The records of the Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express, and Station Employees, Lodge No. 139, La Crosse, 1907-1951, consist of Minutes of Regular meetings, Treasurer's Cash Books, Cash Receipt Books, Membership Records, and a Ritual Book published by the Brotherhood in 1912. They are arranged chronologically under each heading.
Minutes of Regular Meetings, 1907-1914, provides the most useful source for the lodge's history in its first years. They include information about organizing the lodge and its committees, approaches for contacting potential new lodge members, and the question of affiliation with the American Federation of Labor.
Treasurer's Cash Books, 1921-1951, list the receipts and disbursements of Lodge No. 139. The receipt portion includes the date, and from whom received while disbursements record date, to whom disbursed, and amount of expenditure.
Cash Receipt Books, 1918-1948, primarily record receipts obtained by local 139 from dues collected from the members. There are a few entries for funds raised through parties and other social functions in which the lodge participated. The date, name of person paying dues, the amount of payment, and amount of bank deposits are among the information recorded. The “Membership Records,” 1907-1914, also contains financial records in the beginning and end of the volume.
Membership Records, 1907-1927, contain the name and address of member, the railroad system for which he worked, the date when first initiated, and a detailed listing of dues paid, initiation fees, special assessments and dates of payments.
The Ritual Book, 1912, contains the procedure required by the Grand Lodge, for the local lodges' opening ceremonies, initiations of new members, officer's installation ceremonies, and funeral ceremonies. This volume documents the formalized, secretive, and ritualistic manner in which lodges conducted their meetings, especially typical of early labor organizations.
A major weakness of the collection is the gap in many series.
