William Henry Vanderbilt
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William Henry Vanderbilt was an American businessman and philanthropist. Known as "Billy," he was the eldest son of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, an heir to his fortune and a prominent member of the Vanderbilt family. Vanderbilt became the richest American after he took over his father's fortune in 1877 until his own death in 1885, passing on a substantial part of the fortune to his wife and children, particularly to his sons Cornelius II and William. He inherited nearly $100 million from his father. The fortune had doubled when he died less than nine years later.
William Henry Vanderbilt's mansion on Fifth Avenue
Share of the New York and Harlem Rail Road Company, issued 31 October 1873, signed by William Henry Vanderbilt as president
1879 cartoon depicting Vanderbilt as "The Modern Colossus of (Rail) Roads"
Canada Southern Railway
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The Canada Southern Railway, also known as CSR, was a railway in southwestern Ontario, Canada, founded on February 28, 1868 as the Erie and Niagara Extension Railway. Its name was changed to Canada Southern Railway on December 24, 1869. The 1868 Act specified that it was to be constructed at a broad gauge of 5 ft 6 in, but that requirement was repealed in the 1869 Act, thus allowing construction at the standard gauge of 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in.
Share of the Canada Southern Railway Company, issued 8 January 1912.