Little Miami Railroad Co. issued to William H. Procter and James N. Gamble - Stock Certificate

Stock issued to William H. Procter and James N. Gamble. Signed by James N. Gamble who invented ivory soap. Related to Procter & Gamble Company.

William Procter (December 7, 1801 – April 4, 1884) was an American industrialist and candlemaker originally from England, recognized as the co-founder of Procter & Gamble Company in 1837 alongside James Gamble. Born in Herefordshire, England, Procter received his education at Luckston School. He began his business career in 1818, becoming involved in the clothing sector in London during the late 1820s. In 1827, he met William Hooper, who encouraged him to move to America. Procter arrived in the United States in 1830, where he started manufacturing candles in New York City. He later traveled west with his first wife, Martha Peat Procter, who sadly passed away during their journey in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1832.

Initially intending to stay in Cincinnati only temporarily, Procter chose to settle there for the rest of his life. He established his business and married Olivia Norris in 1833. Following the advice of his father-in-law, Alexander Norris, he partnered with his brother-in-law, James Gamble, in 1837 to create the company that would become known by their names. The firm began producing Ivory soap, leading to substantial profits. Procter's legacy continued through his son, William Alexander Procter, and his grandson, William Cooper Procter, both of whom served as presidents of the company. Procter is interred at Spring Grove Cemetery, alongside his business partner, James Gamble.

James Gamble (1803-1891) was a U.S.-based Irish soapmaker and industrialist. He was the co-founder and co-eponym of Procter & Gamble Company in 1837, along with William Procter. The future business partner of James Gamble was William Procter who married Olivia Norris, sister of Elizabeth Ann Norris. The pair's father-in-law, Alexander Norris, first suggested that the two go into business together in 1837 and consequently Procter & Gamble was born.

James Gamble was born near Enniskillen, Ireland and went to Portora Royal School. After graduating from Kenyon College in 1824 (as a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, Lambda chapter). James Gamble and Elizabeth Ann Norris Gamble bore ten children. One of whom was James Norris Gamble (born August 9, 1836 in Cincinnati, Ohio). He eventually became Vice President of Proctor & Gamble and was the chemist who devised the formula for Ivory soap. He married Margaret Penrose. James Norris Gamble died in his sleep on July 2, 1932 in Cincinnati, Ohio and is interred in Spring Grove Cemetery located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The son of James Norris Gamble, William, married Franzeska Wilhelmina (Fanny) Nast, the daughter of the Rev. William Nast, a German-American Methodist preacher. Fanny was the first woman to graduate from German Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. James Norris Gamble is interred in Spring Grove Cemetery located in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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.

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