Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company Stock Certificate

Description

Product Details
Beautifully engraved antique stock certificate from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company dating back to the 1970's. This document, which carries the printed signatures of the company President and Secretary, was printed by the American Bank Note Company and measures approximately 12" (w) by 8" (h).
The vignette features a pair of male allegories flanking the C&O logo.
Images
You will receive the exact certificate pictured.
Historical Context
In 1836, the Louisa Railroad Company, the
's (C&O) oldest predecessor, was chartered. Around 1851, its name was changed to the Virginia Central Railroad. In 1868, special acts of
's and
's legislatures provided for completion of rail lines from Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River. Under these acts, the Virginia Central Railroad was renamed the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. This company succeeded to the rights, interests and privileges of both the Virginia Central and the Covington and Ohio Railroads. In 1878, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad was renamed the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (it was reorganized between 1873 and 1878 during receivership).
In 1895, the
placed the first successful electric
in railroad service. An earlier test of the world's first electric railroad locomotive, the "Page Locomotive," took place on the C&O's Washington Branch in April 1851.
In 1947, the
, principally a
line, was merged into the C&O. Sixteen years later, the C&O acquired stock control of the B&O in February following the ICC's approval on December 31, 1962. In 1966, the ICC authorized the C&O to acquire control of the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad. The next year, the ICC approved control of the Western Maryland Railway by the C&O/B&O. On February 26, 1973, the Chessie System Inc. was formed and Chessie System Railroads was adopted as the new corporate identity for the C&O, B&O and
railroads.
Later, the CSX Corporation came into being, resulting from the merger of the Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries Inc. Three years later, pperation of the Western Maryland Railway was taken over by the B&O, and WM's ownership was assumed by the C&O. In 1987, the B&O was merged into the C&O, and the C&O was merged into CSX Transportation.