Boston Terminal Company bond 1897 (Massachusetts) 

Great rail history.  Nice vignette of an artists rendition of the terminal building with pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages. Fold down the center from storage. Issued and cancelled. Dated 1897 in the text. Measures approximately 13.5 by 9.5 inches.

The Boston Terminal Company is the entity formed in 1897 by several railroads to build and operate South Station, Boston's grand central rail hub, now known as the Governor Michael S. Dukakis Transportation Center. While the original company is long gone, the name also appears in archives documenting its construction and in connection to modern port facilities like the Conley Terminal, a major container port at the Port of Boston, run by Massport.

The South Station opened in 1899 at a cost of $3.6 million. The architects were Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge of Boston, and the construction was undertaken by the engineering firm of Westinghouse, Church, Kerr & Co. The station opened on January 1 for use by Old Colony Division and Midland Division trains, the latter of which had been using the Old Colony terminal since August 22, 1896 to allow for construction. B&A trains began using South Station on July 23, followed by Providence Division trains on September 10, along with the opening of Back Bay station.

It became the busiest station in New England by 1913. A stop on the Atlantic Avenue Elevated served South Station from 1901 to 1938; what is now the Red Line subway was extended from Park Street to South Station in 1913. The train shed, originally one of the largest in the world, was eliminated in a 1930 renovation due to corrosion caused by the nearby ocean's salt air.

Purpose:
To unify various railway lines entering Boston into one central station (South Station).

Members:
Included major railroads like the New Haven Railroad and Old Colony Railroad.

Legacy:
Built the iconic South Station, a landmark now serving MBTA commuter rail and other services, with ongoing expansion projects.

Product descriptions and images
Please note that some pictures may only be representative of the inventory available.  If we have more than one piece, we are unable to scan and display every piece.  Unless otherwise noted, that there are variations for signatures, cancellation marks/holes, serial number, and dates.  Colors will be as noted and pictured.