Beautifully engraved SCARCE certificate from the Buffalo, Cleveland & Chicago Railway Company of Pennsylvania issued in 1880. This historic document has an ornate border around it with a vignette of a train and Ribus Unum. This item is hand signed by the Company's President ( C. H. Clark ) and its Treasurer and is over 135 years old. This certificate is quite scarce and very few were issued.
Certificate Vignette
Certificate Vignette On April 13, 1881 the New York & Chicago Railway consolidated with the Buffalo Cleveland & Chicago Railway to form the New York Chicago & St. Louis Railway (Nickel Plate). NEW YORK, CHICAGO AND ST. LOUIS RAILROAD ( Nickel Plate ) Incorporated under the laws of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. This company's railroad was built for the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Company, a consolidated company organized under the laws of the five States above named and composed of constituent companies in the several States, to-wit: The Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago Railway Company of New York, whose articles of association were filed with the Secretary of State about January 15, 1881 ; the Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago Railway Company of Pennsylvania, whose articles of association were filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth about January 15, 1881; the New York and Chicago Railway Company of Ohio, whose articles of incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State about March 15, 1881; the New York and Chicago Railway Company of Indiana, whose articles of incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State, March 4, 1881; the New York and Chicago Railway Company of Illinois, whose articles of organization were filed with the Secretary of State, March 23, 1881 ; all of the constituent companies were incorporated under the general railroad laws of their respective States, to-wit: General railroad law of New York, entitled an act to authorize the formation of railroad companies and to regulate the same, passed April 2, 1850; in Pennsylvania, an act to authorize the formation and regulation of railroad corporations, approved April 4, 1868; in Ohio, sections 3236 to 3245 of Revised Statutes; in Illinois, chapter 114 of Revised Statutes, sections I to 6; in Indiana, sections 3885 to 3888 of Revised Statutes. The constituent companies were consolidated by agreement, dated April 8, 1881, under the general laws of the five States named, to which reference is made as follows: In New York, chapter 917 of the laws of 1869, entitled an act authorizing the consolidation of certain railroad companies; in Pennsylvania, an act supplementary to an act regulating railroad companies, approved the 17th day of February, A. D. 1849, approved March 24, 1865; in Ohio, sections 3380 to 3385 of Revised Statutes; in Indiana, section 3971 of Revised Statutes; in Illinois, chapter 32 of Revised Statutes, sections 50 to 57. By reason of the foreclosure of mortgages upon its railway, it was sold in May, 1887, companies incorporated under the laws of the five States above named, respectively, bought from the purchasers the portions in their respective States. These companies, with the dates of their incorporations, were as follows: The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Company of New York, whose articles of association were filed with the Secretary of State June 22, 1887; the Erie and State Line Railroad Company of Pennsylvania, whose articles of association were filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, June 27, 1887; the Cleveland and State Line Railroad Company of Ohio, whose articles of incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State, August 15, 1887; the Fort Wayne and Illinois Railroad Company, whose certificate of incorporation was filed with the Secretary of State, June 28, 1887; the Chicago and State Line Railroad Company, whose articles of incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State, June 30, 1887. All were organized under the general railroad laws of the several States to which reference is given above. Agreement for the consolidation of the constituent companies in New York and Pennsylvania, dated July 7, 1887, and filed with the Secretary of State, August 15, 1887; name of consolidated company, the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Company. Agreement for consolidation of above-named consolidated company with contstituent(sp-constituent) companies in Ohio and Indiana filed with Secretary of State, September 27, 1887. Lease of the Chicago and State Line Railroad from the Chicago and State Line Railroad Company to the Fort Wayne and Illinois Railroad Company, dated September 20, 1887. As this company is the owner of the stock of the Chicago and State Line Railroad Company, which does not keep up a separate and independent organization for the purpose of distributing income, the lease is treated as effecting a consolidation in fact. Consolidation was effected under the laws of the several States referred to in answer to question four (4), except the lease of the Chicago and State Line Railroad, which was made by authority of chapter 114, section 34, Revised Statutes of Illinois, and section 3973 of Revised Statutes of Indiana. The main line of road extends from Buffalo, N. Y., to Silver Creek, N. Y., and from Dunkirk, N. Y., to Indiana-Illinois State line, 494.72 miles. The line in Ohio, from boundary line between Pennsylvania and Ohio to boundary line between Indiana and Ohio, 239.49 miles.