Northern Pacific Railway Co. - 1914 dated Railroad Stock Certificate

Stock with superb graphics by American Bank Note Co., NY. A couple of hole cancellations in top vignette as usual, though. Very Nice! A Classic!

The Northern Pacific Railway, designated by the reporting mark NP, was a transcontinental railroad that traversed the northern region of the western United States, extending from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. Authorized by Congress in 1864, it received nearly forty million acres (62,000 square miles; 160,000 square kilometers) in land grants, which were utilized to secure funding in Europe for its construction. Construction commenced in 1870, culminating in the opening of the main line that connected the Great Lakes to the Pacific. This milestone was marked by former President Ulysses S. Grant driving the final "golden spike" in western Montana on September 8, 1883.

The railroad encompassed approximately 6,800 miles (10,900 kilometers) of track, serving a vast area that included significant routes in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. Additionally, the NP operated an international branch to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Its primary operations involved the transportation of wheat and other agricultural products, cattle, timber, and minerals, as well as the importation of consumer goods, passenger transport, and land sales. The Northern Pacific was initially headquartered in Minnesota, first in Brainerd and later in Saint Paul. The railroad experienced a turbulent financial history, ultimately merging with other lines in 1970 to create the Burlington Northern Railroad, which subsequently merged with the Santa Fe Railway in 1996 to form the BNSF Railway.