Wilmington & Raleigh Railroad, August 9, 1851. The railroad was first proposed in 1833 but was not supported by the state legislature. In 1840, the line was completed from Wilmington to Weldon, NC. This cover has an 1851 issue Scott #10 tied by a six-bar grid cancel. The postmark is a Towle 305-I-1. The cover originated in Charleston, SC where it was carried by steamship to Wilmington, NC and placed on the RR to New York.
