Little Miami Railroad Co. issued to Robert M. Fulton - 1880 dated Railway Stock Certificate

Stock issued to and signed on the back by Robert M. Fulton. Possibly a descendant of Robert Fulton.

Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 25, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing a commercially successful steamboat; the first was called North River Steamboat (later Clermont). In 1807 that steamboat traveled on the Hudson River with passengers, from New York City to Albany and back again, a round trip of 300 miles (480 km), in 62 hours. The success of his steamboat changed river traffic and trade on major American rivers.

In 1800, Fulton had been commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte, leader of France, to attempt to design a submarine; he produced Nautilus, the first practical submarine in history. Fulton is also credited with inventing some of the world's earliest naval torpedoes for use by the Royal Navy.

Fulton became interested in Steam engines and the idea of steamboats in 1777 when he was around age 12 and visited state delegate William Henry of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who was interested in this topic. Henry had learned about inventor James Watt and his Watt steam engine on an earlier visit to England.

The Little Miami Railroad was a railway located in southwestern Ohio, extending from the eastern part of Cincinnati to Springfield, Ohio. In 1853, it merged with the Columbus and Xenia Railroad, establishing the first continuous rail connection between the significant manufacturing hub of Cincinnati and the state capital, Columbus. During this era, railroads played a crucial role in linking the vital waterways of the Great Lakes with the Ohio River, which served as major transportation routes for goods to various markets.

However, the significance of the LMRR diminished later in the 19th century as three major railroads from the East constructed lines across the Allegheny Mountains, thereby creating east-west transportation networks throughout the state. The railroad operated independently until 1981, when it was incorporated into Conrail amid a period of extensive restructuring in the railroad industry during the late 20th century. The Little Miami Railroad was officially incorporated on March 11, 1836, with Jeremiah Morrow, the governor of Ohio, serving as its first unpaid president. It was the second railroad to be incorporated in Ohio. The initial stock sale meeting took place at Linton's Hotel in Waynesville on May 13, 1836, followed by a second meeting on June 2, 1836, in Xenia. The original plan for the railroad was to connect Cincinnati to Springfield, where it was anticipated to link with the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, which was extending southward to Springfield from Sandusky on Lake Erie.

Read More

Read Less