USA STAMPS
1944

Scott 922
TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD ISSUE

Issued 10th May 1944 on unwatermarked paper, printed rotary press and perf 11:10½.

This stamp commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The world's First Transcontinental Railroad was built between 1863 and 1869 to join the eastern and western halves of the United States. Begun just before the American Civil War, its construction was considered to be one of the greatest American technological feats of the 19th century. Known as the "Pacific Railroad" when it opened, this served as a vital link for trade, commerce, and travel and opened up vast regions of the North American heartland for settlement. Shipping and commerce could thrive away from navigable watercourses for the first time since the beginning of the nation.