B & M Industries List

Comments from Ken (the guy doing the web stuff)

This document (or a copy) was passed from Scott J. Whitney to Paul Dolkos to Tim Gilbert.

Tim Gilbert transcribed it into Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Works formats (both of which are available on the Yahoo B&M email list web site, in the "files" section)

The 1955 list was expanded by a 1944 (Boston area only) industry list, transcribed by Stan Jones (this list is also available at the Yahoo site in the "files" section).

We owe all of these gentlemen a big "THANK YOU" for sharing this info.

I hope to expand this list to be as complete as possible, covering all time periods. I will add data as it is available, so, unless we find more "system wide" lists like the one from 1955, don't assume that if something is missing, it was never there - we may just not have found any documentation of it.

If at all possible, I will always cite the source of the data presented here. So if you have questions, you at least have a hope of finding out why something was said. And if it is wrong, then we have a hope of correcting the data.

The list is currently an Excel spreadsheet. This is also posted in the Yahoo files section ("BandM_Industry_List_Rnn.xls", where the "nn" is a revision number. Each time I make changes and post the list to the Yahoo site, I will increment this number and delete the old version from the web site), and as a tab-delimited version ("BandM_Industry_List_Rnn.txt"). I hope someday that I get time to re-do this as a database, so its utility will improve even further.

After discussion, it appears the 1955 list was a list of "consignee"s for carloads. Some of these may have been received on team tracks, freight houses, wharves, or other public/common trackage (i.e. the cars were not delivered to a siding at the company's building). I have continued with this, and attempt (in the listing for the individual industry) to note this.

If there are any errors on these pages, or additional information you would like to include, or comments, suggestions, or criticism, I would prefer you post them in the Yahoo B&M email list, so all can comment on them, and to preserve them for others to look at. If you don't want to do that, you can contact me directly (Ken Akerboom)

Notes about the web pages

Individual pages for each industry

If the name of the industry is a link, then there is a separate web page about that industry.

I don't have any separate industry pages yet, but I do have a "prototype" (with completely fictitous data) for them, that I would like you to look at, and make comments/suggestions as to the layout, other info that might be able to be added, etc.

I DO have links to graphics scanned from ICC valuation maps. Note these scans were from copies obtained from the NARA, and are in the public domain. The quality is "variable". Let me know if I should edit some of them to indicate where the tracks ran. To find these scans, go to the "by industry" page, then scan the rightmost column They link to pages with the scanned data.

I also have direct links to Library of Congress Panoramic maps if they are referenced. See here for the "home" page for the entire panoramic map collection. You can download these files and use the MrSID viewer (see the LOC web pages for how to get this viewer). This is my most erratic collection of "industries". For one thing, due to their panoramic nature, it is often hard to tell if an industry had a siding or spur (and when it did, I am probably erratic about noting it). Also, many industries were unlabelled, so I had to go by the map legends. So basically (on most maps) I included almost anything that COULD have been a customer, due to the fact that in this era (1850-1915), even small businesses shipped/received goods via LCL and express shipments, so almost EVERYONE was a railroad customer (if the shipment was from more than the next town or so). In cities with multiple railroads (e.g. Portland, ME; Springfield, MA; Gorham, NH) I tried to include only those industries that I was fairly certain were B&M customers, some some/many have been left off. Also, for some towns/cities, I just got tired and didn't include all the stores, dry goods retailers, etc. Please, if you feel I should add a "customer", let me know & I will do so. Also, due to my database (Excel), I have NOT combined any industries (if multiple maps were available for a town) due to the problem of storing the links.

My current thinking for when industries are listed on the same or separate pages is:

1. If company changed location, then put each location on a separate page.
2. Each site of company has separate page (although multiple spurs at several buildings in a "campus" is 1 site)
3. If company changed name, or was bought out, but still did (essentially) same work at a site, then keep on the same page
4. If the work done at a site was radically changed (particularly if owner of site changed), then have a separate page.

Dates listed for each location

Earliest Known Date

Earliest date that we know of that the company (or predecessor) was in business (at this location)

Earliest Known RR Customer

Earliest date we have info from railroad documents that company used railroads for shipping/receiving

Last Known RR Customer

Last date we have info from railroad documents that company used railroads for shipping/receiving

Last Known Date

Last date that we know company (or successor) was in business

References

References for dates (as well as more speculative date information) are listed in individual web page for that company/location. If no individual web page exists, 1955 and 1944 dates, and "Yahoo" references, are from:

1955

The 1955 Industry list, as transcribed by Tim (with corrections)

1944

The 1944 "Boston Only" Industry list, as transcribed by Stan

1955 - Claremont & Concord RR; Claremont Elec Ry. entries

Compiled by Tim Gilbert from Volumes 3 and 4 of Bob Nimke's CONNECTICUT RIVER RAILROAD series
Note the B&M sold the C&C in 1954, so this is actually "post-sale" data compiled by the C&C (and the Claremont Elec. Ry).

1957

From 1957 City Directory of Portland (Research by Stan Jones)

Yahoo[number] (e.g. "Yahoo7455")

A message on the Yahoo B&M Email list. The number is the message number on the Yahoo site

ICCMAP

ICC Valuation Maps, dated 1914. So far I have reviewed maps V36.3 Sheets 1-3; 9; 12-13. V5 Sheets 5-9; 17-33. V6M Sheets 16-18 There are gobs more sheets, but I don't have copies of them. I assumed if an industry had a spur, it used it at some point in time (which may or may not be a valid assumption) Many spurs on the maps are NOT specified as to the name of the industry, or even what was there.
The labeling is "v[valuation section]-[sheet number]". E.g.:
v5-10 = Valuation section 5 sheet 10
v36.3-15 = valuation section 36.3 sheet 15

Library of Congress Panoramic Map collection

This collection covers all of the items dated in the 1800s until 1915.

Others

See "Sources" section below.

Divisions

For track abandoned or sold between 1930 and 1955, I have assigned it to the division that makes sense to me - let me know if other assigments would make more sense.

For track sold before 1930 (e.g. the line to Sherbrooke, Quebec, CA), I have not yet assigned it to a division - suggestions are welcome.

See here for maps showing the divisions of the B&M, and also details for Boston, MA, the Boston suburban area, and Portland, ME

The Lists

The Excel list has been sorted into HTML files 3 ways:

• By [1955] division, followed by Station then State:
  • Boston Terminal
  • Conn River
  • Fitchburg
  • New Hampshire
  • Portland
• By State, then Station, then Industry name:
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • New York
  • Vermont
• By Industry Name (then station) (this is the only HTML file with ALL the industries in 1 file):
  This is also the ONLY list that includes extra info (where known) on commodities, car types, address, and other comments
  • By Industry

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Related Links

• Chuck Petlick's Web Site (has some "current" industries listed)

Sources

File revision history