Myth, Mistake, or Misconception - an attempt to right the wrongs, one oops at a time

When you try to seek out information on the Empire Builders radio series, you won't find very much. There are a handful of web sites with some helpful information, there are a few places where dedicated researchers have posted the fruits of their diligent efforts to assemble snippets of newspaper blurbs, and there are many web sites devoted to Old Time Radio that have made well-intentioned but very abbreviated attempts to list known episodes of the series. There are some fairly recent magazine articles and even books on radio topics that include mention of the series. All of these efforts have been hampered by the overall dearth of information thus far revealed about this early advertising program, which seemed to evaporate into the ether of the early 1930's.

Whatever the reason - frustration, wishful thinking, lack of time to devote to the subject, limited degree of real interest in the topic, or even (gasp) sloppiness - quite a number of untruths and inaccuracies about this series abound.

I have no intention of attempting to wag a sanctimonious finger of remonstration at anyone (say that 3 times real fast). Let's try that again: I'm not blaming anyone. I don't intend to attempt to embarrass anyone. But I do want to put the record straight.

There are, in fact, so many "oops's" out there that I intend to address all that I am aware of over the course of multiple blog posts. In this post, the topic is:

 "Great Northern Railroad" versus "Great Northern Railway"

In the 1880's, Jim Hill was already very busy in the transportation business. One railroad charter that he obtained was that of the Minneapolis & St. Cloud Railroad. Using the liberal terms of this charter, he changed the name of the company in 1889 to the "Great Northern Railway" and proceeded to build his transportation empire from Minnesota to the west coast. It is said he chose this name largely because he admired the sound of it, as it was already in use in Ireland.

I'll say it again: the name of Hill's transportation company, which primarily operated a railroad, was the Great Northern Railway.



Great Northern Railway timetable from August of 1890.  Author's collection

NEVER, in the entire history of this railroad company (from its inception as the Great Northern Railway in 1889 until its inclusion in a merger of railroads that formed Burlington Northern on March 3, 1970) did this railroad EVER call itself the Great Northern Railroad. NEVER.

Ummm... well, okay, there is one exception. NO - wait, wait, wait... it was not the GN that called itself the Great Northern Railroad - it was the U.S. government! No kidding.

During the "Great War" (World War I as we called it later, once we began to number the damned things), the federal government saw fit to take over operation of all the major railroads in the United States to ensure efficient and rapid movement of men and materiel (supplies, weapons, vehicles, etc.). The United States Railroad Administration (USRA) started out retaining the "Great Northern Railway" name on timetables and other printed matter that they controlled, but in 1918 they actually changed the name of the railroad to "Great Northern Railroad" on their timetables.

Great Northern "Railroad" timetable (issued under control of the USRA). Author's collection.

The USRA relinquished control of the nation's railroads in March of 1920. One year later, the Great Northern Railway rolled out a brand new corporate logo - utilizing for the first time the mountain goat symbol that in one iteration or another would serve as the trademark identity of the company right up to the Burlington Northern merger in 1970.



Great Northern Railway timetable effective March, 1921. Author's collection

So. Are we clear about this? The name of the company that sponsored the Empire Builders radio series was the Great Northern Railway.

Don't make me come back there.