Phoenix Street Railway Exhibit Project: Possible Exhibits, Undated

The Lawrence J. Fleming Papers consist primarily of correspondence, grant applications, notes, drawings, photographs, articles, promotional items, technical documentation, and other materials showing Fleming’s work to establish, maintain, and expand the Arizona Street Railway Museum, including acquiring and restoring three trolley cars (#44, #116, and #504) that ran on the Phoenix Street Railway. Also included are materials documenting Fleming’s service to the Arizona Historical Society’s Central Arizona Chapter, research on the Fleming and Coyne families, and work with the Central Arizona Air Museum. The collection has been divided into nine series.

Series I: Arizona Street Railway Museum houses correspondence, grant applications, notes, drawings, photographs, articles, reports, promotional items, and other materials documenting the Museum’s operations between 1977 and 2004. The bulk of these materials show the acquisition and restoration of Phoenix Street Railway trolley cars #44, #116, and #504, including research regarding trolley tracks and other street railroad equipment; efforts to procure replacement parts, necessary tools, work areas, and storage facilities; grant applications and progress reports; fundraising efforts; and photographs of the cars before, during, and after restoration. Many of the grant applications and progress reports include detailed information regarding work performed on the cars and the Museum’s history. Also included are materials documenting the Museum’s administration and the construction and operation of the Phoenix Street Railway Exhibit.

Series II: Phoenix Street Railway Research houses correspondence, photographs, notes, tickets, and other materials regarding the Phoenix Street Railway gathered by Fleming, possibly as part of his research for Ride a Mile and Smile the While. Of particular note are original copies and photocopies of documents produced by the Phoenix Street Railway, including fare box records, tickets, notices to contractors, and transfer statements; interviews with motormen Joseph Nelson Smith (1901-1980), Samuel R. Hodges (1889-), and William Henry Bill Scott (1892-1975); a video showing the official Last Run; and two Phoenix Street Railway fare tokens.

Series III: Other Railroads and Railways houses ephemera, technical documents, photographs, and other materials showing equipment used on various railroad and railway systems and such prominent trains as Santa Fe’s Chief, Super Chief, and El Capitan and Amtrack’s Southwest Chief, Southwest Limited, and Sunset Limited. It is possible that some of the equipment documented in this series was used on the Phoenix Street Railway, but this connection could not be definitively established during processing. For example, trolley cars in Phoenix employed an air braking system, but it is not clear whether the materials discussing air brakes housed in this series document the equipment used on the Phoenix Street Railway.

Series IV: Arizona Historical Society, Central Arizona Chapter houses minutes, committee records, correspondence, financial information, newspaper clippings, proposals, and other materials documenting the Chapter’s operations, including work to design a new facility for the Central Arizona History Museum and proposals for new Society chapters in Northern Arizona and Yuma. The bulk of these materials date from Fleming’s service on the Society’s Board of Directors (1980-1993) and as President (1987-1989).

Series V: Shannon & Fleming houses financial information, business cards, and other materials documenting this legal practice. Of particular interest is Fleming’s Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner application, which includes extensive biographical information. Series VI: Genealogy houses family photographs, photocopies of primary and secondary source materials, notes, and other information documenting the Fleming and Coyne families.

Series VII: Aviation consists primarily of airplane information, promotional materials, clippings, certificates, and other materials documenting Fleming’s involvement with the Central Arizona Air Museum. Series VIII: Personal Papers houses correspondence, programs, business cards, photographs, and other materials documenting the Fleming family and its involvement with such organizations as Ducks Unlimited, the Boy Scouts, and the Sun Angel foundation.