1852 Erie and the North East Railroad Company Stock Certificate

Description

1852 Erie and the North East Railroad Company Stock Certificate
1852 Erie and the North East Railroad Company Stock Certificate
l442
State - Pennsylvania
Date - 1852
Size - 10 1/4 in x 6 1/2 in. with side stub
The Erie and the North East Rail Road Company. Great vignettes including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Printed by Baldwin, Adams & Co. New York. Please look at photo's for condition. Folds and some staining. There is also worn circle near the word  "North"  (as shown in photo) This is a great piece of American history!
History
A charter was granted to Charles M. Reed, John A. Tracy and John H. Walker on April 12, 1842 for the Erie and North East Railroad to build a six-foot gauge line from Erie, Pennsylvania east to a connection with the Buffalo and State Line Railorad at the New York-Pennsylvania state line.  The road was surveyed in the spring of 1849 and by July 26, 1849 the line was running from Erie to the New York State line.  It was not until 1852 that the connection was made with the Buffalo and State Line and cars could travel from Buffalo to Erie.
The Erie and Northeast connected in Erie with the railroad built by the Franklin Canal Company.  This was a standard gauge line which required that all passengers and freight had to be transferred between the wide gauge and standard gauge cars in Erie.  This was a time-consuming and expensive process for the railroad, but one that was supported by main people in the city of Erie who envisioned themselves as a natural terminal for railroads from the east and west and a transfer point to ships on the Great Lakes.  They feared that if the railroads had the same gauge trains could roll through the city without stopping.
The Erie and Northeast and Buffalo and State Line railroads agreed in November 1853 to relay both railroads to standard gauge.  This was opposed by the city of Erie, whose city council on July 19, 1853 had passed a resolution barring the Erie and Northeast from using any gauge except six feet and barring the Franklin Canal Railroad from using any gauge except standard gauge.  The resolution called for police action and penalties for any violations of the law.  On November 23, 1853 the council heard reports that the railroad was placing ties in preparation for a night-time gauge change.  At this meeting the council instructed the mayor to call out the police to remove any bridges used by the railroad within the city of Erie to prevent the change of gauge. On November 28, 1853 the council passed another ordinance instructing the mayor to instruct the police to remove all bridges, embankments, and other improvements on city property.  On December 7 the mayor swore in 150 constables and led them and a large group of citizens through the city carefully cutting the bridges where they passed over city property such as streets.
Work was begun on relaying both railroad to standard gauge outside of Erie on December 7, 1853.  The Erie matter was finally settled in the courts and the entire line was converted to standard gauge on February 1, 1854.
On May 15, 1867 the two companies between Buffalo and Erie merged to form the Buffalo and Erie Railroad.
Information from Western NY Railroad Archive.
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