Monte Cristo Railway Co. Stock issued to "Gardner Colby" and signed on back by Geo. H. Earl - Signed by relative of Gardner Colby - Autographed 1900 dated Stock Certificate

Not Gardner Colby, but must be a relative. Stock issued to "Gardner Colby" and signed on back by Geo. H. Earl. Signed by relative of Gardner Colby with a purple 50 cents revenue stamp. Historic railroad! 

Gardner Colby (1810–1879) was a distinguished businessman and Christian philanthropist, renowned for being the namesake of Colby College in Maine. Born in Bowdoinham, Maine, in 1810, he spent part of his early years in Waterville, Maine. His father, Josiah Colby, passed away in 1814 after experiencing financial ruin during the War of 1812; prior to his death, he had been engaged in gunpowder manufacturing in Waterville. To support Colby's mother, Jeremiah Chaplin, a Baptist minister and the inaugural President of Waterville College (which later became Colby College), facilitated the Colby family's operation of a store in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Gardner Colby later established his own store in Boston and expanded his business ventures to include railroads, shipping, and manufacturing. A devoted Baptist throughout his life, Colby actively participated in numerous Christian initiatives. In 1864, amid financial difficulties faced by the college in Waterville during the Civil War, Colby made a significant donation, marking the first of several contributions that led to the institution being renamed "Colby University" in his honor. He served as a trustee from 1864 until his passing, and many of his descendants became affiliated with the college. Additionally, Colby held the position of treasurer and made substantial donations to what is now known as Andover Newton Theological School, a Reformed seminary situated near his residence in Newton, Massachusetts.