Beautiful letterhead from the Old Colony Steamboat Co. Fall River Line issued in 1897. This historic document was has an ornate border around it with a vignette of the Fall River Line Steamboat. This item is hand signed by the Company's Supervisor, George Peirce and is over 109 years old.
Certificate Vignette Boston, Newport & New York Steamboat Co. was sold to the Narragansett Steamboat Co. forming the Fall River Line in 1869 under Jim Fisk Jay Gould became President in 1872 Gould did not share his predecessor's fascination with steamboats and sold the Fall River Line to the Old Colony Railroad in 1874. This created the Old Colony Steamboat Company. The members of the Board included Silas Pierce, Jr., Boston; Benj. Finch, Newport; T. J. Borden, C. P. Stickney, Fall River; Albert Terrill, Weymouth; Oliver Ames, Easton; Wm. Borden, New York. (1874) J. P. Morgan of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad arranged to lease the Old Colony RR and its steamboat company in 1893. The New Haven's maritime operation at this time was called the Marine District. The New England Navigation Co. was set up by the NYNH&H to manage all of its Steamship subsidiaries. On December 10, 1904, the properties of the New Haven Line, Bridgeport Line, Norwich Line (in existence since 1860), Block Island Line and Providence Line were transferred to the New England Navigation Company.