Monte Cristo Railway Co. Stock issued to "Gardner Colby" and signed on back by George H. Earl - Signed by relative of Gardner Colby - Autographed 1900 dated Stock Certificate

Not Gardner Colby, but must be a relative. Stock issued to "Gardner Colby" and signed on back by George H. Earl. Signed by relative of Gardner Colby with a purple 50 cents revenue stamp. Historic railroad! 

The Monte Cristo Railway Company was officially established on August 29, 1900, following a significant corporate restructuring of the bankrupt Everett and Monte Cristo Railway. The original rail infrastructure, constructed in 1893 with funding from financial magnate John D. Rockefeller, was designed to transport gold and silver ore from the remote Cascade Mountains to a specialized smelter in Everett, Washington. However, devastating autumn floods in 1897 severely damaged the tracks traversing the treacherous Robe Canyon, leading to a complete operational shutdown and financial ruin for the original syndicate. To salvage the investment, Rockefeller’s trusted advisor, Frederick T. Gates, negotiated a complex deal with the Great Northern Railway. Gates employed Japanese contract labor crews to meticulously rebuild the crucial Hartford-to-Monte Cristo section, revitalizing the line under the newly consolidated corporate umbrella.

The newly formed Monte Cristo Railway Company played a pivotal role in igniting a second mining boom in the region, ensuring a steady flow of ore from the summer of 1900 through the autumn of 1903. Despite the successful reconstruction, the extreme weather conditions in the Cascade Mountains and the persistent threat of seasonal washouts posed significant financial challenges to independent operation. Consequently, in 1902, the line was sold to the Northern Pacific Railway, which integrated the tracks into its network as the Monte Cristo Branch. The route continued to transport dwindling mineral shipments until the Panic of 1907 caused a collapse in local mining production. Although parts of the line were later repurposed for logging and tourist excursions, the rails were completely removed by the 1930s, and the historic right-of-way was subsequently transformed into Washington’s scenic Mountain Loop Highway.

Gardner Colby (1810–1879) was a distinguished businessman and Christian philanthropist, renowned for being the namesake of Colby College in Maine. Born in Bowdoinham, Maine, in 1810, he spent part of his early years in Waterville, Maine. His father, Josiah Colby, passed away in 1814 after experiencing financial ruin during the War of 1812; prior to his death, he had been engaged in gunpowder manufacturing in Waterville. To support Colby's mother, Jeremiah Chaplin, a Baptist minister and the inaugural President of Waterville College (which later became Colby College), facilitated the Colby family's operation of a store in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Gardner Colby later established his own store in Boston and expanded his business ventures to include railroads, shipping, and manufacturing. A devoted Baptist throughout his life, Colby actively participated in numerous Christian initiatives. In 1864, amid financial difficulties faced by the college in Waterville during the Civil War, Colby made a significant donation, marking the first of several contributions that led to the institution being renamed "Colby University" in his honor. He served as a trustee from 1864 until his passing, and many of his descendants became affiliated with the college. Additionally, Colby held the position of treasurer and made substantial donations to what is now known as Andover Newton Theological School, a Reformed seminary situated near his residence in Newton, Massachusetts.

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