Search
- Stock Certificate, Lexington and Ohio Rail Road Company, 1835 - A number of cities invested in early railroads. Louisville, Kentucky, acquired two thousand shares of the Lexington and Ohio Rail Road Company in 1835. The railroad, authorized in 1830, was to build a line from Lexington, Kentucky, west to the Ohio River. Money was a constant problem however and only a merger in 1858 completed the line.

- December 28, 1835
- Collections - Artifact
Stock Certificate, Lexington and Ohio Rail Road Company, 1835
A number of cities invested in early railroads. Louisville, Kentucky, acquired two thousand shares of the Lexington and Ohio Rail Road Company in 1835. The railroad, authorized in 1830, was to build a line from Lexington, Kentucky, west to the Ohio River. Money was a constant problem however and only a merger in 1858 completed the line.
- Henry Ford's Private Railroad Car "Fair Lane," 1921 - By 1920, Henry and Clara Ford found it increasingly difficult to travel with any degree of privacy. They purchased a private railcar and named it <em>Fair Lane</em>. The car had four private rooms, an observation lounge, a dining room, and a fully equipped kitchen. It could accommodate eight passengers. The couple made over 400 trips using <em>Fair Lane</em> before selling the passenger car in 1942.

- June 23, 1921
- Collections - Artifact
Henry Ford's Private Railroad Car "Fair Lane," 1921
By 1920, Henry and Clara Ford found it increasingly difficult to travel with any degree of privacy. They purchased a private railcar and named it Fair Lane. The car had four private rooms, an observation lounge, a dining room, and a fully equipped kitchen. It could accommodate eight passengers. The couple made over 400 trips using Fair Lane before selling the passenger car in 1942.
- Cleveland Municipal Transit Token, 1908 - Operating and financing a streetcar business was complicated. This token from Cleveland dates from a turbulent period where a privately owned streetcar company was in the process of transferring its operations to the city, further complicated by a transit strike. For riders, the immediate effect of the merger agreement was an affordable 3-cent fare.

- 1908
- Collections - Artifact
Cleveland Municipal Transit Token, 1908
Operating and financing a streetcar business was complicated. This token from Cleveland dates from a turbulent period where a privately owned streetcar company was in the process of transferring its operations to the city, further complicated by a transit strike. For riders, the immediate effect of the merger agreement was an affordable 3-cent fare.
- Diesel Locomotive in North Yard, Ford Rouge Plant, September 1937 - Some 100 miles of railroad track covered the grounds of Ford Motor Company's Rouge plant. The automaker maintained its own fleet of locomotives to move incoming railcars loaded with raw materials, and outgoing railcars filled with finished parts and automobiles, around the complex. Additionally, specialized tank cars ferried molten iron from the factory's blast furnaces to its foundry.

- September 20, 1937
- Collections - Artifact
Diesel Locomotive in North Yard, Ford Rouge Plant, September 1937
Some 100 miles of railroad track covered the grounds of Ford Motor Company's Rouge plant. The automaker maintained its own fleet of locomotives to move incoming railcars loaded with raw materials, and outgoing railcars filled with finished parts and automobiles, around the complex. Additionally, specialized tank cars ferried molten iron from the factory's blast furnaces to its foundry.
- Diesel Locomotives at the Ford Rouge Plant, November 1937 - Some 100 miles of railroad track covered the grounds of Ford Motor Company's Rouge plant. The automaker maintained its own fleet of locomotives to move incoming railcars loaded with raw materials, and outgoing railcars filled with finished parts and automobiles, around the complex. Additionally, specialized tank cars ferried molten iron from the factory's blast furnaces to its foundry.

- November 10, 1937
- Collections - Artifact
Diesel Locomotives at the Ford Rouge Plant, November 1937
Some 100 miles of railroad track covered the grounds of Ford Motor Company's Rouge plant. The automaker maintained its own fleet of locomotives to move incoming railcars loaded with raw materials, and outgoing railcars filled with finished parts and automobiles, around the complex. Additionally, specialized tank cars ferried molten iron from the factory's blast furnaces to its foundry.
- Diesel Locomotives at the Ford Rouge Plant, March 1938 - Some 100 miles of railroad track covered the grounds of Ford Motor Company's Rouge plant. The automaker maintained its own fleet of locomotives to move incoming railcars loaded with raw materials, and outgoing railcars filled with finished parts and automobiles, around the complex. Additionally, specialized tank cars ferried molten iron from the factory's blast furnaces to its foundry.

- March 09, 1938
- Collections - Artifact
Diesel Locomotives at the Ford Rouge Plant, March 1938
Some 100 miles of railroad track covered the grounds of Ford Motor Company's Rouge plant. The automaker maintained its own fleet of locomotives to move incoming railcars loaded with raw materials, and outgoing railcars filled with finished parts and automobiles, around the complex. Additionally, specialized tank cars ferried molten iron from the factory's blast furnaces to its foundry.
- Alexander Hamilton's Arguments against Federal Subscription of Stock in the Proposed Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, circa 1803 -

- circa 1803
- Collections - Artifact
Alexander Hamilton's Arguments against Federal Subscription of Stock in the Proposed Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, circa 1803
- Coin Changer Used on Montgomery City Bus Lines, circa 1955 - This coin (money) changer was used in the 1950s by a driver for the Montgomery (Alabama) City Bus Lines. While riding a Montgomery bus in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, leading to a widespread bus boycott by African Americans.

- circa 1955
- Collections - Artifact
Coin Changer Used on Montgomery City Bus Lines, circa 1955
This coin (money) changer was used in the 1950s by a driver for the Montgomery (Alabama) City Bus Lines. While riding a Montgomery bus in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, leading to a widespread bus boycott by African Americans.
- American Locomotive Company Steam Locomotive, 1902 - The American Locomotive Company of Schenectady, New York, built this locomotive in 1902. It is a 4-4-2 Atlantic type, with four leading wheels, four driving wheels, and two trailing wheels. The Atlantic was designed to pull light wooden passenger cars at high speeds. This locomotive operated on the Michigan Central Railroad's Detroit-Chicago line until heavier steel cars made it obsolete.

- 1902
- Collections - Artifact
American Locomotive Company Steam Locomotive, 1902
The American Locomotive Company of Schenectady, New York, built this locomotive in 1902. It is a 4-4-2 Atlantic type, with four leading wheels, four driving wheels, and two trailing wheels. The Atlantic was designed to pull light wooden passenger cars at high speeds. This locomotive operated on the Michigan Central Railroad's Detroit-Chicago line until heavier steel cars made it obsolete.
- Interior of Interlocking Tower on the D.T. & I. Railroad, Detroit, Michigan, July 1926 - The operator stationed in this Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad building would have kept busy. This interlocking tower protected the crossing of a DT&I branch with the Detroit United Railway's streetcar line on Jefferson Avenue. The tower operator likely was responsible for activating the railroad crossing gates as well.

- July 02, 1926
- Collections - Artifact
Interior of Interlocking Tower on the D.T. & I. Railroad, Detroit, Michigan, July 1926
The operator stationed in this Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad building would have kept busy. This interlocking tower protected the crossing of a DT&I branch with the Detroit United Railway's streetcar line on Jefferson Avenue. The tower operator likely was responsible for activating the railroad crossing gates as well.