"[Northern Pacific Railroad Route]", Railroad Companies, (Various)

This map shows the proposed route of the Northern Pacific Railroad between Duluth and Seattle with spurs to Bellingham, and south to Portland. The rail line splits in Montana near Gallatin, one route roughly following the Columbia River, the northern route going through Coeur d' Alene. Another line goes between St. Paul and Pembina at the border with Canada. On the other side is the advertising broadsheet titled "New 7-30 Gold Loan of the Northern Pacific Railroad Co. Secured by First Mortgage on Railroad and Land Grant. Safe! Profitable! Permanent!...For Sale by Jay Cooke & Co." Cooke, the famous Civil War financier, and his private banking firm financed the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad beginning in 1870, but the Panic of 1873 forced him into bankruptcy and suspended operations. This broadsheet describes the progress of the railroad and is a hard sell to attract investors and settlers. Cooke even planned to establish his own Department of Emigration to facilitate the "rapid sale and settlement of its lands." The complete story of the Northern Pacific Railroad is fascinating. Read more here. A remarkable and scarce broadsheet.

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Condition: A

The map and paper are very nice. Due to the thin broadsheet paper there is some show-through on both sides, as expected.