The 1836 advertisement below illustrates one of the impacts of the building of the New York and Erie Railroad, and most railroads, – land speculation. People realized that having access to the railroad would allow them to ship raw materials like timber to new markets. Towns along the potential route of the railroad lobbied and promised to purchase stock on the railroad if it went through their town. Individuals purchased land with the expectation that they could sell it later to others at a much higher price.
