Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Wagner Palace Car Company Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1574
Creators:
Wagner Palace Company
Dates:
undated
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
.25 Cubic feet
1 box
Repository:
Collection documents the business of the Wagner Palace Car Company, manufacturers of sleeping and parlor cars in Buffalo, New York.

Content Description

Content Description
Consist of proposals, contracts, a logbook, passes, newspaper clipping, and receipts primarily relating to the manufacturing of sleeping and parlor cars by the Wagner Palace Car Company. Materials are arranged in chronological order.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Collection is arranged in one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Webster Wagner (October 2, 1817-January 13, 1882), a businessman and inventor, was in the wagon making business and an employee of the New York Central Railroad Company before he created his own company. The Wagner Palace Car Company was founded in Buffalo, New York to sell the sleeping and parlor cars he had invented. Throughout its existence the Wagner Palace Car Company competed with and had several legal battles with another railroad car manufacturer the Pullman Palace Car Company. In 1900 the Wagner Palace Car Company was sold to the Pullman Palace Car Company.
Sources:
Mid-Continent Railway Museum, Wagner Palace Car Company

Administration

Author
Vanessa Broussard-Simmons
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection donated by Arthur D. Dubin in 1986.
Custodial History
Collection transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Work and Industry in May 2022.
Processing Information
Collection is processed.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Preferred Citation
Wagner Palace Car Company Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Related Materials
Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Railroads, NMAH.AC.0060
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur D. Dubin Pullman Palace Car Company Construction and Registration Books, NMAH.AC.0158
Pullman Palace Car Company Collection, NMAH.AC.0181
Division of Transportation Railroad Reference Files, NMAH.AC.0523
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Records, NMAH.AC.1086
Pullman Palace Car Company Photographs, NMAH.AC.1175
Other Repositories
Mid-Continent Railway Museum, Wagner Palace Car Company
New York State Library, Webster Wagner Wagon-making Papers, 1837-1842, SC1044
Newberry Library, Modern Manuscripts and Archives Repository, Frank H. Beberdick Pullman Collection

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Railroad passenger cars Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sleeping cars (Railroads) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Railroads -- 19th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Transportation Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Contracts Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Buffalo (New York) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Railroad car builders Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Science and Technology Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dubin, Arthur D. (Arthur Detmers) Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-3270
Fax Number: Fax: 202-786-2453
archivescenter@si.edu