnrelease]

Does anyone here know if it's possible to access old railroad records? A newly found distant relative claims that our common ancestor worked for either the Burlington Northern or Great Northern Railroad, esp in the area of Illinois. The time frame would have been around the mid to late 1840's.

I have asked her repeatedly where she got this info and/or what her sources are. She has never answered the question. Once she sent me a long, interesting article about the Irish working on the railroad, but it had no names of people and nothing to do with our family members. So I don't know if she isn't getting the point of what I've asked or she's making it up or what. (I have asked her point blank, in every round about way I can think of, and still no luck.) I think she must be in her 70's but doesn't seem to be senile or feeble-minded. She and her husband, who is the actual relative, just went back to the Midwest visiting and doing family research, so it sounds like she's still sharp. She had posted quite a long and involved tree on Roots-web and I worry that it's not all accurate as far as my lines go. Afraid she just gets excited and puts in anything that "might" be family with no verification.

So, after all this rambling, back to my question............any ideas on how to find out if someone back then worked for a railroad? Old employment records? I can't think of anything else. I subscribe to Ancestry and haven't seen anything about railroad info on there. Any help would be most appreciated.

[fudge stripe cookays]

1. That early, you're probably out of luck.

One you get past about 1880 or so, they start entering that for profession on the census records, but 1840 is a little early for that.

I'll look around and see if I come up with anything else.

[iverglas]

2. one remote possibility

That early, railway workers tended to live by the railway -- at least in England that was true.

http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/help/help.asp?code=BTThes/r/71498.htm

RAILWAY WORKERS COTTAGE
Used For:
Railway Navvys Cottage
Railway Workers House
Definition: Purpose-built housing for railway workers.
Building Type Class: DOMESTIC
Included In (Broad Term): TRANSPORT WORKERS HOUSE
See also (Related Term): CROSSING KEEPERS COTTAGE

In the US, that would be "railroad" and "house". ;)

Here's a US reference:

http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/shpo/poguide/guide4d.htm

The Transcontinental Railroad, which began operation in 1869, brought a new array of buildings, structures, and objects to Nevada. Depots, warehouses, shops, workers' houses, bridges, water tanks, and rails were built along the main routes and on short lines built to connect outlying areas to the main lines. To serve railroad travelers, hotels, bars, stores, and other commercial buildings were constructed. The most popular style of depot during the last half of the nineteenth century was stick style, and by the early twentieth century, Mission Revival was the style of choice. Many railroad towns were essentially company towns, with the usual assortment of company-built structures. Railroad workers' housing is distinctive, in that the small and simple cottages were built in orderly rows. A number of these small row houses can still be found in various Nevada communities.

-- the idea and style seem the same.

If you know where your ancestor lived, and can locate the rail lines in the area, it might give you an idea. It's highly unlikely the housing, if it was that, would still be standing so you could check -- although in England the cottages (two-storey rows of three, for instance) show up on Escape to the Country on BBC occasionally. ;)

[fudge stripe cookays]

3. Here's one link I found...

http://www.gnrhs.org/gn_history.htm


And they have an archive in St. Paul:
http://www.gnrhs.org/jackson_st_archive.htm

Hope this helps!
fsc :hi:

[catchnrelease]

4. Wow, thanks!

I figured it would be a long shot to find anything from that far back, but thought it worth asking. I'll read through these links tomorrow and see what they say. Guess I can also try to google Burlington Northern, and see if anything comes up for them.

Thanks to you both for the advice. :toast: