State Historical Society of Iowa

RG 105 Railroad Commissioners/Transportation Regulation

The Board of Railroad Commissioners was created by the legislature in 1878 and given general supervision of railroads operating in Iowa. In 1896, the Boards supervisory powers were expanded to include common carriers. Numerous changes followed: in July 1937, the Board of Railroad Commissioners was renamed the State Commerce Commission with additional regulatory functions; and in July 1975, the regulation of railroads and motor carriers was transferred from Commerce to the newly created Department of Transportation. Regardless of creating agency, all records pertaining to railroad and motor transport common carriers are included in RG 105 Railroad Commissioners/Transportation Regulation. The following is list of records available in our holdings:

General
Title Date Span
"A" Dockets 1956-1972
"B" Dockets 1925-1960
Annual Reports of Railroad Companies 1904-1907, 1911, 1917, 1921, 1952-1964
Annual Reports of the Pullman Company to the ICC 1952-1964
Bus Studies 1956-1958
Correspondence and Exhibits, ICC Dockets 1939-1954
Correspondence, A Docket Files 1959-1966
Correspondence, H Docket Files 1959-1966
Index to Applications of Railroads to ICC to Abandon Tracks, Right to Tracks, orOperations 1925-1944
Interstate Commerce Commission Annual Reports of Transport Statistics in the United States 1954-1961
NARUC Passenger Train Deficit Study Committee File 1957
Railroad Accident and Inspections 1938
Railroad Commissioners Complaint Docket 1900-1903
Railroad Commissioners Daily Record 1922-1937
Railroad Commissioners Decision Record 1901-1937
Railroad Commissioners Letter Books 1878-1910
Railroad Commissioners Rate Record 1890-1904
Railroad Commissioners Supplements of Rate and Regulation Changes 1908-1921
Railroad Data (Publication of Eastern Railroad Presidents Conference) 1940-1951
Railroad Finance Dockets 1930-1964, Undated
Railroad Safety Service Letter Books 1962-1966, 1969-1972
Rate Division Letter Books 1970-1972
Statistical Records - Railroad Transportation, A Statistical Record (Published) 1911-1959
Statistical Records - Statistics of Railways in the U.S., ICC 1939-1940