My great great-grandfather, Anders Magnuson, worked for the C. St. P. M. & O. Railway

This retirement card for Anders Magnuson indicates that he was granted a pension from the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (C. St. P. M. & O. RY.) on April 21, 1906. Anders Magnuson began employment on October 10, 1875 as a railroad car repairer with the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad (St. P. & S. C. RR.), which later was acquired by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway. Anders is listed as a railroad car repairer for the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad in the St. Paul city directories for the mid-late 1870's as well as in the 1880-1881 St. Paul city directory. In 1881, the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad was absorbed into the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway, which had been formed about a year earlier through consolidation of the Chicago, St. Paul & Minneapolis Railway and the North Wisconsin Railway. In subsequent St. Paul city directories, Anders is listed as working as a railroad car repairer for the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway.

The back of this card has faded handwriting which also says "Continuous service. I understand this man worked for contractors on grading & surfacing gangs for about 5 years".

Anders Magnuson probably worked on the railroad grading and surfacing gangs from about 1870 to 1875 when the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad was being constructed in southern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa.

Any information about the Chestnut Street yard or shop in St. Paul, for the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad, would be greatly appreciated. Also, any information about the Robert Street and East St. Paul yards, for the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway, would be greatly appreciated.

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Andrew Craig Magnuson
Forks, Washington
November 1, 2007