Allentown and Bethlehem Rapid Transit stock certificate 1890s (Pennsylvania)

Cool streetcar stock! Nice vignette of the Pennsylvania state seal. Unissued and not cancelled. Dated 189_ , circa 1890s from corporate records. Measures approximately 11.5 x 7 inches.   

The Allentown and Bethlehem Rapid Transit Company was a predecessor to the Lehigh Valley Transit Company, which began operations in 1891 to provide electric trolley service to the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Founded by Boston investors, it replaced earlier horse-drawn systems and eventually became part of a larger network designed to connect to New York City. The company's operations were absorbed by the Lehigh Valley Transit Company in 1905, which later was succeeded by the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) in 1972. 

In 1893, the Allentown and Lehigh Valley Traction Company was created by investor Albert Johnson through the combination of a group of local streetcar lines. In 1898, Quakertown Traction Company operated electric trolleys from Richlandtown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, through Quakertown to Perkasie. By 1900, the Inland Traction Company ran south from Perkasie to Lansdale, and the Montgomery Traction Company ran from there to Norristown.

In 1901, a newly-formed Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Traction Company under Johnson merged these lines and others in the Lehigh and Delaware Valleys with the plan of creating a trolley system to reach north to New York City. But Johnson died later that year, and the company fell into receivership in 1903. A 35-mile Allentown to the Chestnut Hill trolley service started the same year. Connection with the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company street cars at Chestnut Hill allowed riders to continue to downtown Philadelphia. In 1905, the assets of the new Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Traction Company were acquired by Lehigh Valley Transit Company. 

Lehigh Valley Transit Company started an extensive rebuilding of the Allentown to Philadelphia route. Heavy wood arch windowed interurban coaches were purchased for high-speed operation. This upgrading program culminated in a high-capacity interurban line running from Allentown to Norristown. It existed until 1951. Conversion to bus service began in 1951. Operation was converted to buses on back roads, which dissatisfied both employees and riders. With the conversion, the streetcar rails were torn up and streets repaved. In 1953 streetcar service ended.

Bus service was continued until 1971 when Lehigh Valley Transit became part of the Lehigh and Northampton Transit Authority (LANTA), a private/government partnership with Lehigh and Northampton County governments. Lehigh Valley Transit Company survived as a Pennsylvania corporation until its dissolution on March 19, 1974.

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