"Tarpon Route." Unissued pass with preprinted signature of the vice president & general manager. Fantastic vignette showing tarpon jumping our the water with islands in the background. Printed by Hosford & Sons, NY. Ran between Sanford and St. Petersburg. The original Orange Belt Railway was chartered in 1885 by men seeking to build a 35-mile 3 ft gauge line from Lake Monroe (part of the St. Johns River) to Lake Apopka in Florida. They purchased $9,400 worth of crossties from Russian immigrant Peter Demens' sawmill in Longwood, and had to turn over their railroad when they were unable to pay. Demens formed the Orange Belt Investment Co., borrowed money from friends, and launched a $50,000 bond issue to complete the rail line to Oakland, east of Clermont. The first passenger train arrived in San Antonio on February 13, 1888. On January 13, 1888, the Orange Belt Railway reached Tarpon Springs; on May 1, 1888, it was completed to St. Petersburg. Sold by Demens in 1889. The railroad entered receivership in 1893 and was sold by the court right back to its owners, who reorganized it as the Sanford and St. Petersburg Railroad.Date: c.1888-93Country (if not USA): State: FloridaCity: Provenance: