ABOUT US
Founded in 2006, Lake States Railway Historical Association (LSRHA) is a 501(c)(3) Not-for-Profit Corporation dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of railroad history through an extensive collection of historic artifacts and materials, socio-economical data, and industrial archeology relating to American railroads, with emphasis on the north-central region of the United States. The board elects four officers at its annual meeting and meets four times a year. Each of the trustees has an extensive background and interest in historic railway preservation, archiving, and collections. Lake States maintains a state-of-the-art climate-controlled secure archive storage and research facility at Baraboo, Wisconsin, just 45 minutes from the state capital of Madison. It is equipped with integrated storage and intake areas, ADA parking/access and restrooms, efficient LED lighting, internet connectivity, and on-site drawing and imaging reproduction services. Our friendly knowledgeable volunteers are ready to assist in-person researchers. Utilizing appropriate software such as Excel & Past Perfect, we use professional parameters to catalog and inventory our growing collections. Our building is open when volunteers are present during the week. We encourage you to visit in person, however, it is strongly recommended to call ahead to schedule a guided tour or arrange for in-person research. If you cannot visit in-person, we can provide staffed research assistance for a fee. We also maintain a growing on-line archive with a searchable database for drawings and photographic images. Downloads and prints of photographs can be purchased on-line. We welcome use of our images for publications and video productions, with written permission and appropriate fees. [download permission form]
Our extensive rail history holdings include large collections from C&NW, CStPM&O, DSS&A, CRIP&P, LS&I, ICRR, SOO, Copper Range, Milwaukee Road, CM&N, and other regional lines. Our 5,000 sq.ft. facility houses over 2,000 volumes of general, technical, and periodical publications, including Official Guide of Railways (1868-1984), Official Railway Guide of Chicago (1920-1931), a large collection of Official Railway Equipment Registers, and a complete bound edition of TRAINS magazine (1940-1990). Photographic collections exceed 50,000 images that are continually being cataloged and scanned. Railroad technical drawing collections also exceed 50,000 items. There is also a historic collection of 29 Wisconsin County Plat Books ranging from 1890 to 1951, as well as an Illustrated Historical Atlas of Wisconsin from 1878. A small collection of hardware, artwork, and ephemera is on display to the public. All are available for research for authors, scholars, modelers, and equipment builders/restorers. Lake States also holds an annual symposium featuring guest speakers offering oral histories and visual presentations. These gatherings are a great opportunity for like-minded individuals to meet and share their interests in railroad history. MISSION STATEMENT
The Lake States Railway Historical Association shall dedicate itself to the expansion and dissemination of knowledge on the history of railroading and associated social, economic, and technical development. As such, the Association shall primarily preserve and protect two-dimensional documentary/graphic/bibliographic artifacts (e.g. photographic prints, negatives, positives, transparencies, maps, drawings, books, pamphlets, magazines, company/industry publications, rulebooks, and so forth). The Association shall also preserve and protect relevant media such as audio recordings, film, video, and 3-D artifact collections secondary to and as appropriate to the primary collection. The principal geographical focus of the collections shall be North America with concentration on the Western Great Lakes Region of the U.S. during the era extending from steam locomotion power to and including first-generation diesel locomotion power. The Association is dedicated to the highest standards of collection, restoration, preservation and scholarship. It is committed to facilitating research, interpretation, and publication from its collections. JOIN US
LSRHA is supported through the generosity of individuals, foundations, firms, and organizations who share a dedication to railway history preservation. We offer several levels of annual membership. Members receive a quarterly newsletter, and participate in our annual banquet and history program. Won’t you join us? [download application form]
VOLUNTEERS WELCOME
Working in our archives provides an ideal opportunity to broaden one’s knowledge in the ever-interesting and challenging field of railroad history. It also affords an excellent learning environment to gain hands-on experience in artifact preservation and collections management. Join us for a rewarding and fascinating journey into the world railroad history! DONATE
Rescuing endangered collections and preserving them for the appreciation and education of future generations is our mission at Lake States. We welcome new collections. Do you have rail history seeking a home? Please consider us as a future repository for your important collection. We will provide it with a safe, secure, and long-term home. Lake States Railway Historical Association is affiliated with the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Council for Local History, and a member of the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).
