American Merchants Union Express Co. Signed by William G. Fargo - 1869 dated Autograph Stock Certificate Framed

Print portrait from an old engraving of William G. Fargo, signature reproduced below portrait. Stock Certificate has original signature. Stock dimensions are 12 x 9, frame dimensions are 16 x 24.

The American Merchants Union Express Company was established on November 25, 1868, as a result of a fierce and prolonged price war between the original American Express Company and its newer rival, the Merchants Union Express Company. Founded in 1866, Merchants Union aggressively encroached upon American Express’s territory, undercutting rates and poaching staff to the point of mutual financial ruin. This cutthroat competition compelled the two entities to merge to avoid bankruptcy, resulting in a combined firm that briefly operated under this extended name.

Following the merger, William G. Fargo, one of the original founders of American Express, succeeded Henry Wells as the company’s president. Despite the new name, the firm essentially continued as a continuation of the consolidated express delivery industry, managing extensive networks of rail and stagecoach routes to transport valuables, currency, and freight. The “American Merchants Union” name lasted only five years; in 1873, the company officially rebranded itself back to the more recognizable American Express Company, eventually transitioning from mail delivery into the global financial services giant it is today.

William George Fargo (1818–1881) was a pioneering American entrepreneur renowned for co-founding two global financial giants: American Express and Wells Fargo & Company. Born in Pompey, New York, Fargo’s entrepreneurial journey commenced at the tender age of 13 as a mail carrier. This early experience paved the way for his partnership with Henry Wells in the 1840s, leading to the establishment of express mail services west of Buffalo. In 1850, they consolidated several firms to form the American Express Company, followed by the 1852 launch of Wells Fargo & Company. This latter venture capitalized on the California Gold Rush by providing essential banking and swift shipping services to the West Coast.

Fargo’s contributions extended beyond the corporate realm. He emerged as a prominent political figure and civic leader in Buffalo, New York. During the American Civil War, he served two terms as the city’s 27th mayor (1862–1866). As a lifelong Democrat and staunch Union supporter, Fargo demonstrated his commitment to the cause by generously contributing to the salaries of his employees who were drafted into the war. His substantial wealth was evident in the construction of the “Fargo Mansion,” an opulent estate in Buffalo that spanned two city blocks. This grand residence boasted the city’s first elevator. Although the mansion was demolished in 1901, Fargo’s legacy endures through the enduring financial institutions he helped establish and the city of Fargo, North Dakota, which bears his name.

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