Caldwell Railway Company stock certificate c1890 (New Jersey)

NJ short line RR. Plain stock certificate with interesting company history.  Unissued and not cancelled. Dated 189_ but circa 1890 from company records in NJ.   Measuring approximately 9.5 x 7 inches. 

Founded in 1890, the Caldwell Railway Company ran from Little Falls to Caldwell NJ. Referred to as the Caldwell Branch, a short rail line built in the late 1800s to connect Caldwell to the main Erie Railroad system, initially backed by local investors including the Presbyterian Church for development.

The New York and Greenwood Lake, under control of the Erie RR, was incorporated November 1, 1878, under the general laws of New Jersey, for the purpose of acquiring the property, rights, and franchises of The Montclair and Greenwood Lake Railway Company. It also later acquired by purchase the property, rights, and franchises of three other companies, namely, The Roseland Railway Company, The Caldwell Railway Company, and The Wat-Chung Railway Company.

Origin:
The line started as a project to connect Caldwell (and nearby areas like West Caldwell) to the larger Erie railroad network.

Opened:
The first train ran on the six-mile branch on August 3, 1891.

Decline:
By the 1970s, it was part of Conrail but deemed unprofitable, leading to its dismantling and the removal of tracks between Great Notch and Essex Fells.

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