Creator
Sarah Miriam Peale
Title
Matthias William Baldwin
Date
ca. 1850-1866
Description
Matthias Baldwin was a former jewelry maker who entered the locomotive business in 1831. His firm, Baldwin Locomotive Works, struggled in the 1840s but saw significant growth in the 1860s thanks to the Civil War and post-war railroad boom. By 1880, Baldwin was the dominant steam locomotive manufacturer in the nation, building over twice as many new engines as its closest competitor.