A Guide to the Records of the
Eureka-Nevada Railway Company
Collection No. NC02

Eureka and Palisade Railroad Company, 1873-1901
Eureka and Palisade Railway Company, 1901-1911
Eureka-Nevada Railway Company, 1912-1938

Organizational History

The Eureka and Palisade Railroad Company was formed in 1873 to serve the mines in the Eureka Mining District in central Nevada. The narrow gauge started at Palisade, Nevada, and by 1875 had extended 87 miles south to Eureka. Individuals involved with the Bank of California, such as Isaac Requa, D. O. Mills, William Sharon, Thomas Bell, and Edgar Mills, associated themselves with the small railroad soon after its inception. The operation did well until about 1885 when mining in the district subsided. The Eureka-Palisade fell into bankruptcy and ceased as a company in June of 1900.

On February 1, 1902, the railroad property was transferred to a newly formed Utah based company established in June of 1901. The railroad was renamed the Eureka and Palisade Railway with Mark Requa, son of Isaac Requa, one of the leading trustees. A renewed mining boom in the Eureka district supported the railroad for a few years, but severe floods in 1910 damaged miles of Eureka and Palisade track and equipment. Once again, the company suffered financial setbacks and service was discontinued.

After a period of uncertainty, the railroad property was purchased by stockholder George Whittell in May 1911, and the railroad was running again. On successive days in May 1912, Whittell organized the Nevada Transportation Company in California and the Eureka-Nevada Railway Company in Utah. He then leased the railroad to the Nevada Transportation Company, with the exception of the Ruby Hill branch. The Nevada Transportation Company lasted until April 1917.

John E. Sexton, general manager, steered the Eureka-Nevada Railway through stormy years. After his death in 1927, his brother, Charles B. Sexton, assumed the title of general manager in charge of operations. The railroad ceased operations in September 1938.

Scope and Content

The records of the Eureka-Nevada Railway Company are formed from three railroad companies: the Eureka and Palisade Railroad Company, 1873-1902; the Eureka and Palisade Railway Company, 1901-1911; and the Eureka-Nevada Railway Company, 1912-1938, with some items continuing to1952. The collection is contained in 16 boxes. The collection was donated by Charles B. Sexton, last general manager of the Eureka-Nevada Railway Company. Some documents are annotated in his hand. The collection is open for research and has no restrictions.

The records of each of the three companies are arranged as a subgroup of the collection. The material consists of articles of association, minutes of meetings, correspondence, legal documents, financial accounts, operational records, maps, and printed material. Material from the Eureka and Palisade Railroad Company is handwritten. Later material is typewritten and copied. Records of the Nevada Transportation Company are included in the Eureka-Nevada Railway Company subgroup.

{Note: "A C RY CAR RECORD", 1910- was discovered to be about the Austin City Railroad and was transferred to NC235. 6/2/94]

Guide revised: October 2007.

 

The collection is divided into the following subgroups and series:

  1. Eureka and Palisade Railroad Company, 1873-1901.
    • Series 1. Company Papers, Deeds and Contracts, Correspondence.
    • Series 2. Financial Accounts and Operations.
  2. Eureka and Palisade Railway Company, 1901-1911.
    • Series 1. Company Papers, Deeds and Contracts, Correspondence.
    • Series 2. Financial Accounts.
  3. Eureka-Nevada Railway Company, 1912-1938.
    • Series 1. Company Papers, Deeds and Contracts, Reports, Maps, and Printed Material.
    • Series 2. Correspondence.
    • Series 3. Financial Accounts and Operations

 

NC02 Subgroup I. Eureka and Palisade Railroad Company, 1873-1901.
Subgroup I, Series 1: Company Papers, Deeds and Contracts, Correspondence, 1873-1902.

Box 13

NC02/I/1/1: Record Book, 1873-1902. Book contains Articles of Association, subscribers of company, Board of Directors meetings minutes. Handwritten..

Box 1

NC02/I/1/2: Deeds and Contracts, 1878-1902. (1 folder)

NC02/I/1/3: Correspondence; 1879, 1894. (1 folder)

Box 4

NC02/I/1/4: Correspondence. Letterpress book, February 1888- February 1892.< Subgroup I, Series 2: Financial Accounts and Operations, 1878-1902.

Box 1

NC02/I/2/1: Financial Accounts, 1878-1902. (1 folder)

NC02/I/2/2: Earnings and Operating Expenses, 1885-1902. (1 folder)

Box 4

NC02/I/2/3: Cash Book, 1901-1902.

Box 6

NC02/I/2/4: Stage Line Operations Book, 1888-1889.

Box 1

NC02/I/2/5: Timetables, 1878-1901. (1 folder)

 

NC02 Subgroup II. Eureka and Palisade Railway, 1901-1911.
Series 1: Company Papers, Deeds and Contracts, Correspondence, 1901-1912.

Box 5

NC02/II/1/1: Record Book, 1901-1911. Includes Articles of Incorporation, Board of Directors meetings minutes. Handwritten and typewritten.

Box 1

NC02/II/1/2: Minutes of meetings, 1901. (1 folder)

NC02/II/1/3: Deeds and Contracts, 1903-1912. (1 folder)

NC02/II/1/4: Correspondence, 1909-1912.

 

Subgroup II, Series 2: Financial Accounts, 1901-1916.

Box 1

NC02/II/2/1: Financial Statements and Accounts, 1901-1912. (1 folder)

Box 16

NC02/II/2/2: Cash Book, February 1902-March 1916.

Box 15

NC02/II/2/3: Voucher Book, February 1902-March 1916.

 

NC02 Subgroup III. Eureka-Nevada Railway Company, 1912-1938.
Subgroup III, Series 1: Company Papers, Deeds and Contracts, Reports, Maps, Printed Material, 1912-1938.

Box 1

NC02/III/1/1: Meetings, Resolutions, 1925-1937. (1 folder)

NC02/III/1/2: Deeds and Leases, 1912-1926. (1 folder)

NC02/III/1/3: Lawsuit material, R. R. Administration vs. J. E. Sexton, Eureka-Nevada Railway, 1919-1924.

NC02/III/1/4: Interstate Commerce Commission Report, 1920. (1 folder)

NC02/III/1/5: Report on Eureka Mining District, 1922.F. Lynwood Garrison. (1 folder)

Box 2

NC02/III/1/6: Railroad Retirement Board. (1 folder)

NC02/III/1/7: Sexton Insurance Policies, 1936. (1 folder)

NC02/III/1/8: Printed material. (1 folder)

NC02/III/1/9: Maps and plans. (1 folder) (See the following for oversize items.)

The following maps and plans were removed from folder NC02/III/1/9 and placed in the manuscript map case:

 

NC02 Subgroup III, Series 2: Correspondence, 1913-1952.

The series contains correspondence of the Eureka-Nevada Railway Company from 1913 to 1952. Correspondence in this file relates to disbursement of Eureka-Nevada Railway Company property and equipment. Correspondence is arranged in chronological order, the heaviest years being 1933, 1934, and 1938. Enclosures such as financial reports, annual reports and bills have been left intact with the accompanying correspondence. A separate file of "narrow gauge papers" has been retained.

Box 2

NC02/III/2/1: Correspondence, 1913-1932.

NC02/III/2/2: Correspondence, January-June, 1933.

NC02/III/2/3: Correspondence, July-December, 1933.

NC02/III/2/4: Correspondence, January-May, 1934.

NC02/III/2/5: Correspondence, June-December, 1934.

NC02/III/2/6: Correspondence, 1935-1936

NC02/III/2/7: Correspondence, 1937.

NC02/III/2/8: Correspondence, January-March, 1938.

NC02/III/2/9: Correspondence, April-August, 1938.

Box 3

NC02/III/2/10: Correspondence, September 1938.

NC02/III/2/11: Correspondence, October-December, 1938.

NC02/III/2/12: Correspondence, 1939.

NC02/III/2/13: Correspondence, 1940-1952.

NC02/III/2/14: Correspondence, re: "Narrow gauge papers," 1939-1944.

 

NC02 Subseries III, Series 3: Financial Accounts and Operations, 1912-1939.

Box 6

NC2/III/3/1: Time Book, 1925-1927.

Box 3

NC02/III/3/2: Payrolls, 1930. (1 folder)

NC02/III/3/3: Timerolls, 1937. (1 folder)

NC02/III/3/4: I. C. C. Finance Dockets, 1925-1938. (1 folder)

NC02/III/3/5: Financial Accounts and Statements, 1924-1939. (1 folder)

Box 5

NC02/III/3/6: Letterpress Account Book, 1938-1939.

Box 10

NC02/III/3/7: General Cash Book, May 1912-March 1925.

Box 14

NC02/III/3/8: General Cash Book, January 1919-August 1923.

Box 11

NC02/III/3/9: Itemized Cash Book (Nevada Transportation Company), March 1916-December 1919.

NC02/III/3/10: Itemized Cash Book, April 1921-April 1924.

NC02/III/3/11: Itemized Cash Book, May 1924-March 1925.

Box 12

NC02/III/3/12: Itemized Cash Book, April 1925-Dec. 1927.

NC02/III/3/13: Itemized Cash Book, January 1928-Dec. 1931.

NC02/III/3/14: Itemized Cash Book, January 1932-Dec. 1936.

Box 10

NC02/III/3/15: Journal (Nevada Transportation Company), July 1913-April 1921.

Box 7

NC02/III/3/16: Ledger (Nevada Transportation Company), October1912-December1920.

Box 9

NC02/III/3/17: Journal, April 1925-December 1930.

Box 8

NC02/III/3/18: Ledger, May 1912-March 1925 (loose pages laid in).

Box 14

NC02/III/3/19: Ledger, December 1914-August 1923.

Box 8

NC02/III/3/20: Trial Balance Book, 1925-1937.

Box 9

NC02/III/3/21: "Agents Record of Claims Received Direct From Claimants," 1936-1938.

Box 15

NC02/III/3/22: Way Bill Register, January 1937-April 1938.

Box 16

NC02/III/3/23: Locomotive Motor and Train Mileage, 1937-1938. (Also used as a Payroll and Employee Account Book.)