In 1839, Alvin Adams, a produce merchant ruined by the Panic of 1837, began carrying letters, small packages and valuables for patrons between Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts. He had at first a partner named Burke, who soon withdrew, and as Adams: & Company, Adams rapidly extended his territory to New York City, Philadelphia and other eastern cities. By 1847, he had penetrated deeply into the South, and by 1850 he was shipping by rail and stagecoach to St. Louis. In 1854, the company was reorganized as the Adams Express Company. Meanwhile, a subsidiary concern, Adams & Company of California, had been organized in 1850 and spread its service all over the Pacific Coast; but not being under Adams' personal management, it was badly handled, and failed in 1854, causing a panic which shook California to its depths. 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Alvin Adams (June 16, 1804 – September 2, 1877) was the founder of Adams and Company, a forerunner to Adams Express, one of the first companies to act as a carrier for express shipments by rail in the United States. ... 1840 Whig campaign poster blames Van Buren for hard times The Panic of 1837 was an economic depression, one of the most severe financial crises in the history of the United States. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ...   Nickname: The Heart of the Commonwealth, The City of the Seven Hills, Wormtown Settled: 1673 â€“ Incorporated: 1684 Zip Code(s): 01608 â€“ Area Code(s): 508 / 774 Official website: http://www. ... New York, NY redirects here. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Cradle of Liberty, the City That Loves You Back, the Quaker City, The Birthplace of America Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Government... A compass rose with South highlighted South is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. ... Stagecoach in Switzerland A stagecoach is a type of four-wheeled enclosed passenger and/or mail coach, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, widely used before the introduction of railway transport. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Pacific Coast is any coast fronting the Pacific Ocean. ...

The South was almost entirely covered by the Adams express service in 1861, when the American Civil War necessitated the splitting off of another company, which, for politic reasons, was given the name of Southern. There was a mysterious kinship between the two ever afterward, they having joint offices at common points. Southern stock was never quoted in the market, and it was even charged by some Adams stockholders that the Southern was secretly owned by the Adams. This article is becoming very long. ...

The parent company held a strong position from New England and the mid-Atlantic coast to the far Western plains. Its stock holdings were enormous. In 1910, it was the second largest stockholder in the Pennsylvania Railroad and the third largest in the New Haven Railroad, besides owning large blocks of American Express, Norfolk and Western Railroad and other shares. Its antebellum employment of Allan Pinkerton to solve its robbery problems was a large factor in building up the noted Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Along with the other expresses, it merged its shipping interests into the American Railway Express Company, which later became the Railway Express Agency. A holding company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... 1893 map The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark PRR) was an American railroad that was founded in 1846 and merged in 1968 into Penn Central Transportation. ... The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (AAR reporting mark: NH) was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States. ... American Express (NYSE: AXP), sometimes known as Amex, is a diversified global financial services company, headquartered in New York City. ... Norfolk and Western Railway (AAR reporting mark: NW), a US class 1 railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. ... Antebellum is a Latin word meaning before war(ante means before and bellum is war). ... This article does not adequately cite its references. ... Pinkerton guards escort strikebreakers in Buchtel, Ohio, 1884 The Pinkerton National Detective Agency is a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. ... The Railway Express Agency was a rail express service, at one point the only one in the United States. ...

Adams Express continued its corporate existence as a wealthy investment trust. It has been a closed-end fund since 1929. As of 2006, it has paid a dividend every year for 71 years. A closed-end fund is a collective investment scheme with a limited number of shares. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Dictionary of American History by James Truslow Adams, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940

James Truslow Adams (1878 - 1949) was a U.S. historian. ...

External links

• Adams Express Company