St. Louis, Alton and Terre Haute Railroad Co. - 1870's dated Railway Stock Certificate with Orange Revenue

Stock printed by Henry Seibert & Bro. Great border! Large imprinted revenue! This railroad was in operation from 1862 until 1904, after which its rail lines were integrated into the Illinois Central Railroad. The Illinois Central Railroad, designated by the reporting mark IC and often referred to as the Main Line of Mid-America, was a significant railway in the Central United States. Its main routes linked Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, effectively connecting the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, a line was established to connect Chicago to Sioux City, Iowa, in 1870, while smaller branches extended to Omaha, Nebraska, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1899, and to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from Cherokee, Iowa, in 1877. The Illinois Central also provided service to Miami, Florida, utilizing tracks owned by other railroads.

 Founded in 1851, the Illinois Central Railroad was a pioneer in financing methods that were later adopted by various long-distance railroads in the United States, with construction partially funded through federal land grants. In 1988, control of the Illinois Central was acquired by the Canadian National Railway through the Grand Trunk Corporation, and its operations were fully absorbed the following year. The Illinois Central Railroad continues to exist as a non-operating subsidiary. In 1971, Steve Goodman released the folk anthem "City of New Orleans," which reflects on the experience of traveling on the Illinois Central's "Monday-morning rail" train and the decline of passenger rail service in the United States, which once played a dominant role in travel.