Abstract
Chartered in 1871, Reading Company was the holding company for the system of railroads, canals and coal mines assembled by the predecessor Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company between 1833 and 1896. The collection consists of the corporate records of the Reading Company (1871-1976), the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company (1833-1896), the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company (1896-1923), and 159 predecessors and subsidiaries.
Dates
- 1795-1979
Creator
- Reading Company (Organization)
Extent
1,131 Linear Feet
Historical Note
Chartered in 1871 as the Excelsior Enterprise Company, Reading Company became the holding company for the system of railroads, canals and coal mines assembled by the predecessor Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company between 1833 and 1896. As a result of anti-trust proceedings, the Reading Company divested itself of its mining subsidiary in 1923 and became an operating company for its rail properties. After bankruptcy in the early 1970s, viable portions of the rail network were conveyed to Conrail on April 1, 1976. The reorganized Reading Company retains real estate and other non-rail assets.
Arrangement
Part I. Parent company and predecessors (1833-1976)
Part II. Subsidiary and associated companies (1795-1976)
Part III. Subject files (1861-1957)
Part IV. Miscellaneous (1825-1969)
Scope and Content
The collection consists of the corporate records of the Reading Company (1871-1976), the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company (1833-1896), the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company (1896-1923), and 159 predecessors and subsidiaries. Record types include minutes, account books, securities records, reports and agreements. Departmental records are available for the parent company, primarily from the various officers of the Operating Department, the Legal Department, the Secretary and Treasurer. Fragments of presidential correspondence are also available, especially for J.S. Harris and A.A. McLeod. Departmental records contain abundant detail on operating, technical and labor matters, with coverage relatively complete for the 1860-1914 period. Of special interest are papers relating to the Molly Maguires in the 1870s.
Existence and Location of Copies
A selection of material on the Molly Maguires was digitized and is available online in the Digital Archives.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.
Litigators may not view the collection without approval.
Use Restrictions
Literary rights retained by Reading Company.
Language of Materials
English
Additional Information
Additional Description
Provenance
On Deposit from the Reading Company.
Separated Materials
Reading Company photographs (Accession 1975.430), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library.
Subjects
- Adams Express Company
- Advertisements
- American Railway Association
- Anthracite coal industry
- Association of American Railroads
- Association of Railway Executives (U.S.)
- Baer, George F. (George Frederick), 1842-1914
- Baird, Matthew, 1817-1877
- Baldwin Locomotive Works
- Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
- Beech Creek Railroad Company
- Bertrand, Charles Edward, 1915-1978
- Biddle, Edward R. (Edward Robert)
- Buffalo, Rochester, and Pittsburgh Railway Company
- Bus lines
- Canals
- Centennial Exhibition (1876 : Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Central Railroad of New Jersey
- Chauncey, Elihu, 1779-1847
- Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company
- Coal mines and mining
- Corbin, Austin, 1827-1896
- Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company
- Dice, Agnew T. (Agnew Thomson), 1862-1932
- Dickson, Samuel, 1837-1915
- Drawings
- Drexel, Morgan & Co
- Elmira, Cortland, and Northern Railroad Company
- Emlen, William F. (William Fishbourn), 1787-1866
- Empire Transportation Company
- Ewing, Charles H., 1866-1935
- Fall Brook Railway Company
- Furness, Frank, 1839-1912
- Gowan & Marx
- Gowen, Franklin B. (Franklin Benjamin), 1836-1889
- Harris, Joseph S. (Joseph Smith), 1836-1910
- Holding companies
- J.P. Morgan & Co
- Jersey Central Transportation Company
- Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway Company
- Junction Railroad Company
- Knight, Edward C. (Edward Collings), 1813-1892
- Knights of Labor
- Lehigh & Susquehanna Rail Road (Firm)
- Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company
- Lehigh Valley Railroad Company
- Lewis, Edwin M.
- Lorenz, William, 1826-1884
- McLeod, A. A. (Archibald Angus), 1848-1902
- Montour Iron Company
- Montour Iron and Steel Company
- National Company
- New York Central Railroad Company
- New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company
- New York and Long Branch Railroad
- Nichols, Henry K. (Henry Kuhl), 1830-1904
- Nicolls, G. A. (Gustavus A.), 1817-1886
- Norfolk and Western Railway Company
- Osborne, John H. (John Humfrey), 1818-1894
- Pennsylvania Coal Company
- Pennsylvania Railroad
- Personnel records
- Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Co
- Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company
- Philadelphia and Reading Relief Association
- Philadelphia, Reading & New England Railroad
- Pinkerton's National Detective Agency
- Police, Private
- Powelton Iron and Coal Company
- Pullman Company
- Railroad police
- Railroad stations
- Railroads
- Railroads -- Buildings and structures
- Railroads -- Employees
- Railroads -- Equipment and supplies
- Railroads -- Rolling stock
- Reading Iron Company
- Reading Terminal (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Reading Terminal Market (Philadelphia, Pa.)
- Robinson, Moncure, 1802-1891
- Robinson, Wirt, 1806-1865
- Sayre, Robert H. (Robert Heysham), 1824-1907
- Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
- Street-railroads
- Strikes and lockouts
- Tamaqua and Lansford Street Railway Company
- Telegraph
- Temple Iron Company
- Tide-Water Pipe Company, Limited
- Timetables
- Toland, Henry
- United Mine Workers of America
- United States Express Company
- United States Railroad Administration
- United States Railroad Labor Board
- Voorhees, Theodore, 1847-1916
- Welsh, J. Lowber (John Lowber), 1842-1904
- West Pittston Coal Company
- Western Maryland Railroad Company
- Western Union Telegraph Company
- Williamsport and North Branch Railroad Company
- Wootten, John E. (John Eastburn), 1823-1898
- Workingmen’s Benevolent Association of Schuyklill County, Pennsylvania
- Wyoming Valley Coal Company
- Young Men's Christian Association. Reading Railway Department
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- Reading Company records
- Status:
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
