Unissued Stock, Four Great vignettes, Lith by A. Hoen & Co., Baltimore. The North Western Virginia Railroad was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly as the Northwestern Virginia Railroad on February 14, 1851 in order to build track from Grafton, West Virginia to Parkersburg, West Virginia. Future statehood advocate and U.S. Senator Peter G. Van Winkle of Parkersburg began as the Northwestern Railroad's secretary in 1852 and served as its President through the American Civil War. This railroad becomes the Parkersburg Branch Railroad in 1865 and is listed as such in Poor's Manual of Railroads; the entire issue of preferred Stock owned by Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Contracts dated July 18, 1864 according to Poor's Manual of Railroads indicate the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bought out the interest of Baltimore City Northwestern Virginia bonds. Mileage: 103 to 104 depending on edition of Poor's; in 1883-1884 Poor's including Ohio River bridge 105.4 miles Net earnings for Northwestern Virginia; 1861: $40,610 1862: $97,357 1863: $42,126 1864: $127,035 1865: $49,012 1865 Parkersburg Branch earnings: $91,889. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Western_Virginia_Railroad Item ordered may not be exact piece shown. All original and authentic.