Wilmington and Northern Rail Road Company Stock Certificate

Description

Product Details
Beautifully engraved antique stock certificate from the Wilmington and Northern Railroad Company dating back to the 1870's. This document, which is signed by the
company President and Treasurer, was printed by the Breuker & Kessler Lith. and measures approximately 11" (w) by 8" (h).
This certificate features a trio of vignettes - a busy wharf scene at the top and the Delaware and Pennsylvania state seals at the sides.
Images
You will receive the exact certificate pictured.
Historical Context
The Wilmington and Northern Railroad was formed in April 1877 as a consolidation of the Wilmington and Northern Railroad (of Pennsylvania) and the Wilmington and Northern Railroad (of Delaware.) Both of these entities had been incorporated in February of that same year. The Pennsylvania entity was formed from the former the Berks and Chester Railroad.
The Pennsylvania road ran from the Delaware state line to New Cut, Pennsylvania, a distance of 60 miles; while the Delaware road ran from the Pennsylvania state line to Wilmington, a distance of 12 miles.
The Wilmington and Northern Railroad, which penetrated the Pennsylvania hinterland as far as Reading, was an attempt to siphon off some of Philadelphia's natural trade into the secondary market in Wilmington. Instead of becoming a hub, Wilmington became a corridor, through which rail traffic passed en route to somewhere else.