1876 Springfield & New London Railroad Voucher & Legal ALS re: Jury Award
$ 23.76
Description
1876 Springfield & New London Railroad Voucher & Legal ALS re: Jury Award. Construction began in the early 1870s but faced financial struggles and disputes over land acquisitions, as evidenced by this very voucher. 8" x 10 3/4". Document Summary Railroad: Springfield & New London Railroad Company Office: Springfield, Massachusetts Department: Construction & Equipment – Land Damages Account Date: July 15, 1876 Recipient / Payee: Samuel H. Ellis Voucher No.: 57 (also marked No. 90 on cover fold) Amount: $896.62 Purpose: “Amount of award by jury in favor of S. H. Ellis, and legal expenses & interest, total $896.62.” Signatories: Ephraim W. Bond, Treasurer H. C. Lord, (likely an approving officer or company president) Henry Fuller (possibly engineer or auditor) Gordon Bill, President (signature also visible) Handwritten note: Mentions “Land damages in favor of S. H. Ellis on his petition – Springfield July 15, 1876” with reference to a jury award and legal expenses. Historical Context The Springfield & New London Railroad was incorporated in 1869 to connect Springfield, Massachusetts with New London, Connecticut, creating a north–south link through the Connecticut River Valley. Construction began in the early 1870s but faced financial struggles and disputes over land acquisitions, as evidenced by this very voucher. By 1876, much of the line’s grading and right-of-way acquisition were underway, and payments like this one — for “land damages” — were issued to property owners (in this case, Samuel H. Ellis) whose land was appropriated or affected by the railroad’s route. Such vouchers were formal internal receipts confirming that the company treasurer had settled a court-ordered or arbitrated amount, with approval from the chief engineer and president. The line eventually became part of the New York & New England Railroad, and later the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, one of the region’s major rail systems. 💡 Significance Dated 1876 — Centennial-era railroad construction accounting document. Detailed signatures and departmental headings, including Construction & Equipment / Land Damages Account. Large format, with folding cover marked “Springfield & New London Rail Road Company, Office Springfield, Mass.” Connects to real land condemnation and compensation cases, offering legal and economic insight into 19th-century railroad expansion. Samuel H. Ellis appears to have been a Massachusetts property owner affected by the route; his case involved a jury award — meaning it likely went through a formal court process under eminent domain provisions. Offered as found: ALS adhesive affixed along the left edge of the voucher. The larger sheet measures approx. 8" x 10 3/4" **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
