The Pennsylvania Railroad and its archives: Their history and legacy

Friday December 5, 2003, Hagley Museum and Library Soda House, Wilmington DE

8:30-9:00 coffee

9-10:30 Keynote session

Chair Terry Snyder, Hagley Museum and Library

Speakers: Chris Baer, Hagley Museum and Library, “Salvaging History: Preserving the Pennsylvania Railroad Records”

Dan Cupper, journalist and author, “From the Tracks to the Stacks…and Back: Adventures in Researching Rockville Bridge and other Pennsylvania Railroad Topics”

10:30-11:00 break

11:00-1:00 Understanding the Pennsylvania Railroad and its People

Chair Al Churella (Southern Polytechnic State University)

Panelists: Mark Reutter (editor, Railroad History)
Janet Davidson (National Museum of American History)
Steve Usselman (Georgia Institute of Technology)
H. Roger Grant (Clemson University)
Daniel Levinson Wilk (Duke University)

1:00-2:00 lunch

2:00-3:30 Researching the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Trains, Stations and Passengers

Chair Charles Blardone, Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society Magazine

Panelists: Mark Aldrich (Smith College)
Laura Milsk (Southern Illinois University)
Amy Richter (Clark University)

3:30-5 Reception and Tour of Pennsylvania Station Exhibition, “Machine, Monument, & Metropolis” (Henry Clay Mill)

The Pennsylvania Railroad records have been the source for many significant publications relating to the history of American railroads, and our nation. This conference will allow writers who have worked in these materials to share their experiences with each other and an audience interested in the history and influence of the "Standard Railroad of the World." It is being held in conjunction with a major exhibition at Hagley, "Machine, Monument, and Metropolis: New York's Pennsylvania Station."

Conference sessions will take place in Hagley’s Soda House, accessible through the library entrance on Route 100 and Buck Road. The afternoon reception will be at Hagley’s Henry Clay Mill, where the exhibition is on display.

Registration for the conference is $25 and includes morning coffee, lunch, the afternoon reception, and admission into the exhibition. Deadline for registration is December 2. Please contact Carol Ressler Lockman via phone or email for more information.

Lodging is available at the Best Western Brandywine Inn at the corner of Routes 141 and 202 for $89/night (mention Hagley conference to receive this rate), call 800-537-7772 to reserve rooms. A complimentary shuttle will be available between the hotel and Hagley during the conference. With advance notice the hotel will pick up and drop off guests at Wilmington’s AMTRAK station. The nearest airport is in Philadelphia, for shuttle service to the hotel we recommend the Delaware Express Shuttle, 800-648-5466.