California Transportation Company stock certificate circa 1927 (CA steamboats)

CA steamboat collectible. Photographic vignette of one of the company's riverboats - Delta Queen.  Unissued and not cancelled. Circa 1927 from company records.  Measures approximately 11.75 x 8 inches. 

Beginning in 1927, The California Transportation Company" operated the iconic Delta King and Delta Queen steamboats in the 1920s, which served the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers.   

The California Transportation Company (CTC), led by Captain A.E. Anderson, made the ambitious decision to build two luxury steamboats, the Delta King and the Delta Queen, despite a changing transportation landscape. The company built these "million-dollar boats" to operate on the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, a lucrative route at the time. 

The Delta Queen's hull was fabricated in Scotland and shipped to Stockton, California, for final assembly in 1926. The CTC's vessels departed San Francisco and Sacramento in the evenings, carrying passengers, freight, and automobiles, and arriving early the next morning. 

The construction of the two steamboats placed a heavy financial burden on the company. The advent of automobiles and trucks, along with the Great Depression, led to a decline in the company's riverboat business. Labor union struggles also contributed to the company's difficulties. Eventually, the California Transportation Company was forced to sell its boats, leading to the end of its operations. 

Both steamers ceased service for a brief time after a new highway linking the two cities was opened in 1940. During World War II, the boats were painted drab gray and used by the United States Navy for duty in San Francisco Bay, the Delta Queen known as YFB-56, a designation for yard ferry boat. At the conclusion of the war, the boats were turned over to the U.S. Maritime Commission.

The Delta King and Delta Queen were considered monarchs of the Sacramento River, completing nearly 4,500 voyages between them. The Delta King continues to operate today as a hotel and restaurant in Old Sacramento.