The Crane Watermark All Over The Map

In the index to part of the Crane archives, there's a card that says "Map Paper." There are several requests from map-makers and printers about whether Crane papers would be appropriate for maps. But I've never seen a map on Crane paper. Until just a few days ago.

A reader sent along a map of the Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad, which was proposed to connect the big city to the small town. It was chartered in 1868, but never completed. Here's part of the map:

And here's the watermark, showing the map was printed on Crane's Bond on or after 1881:

But wait, there's more. Here's a first mortgage bond from 1888:

I'm not sure about a watermark on this document, but because it was printed by the American Banknote Company in New York, it's almost certain to be Crane's paper.

But wait, there's more. My kind reader, who has quite a collection of Baltimore and Drum Point documents sent this interesting photo:

This is definitely a Crane watermark, one I hadn't seen before. It undoubtedly is a paper made in celebration of the Centennial. A gorgeous sheet!

You all know I'm a great fan of history, and I have a habit of drilling down to the details with Google. There's a lot more to this Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad. Here's a starting point of interest:

So, to learn more on this fascinating subject, just Google Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad! You never know what you'll find.