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  • | Annual report

    The Mountain Top Track

    This December 1, 1856 report details the high maintenance costs for track running through the Blue Ridge mountains.

  • | Letter

    Letter from John M. Newton to John B. Kellogg and John McConihe, December 27, 1856

    In this December 27, 1856 letter, John M. Newton writes to John B. Kellogg and John McConihe about their land claims in Nebraska. He notes that the leading men of the area have petitioned Washington to open the Land Claims Office so that land can officially be purchased. He assures Kellogg and McConihe that their claims are safe from claim jumpers because the snow has been two feet deep, the roads impassable, and the temperatures 16-20 degrees below zero for the past month (unsurprisingly, he views the lack of timber as a serious downside to the land). Newton assures the other two men that their land claims are an excellent investment, and predicts rapid settlement of the region once land is officially available and the weather clears.

  • | Letter

    Letter from John M. Newton to John B. Kellogg, February 24, 1857

    John M. Newton writes to John Kellogg on February 24, 1857 about the problem of claim jumpers in the area. He describes local efforts to curtail claim jumping and the penalties facing those wrongfully inhabiting land. The funding of a capitol building and road improvements are also discussed, with Newton effusive about the positive impact of roads with good bridges, comparing it to a railroad.

  • | Rate Tables

    North Western Virginia Railroad Passenger Rates, March 1, 1857

    This March 1, 1857 rate table for the North Western Virginia Railroad shows the distance between stations, lists the entire distance of the line, and gives passenger rates to and from various stations.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Francis Sim to Mother and Father, May 5, 1857

    In this May 5, 1857 letter, Francis Sim writes to his parents and describes the details of his wife's mental illness. Apparently triggered by the death of their son, Sarah Sim's depression causes her to try to kill herself and her remaining children. Francis laments her condition and the loss of his son, as well as his struggle to try to maintain his farm while protecting his wife and children from physical harm.

  • | Letter

    Letter from John McConihe to John Kellogg, June 15, 1857

    John McConihe writes to John Kellogg on June 15, 1857 about his efforts to incorporate the town of Beatrice, Nebraska and organize the political structure of the county. He praises the town's location next to the Big Blue River, and predicts rapid settlement, since "the emigrants are following in our tracks daily". He expresses the wish that Kellogg could arrive soon with "lots of money" because of all the potential for investment and development.

  • | Letter

    Letter from John McConihe to John Kellogg, June 21, 1857

    On June 21, 1857, John McConihe writes to John Kellogg about their investments in southeast Nebraska, particularly in the town of Beatrice. McConihe tells Kellogg that he does not know why it takes mail longer to arrive from the East than it does to be sent to it, though he blames road and weather conditions in Iowa for much of the delay. He rounds out the letter with news of the first circus in Nebraska, their friend Newton's regrettable foray into bookkeeping, and statements of optimism about the West.

  • | Letter

    Letter from John McConihe to John Kellogg, August 2, 1857

    On August 2, 1857, John McConihe writes to John Kellogg about their shared business interests in Nebraska. McConihe rejoices in the rapid progress Beatrice is making as a town, but regrets their investments in Council Bluffs, IA, as he feels Omaha, Nebraska is becoming the more prosperous city. He writes of the difficulties of speculation, resting in the certainty that "in the long run money will be made."

  • | Letter

    Letter from John McConihe to John Kellogg, August 15, 1857

    On August 15, 1857, John McConihe writes to John Kellogg about their shared land transactions in Nebraska and news of others who have fallen on hard times. Though the real estate market is not as hearty as he had hoped (which he attributes to "Kansas Shriekers," "Emigrants", and "the tight money market at the East"), he is still confident that the market will improve. McConihe envies Kellogg for enjoying "cool sea breezes" on the coast, while he has just endured a 70-hour dust storm, and predicts that Omaha will become "the town" in Nebraska.

  • | Letter

    Letter from John McConhie to John Kellogg, September 23, 1857

    John McConihe writes to John Kellogg on September 23, 1857 about the loan he has made to John Newton to enable him to leave town and provides an account of their business expenses in settling Beatrice, Nebraska.

  • | Broadsides

    Boston and Worcester Railroad Circular Regarding Pay Cuts, October 30, 1857

    In this October 30, 1857 circular, Ginery Twichell, Superintendent of the Boston and Worcester Railroad, describes the reasons for a ten percent pay cut for all employees. He cites the recent reduction in receipts from passengers and freight, as well as the "sudden and unexpected financial storm" as the basis for the change.

  • A View Of Pendleton

    This is an image of Pendleton, Ohio, the outer station of the Little Miami Railroad, in The Book of the Great Railway Celebrations of 1857.

  • | Photograph

    Baltimore & Ohio Railroad artist excursion, 1858

    Following its 1857 grand banquet, the B & O hosted an artists? excursion in 1858 to show off its dramatic vistas and massive tunnels. The men and women took turns riding precariously on the cowcatcher, Harper?s Weekly reported, to get a "better view of the grand scenes which were opening before and around them . . . such was the confidence felt in the steadiness and docility of the mighty steed."

  • | Illustration

    Barnum's City Hotel, Monument Square, Baltimore

    This 1858 advertisement for the Barnum Hotel in Baltimore promotes the hotel, notes a few of its luxuries, and boasts of the ability to house 600 guests. Railroads helped inaugurate a wide array of luxury hotels designed to meet the needs of a traveling public and business class.

  • Great Indian Mound

    This is an image of the Great Indian Mound at Moundsville, Ohio in The Book of the Great Railway Celebrations of 1857.

  • Junction Of The Monongahela And Tygart's Valley Rivers

    This is an image of the great iron bridge by which the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad crossed the Monongahela River near Fairmont, West Virginia in The Book of the Great Railway Celebrations of 1857.

  • Passenger Station Of The Little Miami Road

    This is an image of the passenger station of the Little Miami Road near the Ohio River in Cincinnati in The Book of the Great Railway Celebrations of 1857.

  • Railroad And Turnpike Bridge Over The Little Miami River

    This is an image of the railroad and turnpike bridge over the Little Miami River at Miamiville, Ohio in The Book of the Great Railway Celebrations of 1857.

  • | Book

    The Book of the Great Railway Celebrations of 1857

    Works like The Book of The Great Railway Celebrations were published with multiple purposes - they served great publicity for railroad companies and town boosters, as well as celebrations of technological advancements and ingenuity. The detailed illustrations and descriptions of the celebrations also made them prized souvenirs for event attendees.

  • The Capitol Of The United States

    This artistic rendition, in The Book of the Great Railway Celebrations of 1857, predicts what the Capital Building in Washington, D.C. would look like once the new wings and dome were completed.