Washington County Railroad

Unissued Stock. Nice graphics by Marks Printing House, Portland, ME. Rare! On white or blue paper. Although some of the earliest railroading in Maine was found in Washington County, this region was nearly the last to be connected to the core of railroads that had been developed throughout central and southern Maine. The Washington County Railroad Company was chartered in 1893 to build a railroad from Calais to a connection with Maine Central near Ellsworth, with a branch to Eastport. The line was completed on December 17, 1898, and including the mileage of the St. Croix and Penobscot Railroad Company, which it had acquired, was over 130 miles in length. In 1904 Maine Central secured control of the Washington County by assuming its bonds. It was operated as a separate company until 1911 when it became part of Maine Central.