1858 Housatonic Railroad / Charles Hunt $100 Cash Payment Receipt Bridgeport, CT
$ 12.14
Description
1858 Housatonic Railroad / Charles Hunt $100 Cash Payment Receipt Bridgeport, CT. Hunt Reverse: 1858 Chas. Hunt Recpt. Document Summary Date: October 16, 1858 Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut Payee: Charles Hunt Payer: Housatonic Rail Road Company Amount: $100.00 Type: Handwritten receipt for cash payment Medium: Ink on wove paper with faint patterned watermarked background (security-style sheet) Dimensions: Approx. 2 1/2" × 5" Condition: Light toning and fold, ink crisp and legible 📜 Full Transcription $100. Rec’d Bridgeport, Oct. 16, 1858 from the Housatonic Rail Road Company One Hundred Dollars in acct. Chas. Hunt Reverse: 1858 Chas. Hunt Recpt. $100 ⚙️ Context and Significance This 1858 receipt reflects a cash payment transaction by the Housatonic Rail Road Company — a regional line headquartered in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and operating north through the Housatonic Valley into Massachusetts. At the time, the Housatonic was in its third decade of service (having opened in the 1840s) and was engaged in track expansion, locomotive procurement, and freight contracts. Payments like this were typically made to local suppliers or labor contractors, possibly for grading, timber, or materials related to maintenance-of-way operations. Charles Hunt (the signatory) was likely a local tradesman or merchant associated with the railroad’s Bridgeport facilities or mechanical shops. 🧠 Historical Insight By 1858, the Housatonic Rail Road had already become a critical freight and passenger link between Connecticut’s industrial coast and the interior markets of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. This document predates the widespread use of printed company vouchers, offering an authentic glimpse into early railroad bookkeeping practices when all receipts were written by hand. It measures approx. 2 1/2" x 5" **Shipped securely inside a poly sleeve sandwiched in cardboard, inside a rigid mailer via USPS Ground Advantage service w/ tracking** Click HERE to see postcards I have available. Click HERE to see transit and trade tokens I have available. Click HERE to see billheads I have available. Click HERE to see letterheads I have available. For U.S. based orders, the shipping cost for the first purchase is $4.00 and no extra cost for additional similar items such as billheads, letterheads, tickets, patches, post cards, trade cards, stock certificates that can safely be shipped in the same package. I have over 58,000 unique items here on eBay - Click HERE to visit my store & save with combined shipping for multiple buys. For U.S. orders on a PC, use the "add to cart" feature to select multiple items before paying. If the cart does not combine shipping costs, I will refund excess fees as I pack your order the following morning. I have enjoyed buying and selling vintage collectibles for over 40 years. Unless noted otherwise, all items I offer are original and not reproductions. Please review photos for condition issues (if any) as they are part of the description, and contact me with questions before bidding or buying. All items are securely packed and shipped via USPS. Please rely on my 25+ yr. 10,000+ 99.9% feedback rating as a guide to your buying decision. I hope all is well with you and your family — thanks for stopping by! – Jerry
