Issued to The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Co. - 1915 dated Railroad Stock Certificate
Inv# RS1038A Stock
Iowa
Stock. Issued to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, signed by both Secretary and Treasurer.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, affectionately known as “The Met,” was established on April 13, 1870, by a group of American civic leaders, businessmen, artists, and philanthropists. Their vision was to bring world-class art and art education to the American public. Initially conceived in Paris in 1866, the institution officially opened its doors in 1872 at a temporary location on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The collection began with a single Roman sarcophagus. The Met’s rapid growth necessitated a move to the Douglas Mansion on 14th Street before settling into its permanent home in Central Park. The first purpose-built building opened in 1880.
Over the past 150 years, the Met has transformed from a modest institution into a massive, encyclopedic cultural entity. It now houses over 1.5 million works of art spanning 5,000 years. The iconic Beaux-Arts facade on Fifth Avenue, designed by Richard Morris Hunt, was completed in 1902, solidifying the building’s status as a landmark of New York City’s cultural scene. Today, the Met stands as one of the most visited museums globally. It has expanded its reach through its branch dedicated to medieval art, The Cloisters, and comprehensive digital initiatives.
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company, commonly known as the “Rock Island Line” or “The Rock,” was a significant Class I railroad established in 1847 and incorporated in 1851. Its inaugural train journeyed between Chicago and Joliet in 1852. In 1854, it achieved a groundbreaking milestone by becoming the first railroad to connect Chicago with the Mississippi River, fundamentally transforming the Midwestern agrarian economy. This connection facilitated the seamless link between Iowa and subsequently western territories to eastern markets. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Rock Island experienced rapid expansion and acquisitions, resulting in the creation of an extensive network that eventually spanned fourteen states. Its reach extended from Minnesota down to Texas and west to Colorado, serving pivotal centers such as Kansas City, Omaha, and Denver.
Despite its vast coverage and prominence, the Rock Island encountered numerous formidable challenges. These included persistent financial difficulties, intense competition from trucking and other railroads, and multiple bankruptcies, with the first one occurring in 1914. The company’s popular passenger “Rockets” and dieselized freight service proved inadequate in overcoming the deferred maintenance and debt that plagued it during the mid-20th century. Following a failed merger attempt with the Union Pacific in the 1960s, a 1975 bankruptcy, and a crippling labor strike in 1979, a federal judge decreed the company’s liquidation. The Rock Island ceased operations on March 31, 1980, marking one of the largest corporate liquidations in U.S. history. Its lines were subsequently sold to various competitors, although its legacy continues to resonate in the folk song “Rock Island Line” and the modern commuting routes in Illinois.
A stock certificate is issued by businesses, usually companies. A stock is part of the permanent finance of a business. Normally, they are never repaid, and the investor can recover his/her money only by selling to another investor. Most stocks, or also called shares, earn dividends, at the business's discretion, depending on how well it has traded. A stockholder or shareholder is a part-owner of the business that issued the stock certificates.
Ebay ID: labarre_galleries