1919 Great Northern Railroad Minneapolis Passenger Depot Payroll Ledger USRA MN For Sale

Railroad: Great Northern Railway (GNRY)Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Type: Handwritten Payroll Ledger / Historical Document / Ephemera
Era: USRA (United States Railroad Administration) WWI EraRare 100% Complete 1919 Great Northern Railroad Minneapolis Passenger Depot Master Payroll Ledger (USRA WWI Era)Up for sale is a fascinating, completely authentic piece of Minnesota railroad history. This is an original handwritten master payroll ledger for the Great Northern Railroad (GNRY) covering the iconic Minneapolis Passenger Station (Terminals Division).It captures a highly unique era in American railroading when the federal government operated the networks during and immediately following WWI under the United States Railroad Administration (USRA), which is explicitly stamped inside.⭐️ 100% COMPLETE HISTORICAL ARCHIVE:
Unlike sparse or blank record books, every single page in this heavy ledger is fully filled out. It documents a continuous, unbroken 8-month daily operational run from May through December of 1919. This makes it an incredibly rich, self-contained historical archive and an invaluable resource for local historians, archives, and genealogists.Historic Landmark Relevance:
This ledger tracks the daily workforce of the famous Minneapolis Great Northern Depot, designed by architect Charles Frost. At its peak during the exact era captured in this book (1919), this massive Beaux-Arts station handled 125 trains and 20,000 passengers a day. Because the historic depot was tragically demolished in 1978, completely intact primary-source paper archives from its peak years are extraordinarily scarce.🔍 Sample of Transcribed Names & Historical Incidents Found Inside:
Including these names allows descendants and specialized researchers to find this document. The book tracks hundreds of individuals, their unique occupations, and emergency operational events:
The Base Depot Payroll (Pages 1 & 5): Logs regular station staff like Station Master G. V. Palmgren, Assistant Station Master John A. Noonan, Information Clerk Walter G. O'Connor, Ticket Clerk John M. O'Connor, Stenographer Walter C. Cooke, Messenger Geo. D. Wasley, Attendants Frank B. Liddard & Peter A. McDougall, Matrons Albert P. Juno & Carl H. Johnson, Baggageman Frank B. Martin, Elevator Man Bruce Kelvie, and Janitor Parnell H. Leland.The "Benefit Association" Log (Page 2): Tracks internal cooperative health/accident insurance pool deductions routed to the Benefit Association of Railway Employees in Chicago, including explicit blue-ink entries for employee "Wolters" (Member 78-79).The November 14 Wreck Overtime Statement (Page 3): A dramatic page documenting emergency night labor following a local accident. The handwritten text reads: "Night Nov 14 wreck, Trains late from St. P." It details the specific emergency crew called in to handle the crisis, including Mail Clerk Iver Gustafson, Switchtenders/Ground Crew George Mansour, Frank Defney, & John Thorne, Electrician Arthur Griswold, Pumpman Jon Dwyer, Station Foreman Arthur Murphy, and Section Foreman John Lahoud managing laborers Alex Levin, Andrew Hornick, Mike Saba, Maroon Taha, & Tofy Simon.
Condition:
Good vintage condition for an item well over a century old. The heavy canvas/cloth spine binding is intact and securely features its bold, original handwritten labeling: "MPLS. PSGR. 19-May to and incl. Dec.-19". Expect standard edge wear, page toning, and minor shelf wear from authentic 1919 office use. Every page remains completely solid, highly legible, and beautifully preserved. Please review all photos for exact condition details.