THE VALLEY ROAD (ILLUSTRATED): A HISTORY OF THE TRAFFIC ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA, THE LEAGUE OF PROGRESS, THE NORTH AMERICAN NAVIGATION COMPANY, THE MERCHANTS' SHIPPING ASSOCIATION, AND THE SAN FRANCISCO AND SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY RAILWAY by Wheeler, Arthur - 1896

San Francisco: Wheeler Publishing Co., 1896. First edition . Hardcover. Very Good. Extended title reads, "With Portraits of Representative Men that Advocate California's Progress and Industrial Suprmacy." A history of the development of competing transportation to the giant Southern Pacific Railroad. Photographs taken by Tabor of San Francisco and Spooner of Stockton. 224 pages, the majority of which pertain to the SF & SJV RW, with listing of subscribers and stockholders [with number of shares purchased], maps and contents pages. Numerous photographs of stockholders, subscribers, and officers, and scenes along the San Juaquin Valley. The San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railway existed from 1895 to 1901 when it was incorporated into the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. Bound in original three quarter brown leather over brown cloth boards, with lettering and rule in gilt. All text block edges in gilt. Marbled endpapers. Name stamp and owner's signature on the preliminary page. Name stamp on the top of several pages. Mild damp stain to the lower portion of the covers, pages not affected. A very good copy.