Baltimore and Ohio Railroad - 1901 dated Railway Stock Certificate

Railroad Stock. Tom Thumb type with attached stub. Two schillings revenue stamp. Excellent condition!

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, designated by the reporting marks B&O and BO, holds the distinction of being the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its inaugural section commencing operations in 1830. Merchants in Baltimore, who had gained some advantages from the early construction of the National Road, sought to maintain their competitive edge in trade with settlers beyond the Appalachian Mountains. This was in response to the newly established Erie Canal, which facilitated trade with New York City, as well as a proposed canal in Pennsylvania intended to link Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal that connected to Washington, D.C. (though it never reached Ohio), and the James River Canal, which directed commerce towards Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia. Initially, the B&O was entirely situated within Maryland, with its original route extending from the port of Baltimore to Sandy Hook, which opened in 1834. At this point, it connected with Harper's Ferry via boat and subsequently via the Wager Bridge across the Potomac River into Virginia, as well as with the navigable Shenandoah River.