State of Arkansas - Mississippi, Quachita and Red River Railroad - 1870 dated Arkansas Railway Bond (Uncanceled)

$1000 7% Uncanceled Bond. 54 of 60 coupons present. American Bank Note Co-NY. Great Engraved bond with Train on each of its many coupons. Great!!! Tape repairs done on some seams.

Established in the mid-19th century, the Mississippi, Ouachita, and Red River Railroad (MO&RR) was an ambitious yet ill-fated infrastructure project conceived to connect the Mississippi River to the western frontier regions of Arkansas and Texas. Formulated in 1852, the line was intended to extend from Gaines Landing on the Mississippi, traverse Pine Bluff and Camden, and ultimately reach the Red River at Fulton. Advocates regarded the railroad as a crucial economic conduit that would facilitate the transportation of cotton and timber from the interior of Arkansas to the bustling markets of New Orleans and the East Coast, thereby circumventing the sluggish and frequently unreliable river navigation of the era.

Despite its grandiose aspirations, the project was beset by financial instability and the outbreak of the American Civil War. By the time hostilities commenced in 1861, only a diminutive segment of the track—approximately seven miles—had been completed in proximity to the Mississippi River. The war effectively suspended construction as resources were redirected to the military, and existing iron rails were frequently requisitioned for Confederate purposes. While efforts were made to resuscitate the line during the Reconstruction era, it encountered significant challenges in competing with newer, more adequately funded railway endeavors. The company ultimately ceased operations, yet its legacy endures as a substantial chapter in the early history of Southern transportation, exemplifying the high risks and frequent failures associated with the pre-war “railroad fever.”