Valuation maps
Is there a public records source for Southern Pacific valuation maps? Perhaps those filed with the ICC?
I'm a land surveyor doing historical research and UP is reluctant to part with their copies of these maps unless they have a pending transaction.
Thank you in advance for you assistance.
BTW, in 1976-1977 I was a "draftsman grade 3" for SP @ the 10th floor 1 Market St., San Francisco. Being low man on the pole I was in charge of filing and indexing these maps along with making sure that the Engineering division's cars were washed and gassed, and I was official driver to Mr. Vaughn, SP's chief engineer at that time. Got promoted in 1977 and drafted updates to many val maps along with being a land title abstractor. Should of kept the job, I would have been retired by now.
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 10:45 AM
2 Comments:
See the discussion at the bottom of our National Archives webpage.
"There [is a] National Archives collection of valuation maps, from which one can study the entire US rail system as it existed in the 1915-1920 era, at a scale of 1"=100 ft. The sheets are 56" long. (One mile per sheet) Fascinating material for an intimate snapshot of the infrastucture as it existed at that time. If you go in person to College Park, MD, you can buy ten copies per day at about $14 each for full size, $6.00 each for half size. To buy by mail order, you have to go through a "private contractor," who will charge about four times that much." Adrian Ettlinger, 12-21-2002. [From R&LHS Newsgroup]"
"I have noted with interest the discussion on the Interstate Commerce Commission railroad valuation maps in the custody of the National Archives at College Park. Yes, the maps are very brittle and get heavy use. But they are in more usuable condition than they used to be. Up until approximately 1997, the blueprints were folded into bundles and wrapped with twine. Since the move from Suitland to Archives II (College Park) in 1995, they have been flattened and placed in map drawers for easier access. For your information, the new telephone number for the Maps and Plans Group, Special Media Archives Services Division is 301-837-3200. The blueprint copies of the maps that the National Archives has is the ICC copy of the maps. The original black ink on white linen copies were originally given to the railroad and to the states. Some of the railroads and state archives still have their copies. As some of you may know, I am the contact person for reference on the ICC records in National Archives custody, particularly the textual records at the National Archives at College Park. For further information concerning the records, you may want to consult my guide entitled 'Records Relating to North American Railroads: Reference Information Paper #91' which is available on the R&LHS website. We have a few hard copies left, however I have been told that there will be a reprint done hopefully by next summer. ... my specialty here is transportation, and particularly railroad records. I provide reference service on the textual (paper) records. In the ICC records, the primary interest with railroad researchers is documentation concerning individual railroad depots - construction specifications, drawings and photographs. These are available in the ICC, Bureau of Valuation, Engineering Field Notes. I have almost finished with a comprehensive finding aid to these records which will make it a lot easier to do reference in these records. The interest is usually for historic preservation and sometimes modeling. An additional note for the valuation maps. You can order copies of the maps by mail from Maps and Plans, however they use a private vendor for mail orders, and the price goes up. In the research room, their staff will copy up to 10 maps a day at the rate of $2.70 per foot. The maps are usually four and half feet long. Again, their phone number is 301-837-3200. Please cite the name of the railroad, the valuation section number and if available the map number. If you do not have that information, you may want to consult with me as I have finding aids for the maps. ... It is easier to get in touch with me via email. David Pfeiffer, Archivist, Civilian Records Textual Archives Services Division National Archives, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740 301-837-2052, 12-23-2002 & 12-24-2002. [From R&LHS Newsgroup]"
"From: mikadobear45@yahoo.com
I would encourage you to use the resources at the California State Archives. Ask to (first) see the microfiche SP station plat maps for the spur that fed the plant. Second, look for any California Railroad Commission/Public Utilities Commission valuation maps the originals, which are usually ink-on-linen and wich feature greater detail than the microform plats.
You might also do well to ask State Archives whether they have any Articles of Incorporation for California Pottery Company, trademarks filings, etc. I will wager there might be some *hidden* gems therein. It will just take some creative sleuthing on your part preferably in person in the effort to locate such matter. Allow yourself a whole morning or afternoon if possible. CA State Archives is at 1020 O Street in Sacramento and can be linked online ...
Happy hunting!
Kevin Bunker"
"From: "Don Ball" dlball1899@gmail.com
Subject: Valuation surveys
The ICC Valuation records are now stored in College Park, Maryland. I was there a couple of weeks ago and they have the valuation maps, the field notes and much more information. All of these items can be copied for a fee.
Don Ball"
"Title: Lucin Cutoff collection, 1903-1904, [photographs] Description: 93 photographs Notes: Collection of photographs of the construction of the Lucin Cutoff by the Central Pacific Railroad. Mr. and Mrs. Edmund F. Shoaf, Donors Inventory available. Subjects: ... valuation maps, leases, and cash receipts for the Southern Pacific Company and more than 500 other companies acquired by the Southern Pacific Company between 1895 and 1991. Gift of Union Pacific Railroad, 1998. Collection is unavailable until processed. For further details, please contact the Manuscripts Processing Librarian. ... Location: Dept. of Special Collections Stanford Univ. Libraries Stanford, CA 94305 Control No.: CSUR98-A319"
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