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We promised to reduce Loss and Damage. Therefore, we must handle shipments "The Fargo Way."

Issues of the Wells Fargo Messenger in 1913 and 1916 focused on the matter of "Loss and Damage."  And the little things meant a lot — attention to details was the answer.

On March 25, 1915, a traveling inspector in Albuquerque, New Mexico wrote to Elmer R. Jones, General Superintendent of Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express. "Looking over overland waybills carried by messenger D.A. Wetherbee for shipments of perishables," the inspector wrote, "I notice that he writes on the face of the waybill, 'ICED' with date and name."

Rushing refrigerated carloads of fresh produce was a huge Wells Fargo business, and the inspector saw how precious time could be saved during stops. Wells Fargo messengers along the route, he recommended to Jones, "should be furnished with a regulation re-ice stamp." This would save them the time of writing the icing schedule on waybills, or having to decide whether a shipment needed ice when the train stopped.

Jones got the letter in two days (by Wells Fargo Express, of course), and very quickly the re-ice stamps were disbursed!

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Found in Agriculture, At Work, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Perspective, Prepare, Railroads, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

This is Asian Pacific Heritage Month , and the idea is to celebrate the many contributions of Asians and Asian-Americans to life here in the US.

That is the easy part — just one meal of any Asian cuisine reminds us that, without it, North American culture as we know it today simply wouldn't be the same. And if something so fundamental like food has changed our way of life, imagine the impact of scientists, business people, languages, fashion...

Heritage Months are very important for considering who we all are.

Chinese people in North America suffered a profound discrimination that should be remembered. By 1850, California imposed a Foreign Miners Tax  to pressure non-White miners away from the gold fields, aimed especially at Hispanics and Asians.

The US economy depressed in the 1870s  and the strains brought prejudices to the surface. There was a movement to blame the Chinese for the problem. In 1882, the Burlingame Treaty, as the Chinese Exclusion Act  was formally known, suspended immigration and denied citizenship to Chinese immigrants. For those stuck here due to economic hardship, or for those who chose to stay here because it was their home, the Exclusion Act kept them in a limbo of nebulous civil rights — legalized discrimination, that is.

If Chinese people left the country, they needed certification for reentry. This basically meant sponsorship by white men. Charles Crocker , a historical giant and one of the builders of the transcontinental railroad, vouched for Chinese workers because their labor was instrumental in his personal fortune. Local merchants, business people and officials also vouched for Chinese Californians with whom they had relationships. But the burden of the process — and of individual identity itself — lay with the Chinese people who were trying to make their way trough the harsh realities of China, America, the sea, and the toil of everyday life.

In 1893, Wells Fargo's Agent in Los Angeles, William Pridham, certfied his working relationship with Wong Yuen Ark, who sought to return to Los Angeles to resume his business.

We like to assume that the two men were on good terms, but a situation where one could not act without the consent of the other reduces the respectability of both. Whatever the circumstances behind Wong Yuen Ark's and William Pridham's dealings, and however they felt about the right or wrong of the procedure, the document is a stark reminder that one of them was lesser in the eyes of the law at that time.

If you celebrate only one thing during Heritage Months, let it be that so many people had to migrate across intolerance as much as across geography. The journey from past to present is mucky and smelly, and those who made the passage deserve the moment.

Posted by Charles at 02:30 PM |  Contact Charles |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Found in Artifacts, Misc, Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Our team of dedicated Archivists handed me a clipping a while ago. It's one of those things you find as you do Archival work. They thought, and I agree, that it belongs on Guided By History.

All of us have minor phobias that we don't necessarily share with everyone. Some avoid under-cooked food , some people are bowled over by odors  that no one else is even aware of. Some are acutely aware of germs  and general uncleanliness.

Well, this AP  image proves that where there's a clientele, there's a way. An ATM manufacturer found a way to sanitize Japanese bills as the machine dispensed them. It's from a 1996 item in the San Francisco Chronicle , whose caption read, "the money-laundering device will ensure nothing more than clean cash gets transferred to supersensitive bank customers."

I haven't found if the machines are in operation.

Anybody know if these are out there anywhere?

Posted by Charles at 07:59 AM |  Contact Charles |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in Artifacts, Environment, Misc, Prepare, Psychology, Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo has a bustling tradition of both "communities of practice"  and resource groups for Team Members. People of diverse ethnicities and lines of business gather to share experiences and network, though sometimes they just socialize and build relationships. One of these Team Member groups is for Military Veterans and their families.

Through the years, Wells Fargo has employed veterans of the armed forces, and has long recognized military service by its Team Members and their families as well.  Christopher William Hugo Solinsky served in the Mexican-American War  in the 1840s before becoming Wells Fargo’s agent in Chinese Camp, California in 1857.  He remained at his post for forty years.

Navy veteran Louis McLane was President of Wells Fargo when the Company consolidated a vast stagecoaching network across Western states. Trustim Connell was Agent in Kansas City, Los Angeles and Phoenix after he won the Congressional Medal of Honor  for his courage at the Battle of Sailor's Creek .

When American troops entered World War I, people went out of their way to "do their bit."  Wells Fargo committed scores of pages in the Messenger, the internal newsletter for employees, to Company participation in the war effort. When soldiers marched off to do battle in the Second World War, Wells Fargo made sure they had jobs waiting when they returned.

Wells Fargo has appreciated the service and sacrifice by armed forces employees and their families since the very beginning!

Posted by Charles at 12:15 PM |  Contact Charles |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Found in Misc, Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

It seems to me that we have reached the point where we can no longer try to ignore our global environment problem. For me, it has really sunk in the past year. (I can thank NPR  for that!)

"Should I be driving a hybrid?  Am I recycling  enough? How can we avoid paper waste at the office? Am I doing everything I can to help?"

Well, I know I'm not. But with today being Earth Day , I feel inspired to find ways in which I can help.

One thing I'm happy to be doing already is working for a company that has been doing much to try to tackle this environment issue. Even from the early years of the company, and especially in the last 40 years, Wells Fargo has been dedicated to conservation and environmental efforts.

In the 1910s, reminder tags were hung in express offices asking staff to turn off lights when not in use to save electricity. In 1917, Wells Fargo General Supply Agent A.G. Brandenburg told fellow employees that "every Wells Fargo man can help check the American habit of wastefulness…by practicing economy in the use of supplies himself and by urging others to do so."

In more recent years, the company has taken many different actions: from converting hundreds of ATMs to paper-saving Envelope-Free^SM ATMs, to starting a "worm ranch" where worms not only help dispose of garbage, but also provide fertilizer through their waste.

This year marks the 38th anniversary of Earth Day, and I encourage you to make this the year you will start making a difference . It can be as simple as making sure those bottles and cans are getting recycled; or searching the web for local environmental activities in your community.

Whatever it is you do, keep in mind that every little bit helps.

Posted by Ileana at 10:00 AM |  Contact Ileana |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Found in Environment, Misc, Wells Fargo Bank

The short bio on Felix Tracy that I began the other day told of his background and how he became Agent for Wells Fargo in Sacramento. Of the Wells Fargo Agents who served in the Sacramento express office, Tracy had the longest career of them all — 32 years.

When Tracy came to Sacramento in 1868, he was already one of the most experienced express men in California and proceeded to take over operations at one of the most prestigious positions in the Company—the Sacramento office opened only three weeks after the first office in San Francisco when Wells Fargo began in 1852.

Tracy ran the Sacramento office from 1868 until his retirement in 1900. By 1883, Tracy had added another title, becoming the Assistant Superintendent of Sacramento County for Wells Fargo.

But Tracy's story is one of service, not only to Wells Fargo but also to the community as well. During his 32 years of service to Sacramento, Tracy was involved in a number of public activities: He was a member of the Sacramento school board in the 1870s and 1880s, fighting against separate facilities for African Americans students, and he was also active in the Sacramento Pioneer Foundation , the Westminster Presbyterian Church  of Sacramento, and the Fourteenth Street Presbyterian Church.

Felix Tracy died in 1902 at the age of 73. In 2007, Wells Fargo celebrated his memory by opening The Felix Tracy Learning Center. The Tracy Center works to support business customer service operations and educates Wells Fargo team members in the Company's 155-year history. The Center helps recognize Felix Tracy's long career with Wells Fargo, but it also recognizes his work toward growth and positive change in Sacramento.

Posted by Greg at 03:40 PM |  Contact Greg |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Misc, Perspective, Remember, Sacramento, Wells Fargo Bank

In Wells Fargo's Sacramento history, the one name that stands out is Felix Tracy. Tracy was widely known for his reliability as an express agent, but that position was only one he held during a life full of accomplishments. He served in public office, was appointed to expand education, worked for civil rights, and was active in community groups. Tracy's life was productive — for himself, his Company and his community.

Tracy was born in Moscow, New York and emigrated to California when he was 20 years old. Working first as a merchandiser in San Francisco, he then moved to the gold fields to take his chances . Soon after, he gave up prospecting and began his career as express agent.

Tracy began with Adams and Company Express  in 1855, opening an office in Salt Lake City. But later that year, Adams and Company went out of business; Felix Tracy was unemployed. Two years later, Tracy started as Wells Fargo's agent in Shasta, California . He was elected Shasta County Treasurer in 1861 and held that position for four years.

One year after his tenure as Treasurer, Tracy was selected to serve on the board that established a location for the University of California. After looking at several places, the board decided on Alameda County. By 1873, classes were being held at the University of California, Berkeley , because of Tracy's efforts.

But his brightest years were yet to come…in Part II, that is! Stay tuned!

Posted by Greg at 03:56 PM |  Contact Greg |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Experts, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Remember, Sacramento, Wells Fargo Bank

In my Monday post about Kate Buick, I related a story from her niece, Veva Buick Poorman regarding Kate's use of Morse code.

Here's another one about Kate from Ms. Poorman that describes how her aunt safeguarded Wells Fargo gold.

In Roseburg, Oregon , gold sometimes arrived on the evening train after the local bank was closed. Armed with a small pistol in her handbag, Kate Buick carried Wells Fargo gold home in a satchel. If it was too heavy for the satchel, Kate lugged the gold in Veva's lunchbox. The next morning, Buick would deposit the gold in the bank.

In December 1912, George Sewell replaced Kate Buick as Agent. Roseburg's newspaper, the Daily Review, declared:

In relieving Miss Buick as its local agent, the company was merely following out its newly adopted policy of placing all of its branch agencies in the hands of men. Many of its offices besides the one in this city are affected. Miss Buick, on account of her long experience and thorough efficiency, will be retained by the company as an assistant to Mr. Sewell.

Kate Buick had the last word when she married George Sewell seven months later.

In 1918, the federal government consolidated all express businesses, including Wells Fargo's, under a government-run corporation called American Railway Express . Mrs. Sewell continued work as an agent for Railway Express until 1939, and sporadically thereafter into the 1950s.

Today, nearly two-thirds of Wells Fargo employees are women.

As a tribute to women in the workforce, the Wells Fargo History Museum is collaborating with the Portland Police Museum  and Portland State University's Friends of History  to showcase a free presentation entitled Lola Baldwin, America's First Policewoman.

Posted by Steve at 02:00 PM |  Contact Steve |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Gold, Misc, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank, Women's History

Wells Fargo has a good history of employing women. Between 1873 and 1918, Wells Fargo hired over 350 women as agents, whose duties included handling shipments of money, delivering mail, loading gold aboard trains and stagecoaches, selling money orders, and transferring funds by telegraph. Hundreds more women worked at Wells Fargo as auditors, clerks, copywriters, stenographers, and telephone operators.

One agent of note was Oregonian Kate Buick, employed by Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express in the Roseburg office from 1898 to 1912. Ms. Buick learned Morse code from her father, who was one of the first telegraph operators on the Southern Pacific Railroad line  between Roseburg and San Francisco.

In 1880, President Rutherford B. Hayes  made a trip across the West  and visited Oregon. A newspaper reporter covering the President’s visit came to the telegraph office to wire his report back East. Her father was overwhelmed with work at that moment, so Kate volunteered to send the telegram.

As Kate started to tap the message, the reporter said that he preferred an adult send the message—Kate was only thirteen years old at the time!

Immediately, the reporter penciled an addition to the story and announced to the nation that a young girl from Oregon sent the telegram. Kate's niece, Veva Buick Poorman, further recalled in a later interview that Kate Buick contributed to the war effort by using her knowledge of Morse code  to instruct over fifty people during World War I.

Posted by Steve at 10:10 AM |  Contact Steve |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Found in Artifacts, At Work, Experts, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Railroads, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank, Women's History

The funny thing about my April 1st post is that much of it is based in fact.

It is true that the grave marker of Silas St. John, which was cast by the famous San Diego artist Donal Hord, is in the Wells Fargo History Museum in Old Town. It's true that this part of the world is famous for ghosts. It's true that the Whaley House  down the street is considered by those who believe as one of the most "haunted" places in the United States. And it's true that I've heard some weird things upstairs in the old Milton Sessions house  back when the museum was housed there.

Moreover, one morning ten years ago I did have an experience similar to the ghostly one we conjured up. However, instead of looking up and seeing my co-worker Casey Gill in the monitor, dressed in his 19th century finery, I saw what I thought was…well, I don't know what it was, but it did send a jolt up my spine like nothing else I have ever felt.

I did think I saw a ghost. For about ten seconds.

Like the physicist father whose roof I grew up under, I knew that the apparition that I'd seen in the security monitor had to have a logical explanation. I walked out and stared at the camera, then went back and forth from monitor to camera trying to figure out what had caused the diaphanous  vision in my cathode ray tube.

Finally, as I was peering up at the pinhole camera for like the third time, a swirl of air caused the spider web to catch the early morning sun as it floated across the front of the camera.

Ha. Ha ha ha.

I hope that our little April Fools'  prank didn't bug anyone — or thing — out there. There was an article in the New York Times' Tuesday Science section  that said practical jokes  are good for us. When I unlock the door each morning it takes my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim light in the museum. It looks almost smoky in the museum, and I always catch myself a little, searching around for some sort of movement that I know isn't going to be there.

It's good to have an open mind. Even if it scares you a little.

Posted by Allan at 11:28 AM |  Contact Allan |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in Misc, Museums, San Diego, Wells Fargo Bank