The collection consists of the personal and business papers of Thomas Lord Kimball and is primarily focused on his activities with the Union Pacific Railroad.

Railroad executive Thomas Lord Kimball (1831-1899) was born in Buxton, Maine. He taught school during the late 1840s and early 1850s before becoming interested in the express business. Kimball married Mary Porter Rogers in 1854 or 1855 and had four children, including the architect Thomas Rogers Kimball (1862-1934). In 1857 Kimball and his family moved to Ohio, and in 1859 Kimball began working for an amateur newspaper and wrote a series of articles on the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. In 1860 he became an agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad, for which he spent over a decade as southwestern passenger agent, assistant general passenger agent, and general Western passenger agent. In 1871 Kimball's associate Thomas A. Scott was made president of the Union Pacific Railway Company and appointed Kimball as general passenger and ticket agent. That same year Kimball moved to Omaha, where he would spend most of the rest of his life. In 1880 Sidney Dillon appointed Kimball as assistant general manager of the Union Pacific, for which company he would also serve as general traffic manager, assistant to the first vice-president, and third vice-president, a position he was appointed to in 1889, in addition to being president of the Union Depot Company. Kimball left the Union Pacific in 1897 and died in 1899.

Approx. 1,639 items. Additional 470 newspaper clippings.

In order to quote from, publish, or reproduce any of the manuscripts or visual materials, researchers must obtain formal permission from the office of the Library Director. In most instances, permission is given by the Huntington as owner of the physical property rights only, and researchers must also obtain permission from the holder of the literary rights. In some instances, the Huntington owns the literary rights, as well as the physical property rights. Researchers may contact the appropriate curator for further information.

Collection is open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, please go to following web site.