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United States Train Travel Diary

 Collection
Identifier: SC 00874

  • Staff Only
  • No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

Travel account of train trip from Watertown, Connecticut to Los Angeles, California written to the writer’s brothers and sisters, dated January 13, 1911. Description of the train ride, his experiences on the train, and the sights that he sees along the route, with historical comments written about some of them. The letter is signed “Your Brother and Sister Titus.”

Travel Diary of a train trip from Los Angeles, California to Watertown, Connecticut. The writer leaves on September 9, 1912 on the Southern Pacific Rail Road for San Francisco. He talks of sights he sees – and sights he will miss – such as the Potter Hotel and the ocean. He tells the story of the wreck of the Santa Rosa. He describes San Francisco in detail, giving history and his personal opinions of the sites that he sees. His language is very descriptive.

He travels over the Sierra Nevada, through Nevada, Colorado, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan and New York. As the train travels through different areas and states, the writer not only describes what he sees, but gives an indepth history of the people and the land, writing almost in a story book style. He mentions the trees, the color of the soil and the origin of streams. When he reaches Watertown, he mentions that it is wonderful “to see the home faces.”

The writer has included postcards and cutouts of some of the places he saw or visited. A handwritten insert gives a definition of “Luck.”

Dates

  • Creation: 1911-1912

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Extent

0.01 Linear Foot

Acquisition Information:

Purchased.

Title
Guide to the United States Train Travel Diary
Author
Finding Aid Authors: Anne T. Johnson, Special Collections Assistant.
Date
2009-01-26
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
The collection description/finding aid is written in English

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Research Center Repository

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