Beschreibung:

Lot of 8. American Express Company receipt, to Livingston, Fargo & Co. for transportation of 1 case from Chicago. Printed on blue paper and dated Nov. 29, 1855. American Express Co. receipt, listing proprietors as Livingston, Fargo & Co. and Wells, Butterfield & Co. May 6, 1856. With wonder graphics at top of steam ships and railroad. Two receipts printed for the American Express Company "At Fort Plain, NY" dated April 14, 1857 and Aug. 12, 1857 Receipt, dated March 31, 1863, from the main office in New York. Printed in red ink. Receipt, with proprietors listed as Wells, Butterfield & Co. and Livingston, Fargo & Co. Utica, Jan 2, 1858. Printed in red ink, with logo of dog (on crate, but this one focuses on the dog's face) in center and locomotive in the bar on left. Below the Loco is a list of Am. Ex. offices. Even at this early date, they reached to Cincinnati, Louisville, Detroit, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Two-sided receipt, Logansport, Indiana, 31 Dec. 1864. With orange 2-cent Internal Revenue stamps on both sides. Left side-bar with image of dog sleeping on a shipping crate. Receipt from Troy, NY, Apr. 17, 1875. Same company logo with dog on crate on left. There is always a need to move goods, short or long distance. Henry Wells founded Wells and Company and William G. Fargo was a partner in Livingston, Fargo and Company, both eastern express companies before 1850. (Fargo became Mayor of Buffalo, NY during the Civil War, besides running the company.) In 1849 John Butterfield, founder of Butterfield, Wasson & Company, suggested that competition was hurting the eastern express market, and that the three companies might benefit from merging. In 1850, they founded the American Express Company, still based in the East. Wells became its first President and Fargo its Vice President. Since the beginning of the Gold Rush in California, the eastern express companies were watching the activities out West. The Adams Express Company was operating in California virtually unchallenged. Not wanting to see Adams develop a monopoly west of the Rockies, in 1852 Wells, Fargo & Company was formed to provide express and banking services to California. In addition to freight service between New York and California, the company offered diverse service, including buying and selling gold (dust, bullion and coin). In 1855 California saw a collapse of its banking system as a result of risky speculation, with runs on all of the banks. Wells, Fargo was also forced to close its doors to prevent a run on the bank, but reopened a few days later in sound condition. It was one of the few companies to survive the crisis, and found itself nearly unchallenged for several years, enabling it to rapidly expand through the western mining areas. It developed a stagecoach business, started Butterfield Overland Mail, acquiring government contracts for mail delivery (with John Butterfield as President), and took part in the Pony Express. Because of conflict with Butterfield’s management of the mail service, Well, Fargo acquired ownership and Butterfield resigned. Over the decades the company acquired or merged with other companies, continuing to expand and develop services to the growing nation. Condition: Most very good with minor handling wear.