Construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway commenced in 1906. Upon completion in 1914, its 3,000 miles of track extended from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Despite great hopes for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, it was plagued by financial difficulties and nationalized in 1919.

Before construction began, teams of surveyors were dispatched into the field in search of the best route along which to lay track. Surveyors spent months in the field, braving extreme conditions, creating accurate maps for use by construction teams. Native Americans assisted the surveyors, providing local expertise and transporting messages, and socialized with white settlers and surveyors.

Survey teams ventured hundreds of miles away from the nearest supply cache, in areas where game might be scarce. Constructing shelter and transporting supplies required great effort and ingenuity. The dog sleds which carried equipment and supplies, efficiently gliding over the frozen ground, were vital to the surveyors’ survival. Horses served as forms of transport in the field, as well as in Canadian cities. Engineers rode on horseback to inspect the line. Wagon teams hauled supplies, and riders delivered mail.

The map depicts Canadian railways in 1904, just prior to the surveying and construction documented in the letters, diary, and photo books of surveyor Norman Jacobs. Initially based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Jacobs moved westward, his letters often addressed from Torchwood Hills or Fort Qu’appelle, Saskatchewan, and Edmonton, Alberta.

1908 Mar. 17, McLeod River, Alberta: Jacobs’s letter related hazards recently endured, including “vile weather, snow and blizzards” and the lingering effects of snowblindness. He avoided close instrument work during his recovery, instead occupying himself inspecting the line and breaking in a horse.

1908 Sep. 20, Camp: Jacobs thanked his correspondent, Bessie Frank, for a cake she had sent him, and for which “the boys” had offered a toast to “the best cook in Pittsburgh.”

1906 Oct. 12, Torchwood Hills via Fort Qu’appelle: Jacobs wrote of Saskatchewan’s natural beauty, the camaraderie of the men on the survey team, their desire to see the Rocky Mountains, and life with the team’s animals. Jacobs’s affection is evident in a whimsical photo book page devoted to the team's horses.

1906 Dec. 23, 278 Donald St., Winnipeg: Jacobs contrasted extreme wilderness conditions with the technological project with which he was involved: “The transition when we tumbled into luxurious Pullman cars at Elkton [after a blizzard] was rather funny.”

1906 Dec. 30, Residency 27, Davison, T.C.R.: Jacobs advised that he would be incommunicado for two months and “…me thinks it will be no picnic.” With several months’ survey experience, Jacobs was familiar with some of the hazards his team would face in the frozen landscape.

The letters, diary, and photo books of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway collection were donated to the APS in 2009 by Ellen Lehman. Conservation and processing of the collection was supported by a monetary donation from Dr. Lehman.