Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1908 - 1930 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
3 boxes (1 metre)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
John Siebert Nelles was a surveyor for the National Transcontinental Railroad. John Nelles graduated from Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto in April 1908. He was offered a job as a surveyor/instrumentman to accompany a party as they surveyed and staked out the last section of track for what would become the short-lived National Transcontinental Railway.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
This collection was donated to the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in 2021 by Ginger Nelles, from the estate of John Steven Nelles (grandson of John Siebert Nelles).
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This collection contains material relating to the work of John Siebert Nelles and his work as a surveyor for the National Transcontinental Railroad. John Nelles graduated from Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto in April 1908. He was offered a job as a surveyor/instrumentman to accompany a party as they surveyed and staked out the last section of track for what would become the short-lived National Transcontinental Railway. This collection includes a book titled Pioneer Trails that Nelles wrote to describe his experiences, three photograph albums, a diary, a notebook of recipes, and a camera, which all relate to his work as a surveyor.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
No restrictions on access.
Material may be requested in person at the Fisher Library Reference Desk, or in advance using our online stack retrieval request form: https://aeon.library.utoronto.ca