Archives and Special Collections
92 Snell Library
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-2351
Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids

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Collection Overview
Title: Boston Elevated Railway Company. Library records
Date: 1884-1967 [bulk 1921-1950]
Location Code: 69/4, 71/2
Reference Code: M150
Extent: 0.75 cubic ft. (3 boxes)
Scope and Content Abstract: All materials in this collection were part of the Boston Elevated Railway Library. This collection documents the different public transportation systems in the United States, particularly Boston, and in Europe, Africa, and Canada. The collection contains articles, manuals, brochures, schedules, and maps relating to different forms of transportation of the day, and materials relating to specific transportation systems. The collection includes a large number of newspaper articles on aviator Amelia Earhart. The collection also includes a scrapbook and loose pamphlet on the Charles A. Coffin Foundation's award for electric railway company service. The scrapbook consists primarily of presentations from companies competing for the Coffin Award and American Electric Railway Association reports on the winning presentations. The presentations include descriptions of the railway company and its services, reproductions of photographic materials and artwork, graphs, publicity materials, and miscellaneous other materials the company felt would support its claim to the award. Also included in the scrapbook is a brief pamphlet history of the Foundation, correspondence and photographic prints of prize checks, medals, and certificates.
Historical Abstract: On July 2, 1894 the Massachusetts Legislature authorized the incorporation of the Boston Elevated Railway Company, a private company formed to build elevated railway lines to the suburbs of Greater Boston. In November 1896, after a proxy battle with the West End Railway Company, which had previously held a monopoly on streetcar routes for the Boston area, all surface and rapid transit were unified under the Boston Elevated Railway Company. The elevated lines were combined with the subway (which had provided its first ride earlier that year) under one coordinated management. The Boston Elevated Railway Company created new subway and elevated railway lines, and started the first motorbus routes in Boston. In 1916, the Boston Elevated Railway Company established the Boston Elevated Railway Library at its general offices. The library housed material relating to the company, new technology, safety, and materials about other transportation systems around New England, the United States, and the world. The Boston Elevated Railway Company, consumed by financial problems, was subsumed by the Metropolitan Transit Authority to become a government entity on August 29, 1947.
Language and Scripts: Collection is predominately in English; some material is in German.
System of Arrangement: Arranged in one alphabetical sequence by subject.
Subjects and Contributors:
  • Coffin, Charles A. (Charles Albert), 1844-1926
  • Earhart, Amelia, 1897-1937

  • Boston Elevated Railway Company
  • Massachusetts Bay Transportation Association

  • Airplanes
  • Cable Cars (Streetcars)
  • Elevated Railway
  • Railroad Trains
  • Transportation, 1890-1967
  • Trolley buses
Conditions Governing Access: This collection is unrestricted.
Custodial History: These materials were collected by the Boston Elevated Railway Company Library.
Appraisal, Destruction, and Scheduling Information: Several books in this collection are located in the rare books section of the Archives.
Processor: Finding aid prepared by Eliana Wachs Cashman, March 2008; updated by Hanna Clutterbuck, April 2009

Historical Note

On July 2, 1894 the Massachusetts Legislature authorized the incorporation of the Boston Elevated Railway Company, a private company formed to build elevated railway lines to the suburbs of Greater Boston. At the same time, the Legislature created the Boston Transit Commission, which was a government agency designed to develop and execute a subway system in parts of downtown Boston. Both of the actions were in response to dissatisfaction with the electric streetcar system run by the West End Railway Company. In November 1896, after a proxy battle with the West End Railway Company, all surface and rapid transit were unified under the Boston Elevated Railway Company. On December 9, 1897 the Transit Commission supervised an agreement that stated that the Boston Elevated Railway Company would lease all property belonging to the West End Railway Company for 24 years, eight months and nine days from October 1, 1897. The Boston Elevated Railway Company took possession of the property on December 30. The elevated lines were combined with the subway (which had provided its first ride earlier that year) under one coordinated management.

Under Boston Elevated Railway management, transportation in the Boston area grew, including an expansion of subway routes and elevated railways. In 1922, the Boston Elevated Railway Company established bus routes to replace some rail vehicles. In 1936, other rail vehicles were replaced with trackless trolleys. In 1916, the Boston Elevated Railway Company established the Boston Elevated Railway Library at its general offices. The library housed material relating to the company, new technology, safety, and materials about other transportation systems around New England, the United States, Canada, Europe, and South Africa. In 1919, the Public Control Act was enacted which imposed a flat five-cent fare, guaranteeing the community public transportation and providing stockholders protection from financial loss. The Boston Elevated Railway Company continued to exist under this act, but could not keep up with its increasing costs given the five cent fare rate. The Boston Elevated Railway Company, consumed by financial problems, was subsumed by the Metropolitan Transit Authority to become a government entity on August 29, 1947.

In 1892, the newly formed General Electric named Charles A. Coffin as its first chief executive officer. Coffin himself was not originally an electrical engineer or in the electric services field but a successful independent business owner manufacturing shoes. He retired from General Electric in 1922 as the chairman of the board having successfully negotiated the company through its first thirty years. The Charles A. Coffin Foundation was created in 1922. The Foundation named after the first head of General Electric sought to “encourage and reward service in the electrical field” and gave prizes to General Electric employees. Prizes and fellowships were also awarded to lighting, power, and railway companies and graduate students involved either in delivering electrical services to the public or in studying ways to improve electrical services generally. The Foundation gave its first award to a public electrical railway system in 1923 to the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad.

Chronology
1891 In July, Governor William E. Russell appoints a special commission to investigate the public transportation needs of Greater Boston and to make recommendations about the existing system. The Rapid Transit Commission defines the applicable territory as land that falls within ten miles of the State House.
1892 In April, the Rapid Transit Commission recommends construction of four elevated railway lines and a subway route underneath Tremont Street; Charles A. Coffin named first chief executive officer of newly formed General Electric.
1894 On July 2, the Massachusetts Legislature authorizes the incorporation of the Boston Elevated Railway Company and creation of the Boston Transit Commission.
1896 On November 24, all existing and future surface, subway, elevated lines are combined under one unified management.
1897 On December 9, an agreement is made to lease all the property of the West End Street Railway Company for a period of 24 years, 8 months, and 9 days from October 1, 1897. On September 1, the first subway in America runs underneath Tremont Street. On December 30, the Boston Elevated Railway Company takes possession of the land.
1901 The first elevated train runs.
1904 East Boston Tunnel, the nation's first underwater mass transit tunnel, is built underneath the Boston Harbor.
1912-1913 Articulated streetcars are invented in Boston.
1919 On July 1, the Public Control Act is enacted, which imposes a flat five-cent fare, guarantees the community public transportation, and provides Boston Elevated Railway Company stockholders protection from financial loss.
1922 First Bus Routes are established in Boston.
1922 Charles A. Coffin Foundation established.
1923 Charles A. Coffin Foundation grants first $1,000 prize.
1936 Boston opens its first trackless trolley line.
1947 On August 29, the Boston Elevated Company is bought by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and comes under the authority of the Metropolitan Transit Authority.
Bibliography

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Association History, “The Chronicle of the Boston Transit System.” Massachusetts Bay Transportation.

Ralph L. Power, Boston's Special Libraries (New York City: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1917), pp.21-24. (Z732.M5 B7 1917).

“GE Past Leaders: Charles A. Coffin, Biography” accessed March 2009.

“Charles A. Coffin Awards Scrapbook,” M150, Box 3.
Return to Top
BoxTitleDate
3Charles A. Coffin Award Scrapbookn.d., 1923-1929
3Coffin Award Digest of Presentations1930-1931
1Laws and Statutes1917-1933
Modes of Transportation and Technology
Aviation
1Generaln.d., 1944
1Earhart, Amelia1935-1938
1Cables1939-1940
1Elevated Railway1890
1Monorailsn.d., 1921
1Railroadsn.d. 1940-1952
1Safety Glass1934-1939
1Trackless Trolleys1922-1937
1Ventilation and Heat 1931-1933
1National Association of Railroad and Utilities Commission1947
Transportation Systems
International
1Canada1921, 1937, 1967
1England1921-1937
1Italy1933-1938
1Russia1932-1935
1South Africa1938
1West Germany1956
United States
1General1921, 1935-1936
1Baltimore, MD1920-1943
1, FF5/D5Boston, MAn.d., 1884-1893, 1912-1950
1Bradford, PA1901
1Buffalo, NY1935, 1950
1, FF5/D5Chicago, ILn.d., 1925-1959
2Cleveland, OH1920-1949
2Columbus, OH1932-1935
2Dayton, OH1933-1937
2Detroit, MI1930
2Duluth, MN1934
2Fitchburg/Leominster, MA1932
2Fort Wayne, IN1940
2Greensboro, NC1934
2Greenville, SC1934
2Honolulu, HI1937
2Indianapolis, INn.d., 1932-1935
2Kansas City, MO1935-1938
2Knoxville, TN1930
2, FF5/D5Los Angeles, CAn.d., 1921, 1939-1940, 1956
2Louisville, KY1936
2Minneapolis, MN1922
2Newark, NJ1937-1939
2New Orleans, LA1933
2, FF5/D5New York City, NYn.d., 1929-1956
2Peoria, IL1932
2Philadelphia, PA1935
2Portland, OR1937-1938
2Progress, NY1934
2Providence, RI1931-1937
FF5/D5Richmond, VAn.d.
2Rochester, NY1924
2Salt Lake City, UT1935
2San Francisco, CA1934-1935
2Seattle, WA1935
2Shreveport, LA1940
2St. Joseph, MO1932-1934
2Toledo, OH1924-1935
2Topeka, KS1932
2Youngstown, OH1937