— Wesley Greer, Castle Rock, Colo.
A Manifest comes from the Latin word manifestus, meaning “visible,” or “detected in the act.” It went into Middle English (because the Romans occupied England for a while), and in 1432 the word manifestation meant “apparition.” By 1561 it meant “show,” and in 1618 the word manifesto was used to mean “declaration.” In 1706 the word manifest was being used to describe the list of cargoes carried by a ship, and by 1869 its use had been transferred to land use, as an alternate to “waybill.” You can see, therefore, that over the years the use of the word developed. By 1929, its use in the expression “manifest freight” distinguished such trains from other types such as way freights, tank trains, and so on. Presumably the manifest freight had with it (in the caboose) a complete manifest of what was on the train, car by car.
— Andrew Dow
