1847 New England Railroad Construction Artifact

This is an original corporate voucher from The Vermont and Massachusetts Rail Road Company, dated August 20, 1847 and issued out of Athol, Massachusetts.

This document provides exceptional primary source evidence of breakthrough heavy industrial technology and labor during the infancy of American rail building.

Historical Content

The manuscript itemization includes a direct line item for “keeping” the Steam drill Engineer. While widespread use of mechanized steam-powered rock drills is typically associated with later decades, this document proves that the railroad was deploying cutting-edge steam-drilling technology as early as the summer of 1847 to clear the tough rock cuts near Athol.

Directly above the engineer entry, the document details other expenses involved with “ keeping six horses and three men two days on June 27”, follows by the July 13 summary, which included the Steam engineer, supper & lodging for gang of Pickmen , cost of teamster and horses for 1 night. The pickmen were the heavy manual labor excavation crew tasked with swinging pickaxes to clear away the debris shattered by the steam machinery.

The voucher captures a transitional period in engineering history. Because locomotives could not yet operate on the unfinished grading, the top-tier technical teams—including a surveyor, train pilot, and locomotive engineer—had to travel the right-of-way using horse-and-buggy teams. A.C. Phillips, a local Athol livery operator, billed the corporate treasury a grand total of $24.13 to house the teams and feed the crews and other expenses for the two dates listed.

Provenance and Transcription

Company Header: The Vermont and Massachusetts Rail Road Company

To Creditor: To A. C. Phillips

Date of Transaction: Athol August 2nd 1847

Cleared Sum: Twenty four Dollars and thirteen Cents, in full of the above account

Receipt Signature: Clear original signature at the bottom by creditor A.C. Phillips

Value Factors

Manuscripts explicitly documenting pre-1850 heavy machinery or industrial breakthroughs are intensely sought after by transportation historians, institutional libraries, and national museums. Documents from the 1840s represent the absolute dawn of interstate rail systems in New England and command a premium over common post-Civil War ephemera. The handwriting remains dark and legible on clean paper with a prominent pre-printed corporate header, making it an excellent candidate for archival custom framing and museum-level display.

The item will be shipped quickly and carefully packaged for safe travels.