1,500 Shares of St. Louis Merchants Bridge Co. - 1889 or 1890 dated Stock Certificate
Inv# HD1080 Stock
1,500 shares Stock printed by August Gast Bank Note Co. St. L & N.Y. Certificates # 13 or 18! Slight staining at stub.
The St. Louis Merchants Bridge Terminal Railway Company, established in 1887 by the St. Louis Merchants Exchange, aimed to break the monopoly held by railroad tycoon Jay Gould over the Eads Bridge. Seeking a more economical and tariff-free route across the Mississippi River, local businessmen financed the construction of this historic rail bridge. Under the guidance of consulting engineer George Shattuck Morison, construction commenced in February 1889 and concluded with its grand opening in May 1890.
The bridge’s unique Pennsylvania through-truss design initially thrived by connecting major lines such as the Wabash and Illinois Central railroads. However, the economic turmoil of the Panic of 1893 led to the company’s bankruptcy. Ironically, Gould’s own Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) intervened to rescue the company from its creditors, ultimately securing the very cross-river shipping monopoly that local merchants had fought to prevent.
Over the ensuing century, the Merchants Bridge transformed into one of the nation’s most crucial east-west rail freight corridors, serving Amtrak and six Class I railroads. Decades of continuous operation, however, resulted in the aging structure being severely restricted by low speeds and weight limits that allowed only one train to cross at a time. To safeguard this vital shipping hub, the TRRA embarked on a massive $222 million reconstruction project in 2018. Managed by Walsh Construction, the overhaul involved seismically retrofitting the original 19th-century masonry piers and floating in three colossal new steel truss spans fabricated in Wisconsin. The fully rebuilt bridge celebrated its grand reopening in September 2022. By doubling track capacity and lifting operational limits, the project successfully revitalized the historic crossing, ensuring its continued support for the regional economy for generations to come.
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.
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