Northern New York Railroad Co. - 1895 dated Railway Stock Certificate - Columbus Landing Vignette

Railway Stock Certificate. The iconic painting “The Landing of Columbus,” commissioned by Congress in 1836, depicts Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the West Indies in 1492. The painting, by John Vanderlyn, shows Columbus claiming the land for Spain with his crew and native onlookers present. The scene is renowned for its iconic imagery, featuring Columbus holding the royal banner and his hat at his feet, symbolizing the significance of the event.

After the Northern Adirondack Railroad was acquired on May 25, 1895, the syndicate, led by Charles Hibbard, reorganized it as the Northern New York Railroad two days later. Although uncertain, it appears that Hibbard managed to acquire trackage rights east of Moira on the Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad to Malone.

Hibbard shared a vision with John Hurd, both envisioning a larger railroad that would expand its reach to new areas. Their group had established the Racquette River Railroad on April 25, 1895, with the intention of constructing a rail route between Tupper Lake and Axton Landing. Subsequently, the Delaware & Hudson had planned to extend its Adirondack Railway, which terminated at North Creek, to Axton Landing under the Adirondack Extension Railroad charter. Hibbard’s trains were to have running rights to Saratoga Springs, and then on to New York City.

The second extension aimed to extend northward into Canada. Initially, it was planned to acquire the Saratoga & St. Lawrence Railroad and then proceed to St. Regis in Quebec. From there, Hibbard’s line would extend to Ottawa. From June 11 to July 30, 1896, the Northern New York Railroad operated the Saratoga & St. Lawrence Railroad, but for reasons unknown, Hibbard was dissatisfied with it. Instead, he decided to build northward from Moira himself, leading to the formation of a new company for this purpose. After meeting Dr. Darby Bergin from the Ontario Pacific Railway, Hibbard formed a partnership with him, and these two railroaders planned to connect Ottawa to the Adirondack line. On October 28, 1897, the Northern New York Railroad merged into this new northern extension company.

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