Highland Park and Fruit Vale Railroad - 1891 dated $500 California Railway Bond

$500 6% Gold Bond printed by H. S. Crocker Co. Rare and Very Important bond with a custom vignette.

The Highland Park and Fruit Vale Railroad, an essential suburban line established in the late 19th century, served the developing districts of East Oakland, California. Organized in 1875 by real estate tycoon E.C. Sessions, along with Caspar Hopkins and J.V. Webster, the company initially formed as the North Brooklyn Railroad to connect the Southern Pacific station at 13th Avenue to Sessions’ newly subdivided tracts in Diamond and Highland Park. The line, which originally operated as a horse car system, officially adopted the Highland Park and Fruit Vale Railroad name in 1882. By 1891, the system had expanded to span approximately 10.5 miles, traversing a scenic route bordered by orchards, vineyards, and the homes of San Francisco businessmen.

The railroad was renowned for its unique fleet of eight double-decker motor cars, featuring a height-saving design patented by Sessions. These cars, manufactured by the Pullman Company, employed a longitudinal seating arrangement on the upper deck and spiral staircases leading to open central platforms. In 1893, the system underwent electrification, transitioning from animal power to modern electric trolleys that served local landmarks such as California College and the Altenheim. In 1898, the railroad was sold to the Oakland Transit Company, eventually becoming an integral part of the larger regional transit network that integrated East Oakland into the expanding metropolitan area.