Westinghouse Air Brake Company

  Product Details Westinghouse Air Brake Company Certificate TypeCommon StockDate IssuedAugust 5, 1952CanceledYesPrinterSecurity Bank Note CompanySignaturesMachine printedApproximate Size12" (w) by 8" (h)Additional DetailsNA Historical Context The Westinghouse Air Brake Company was established by George Westinghouse in 1869. In 1889, the air brake plant was moved to Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, a small farming town located 14 miles outside of Pittsburgh. At the time, Wilmerding was only inhabited by about 5,000 people. Socialism was strong in Wilmerding, and it was thought to be “The Ideal Town” for the company because of its location immediately adjacent to the Pennsylvania Railroad and its mainly blue-collar inhabitants. In the 1890s, the Westinghouse employed 3,000 citizens from the surrounding Pittsburgh area, but the bulk of its workforce consisted of the firm's employees lived in the vicinity of Wilmerding.Wilmerding developed rapidly around this new and growing company, and