Rare Antique Wood "The First American Railway Train" Sign Collector's Estate 38"

Description

"The First American Railway Train"
Mohawk and Hudson - Albany to Schenectady 31st July 1832
Vintage to Antique Painted Wooden Sign Approx: 38.25" L x 17.5" H
Very Rare, Maybe one of a Kind, we obtained from a Collector's Estate Sale
Depicts one of America's Earliest Railways and Steam Engines
Just Reduced from Original List Price!
We found this sign at a sign collector's estate sale.  The collector had many signs dating from as far a back as an 1800's canvas livery stable sign to vintage 1950's porcelain Gas, Auto & other signs.  It was a unique collection for sure.  This sign caught our eye for the subject matter.  Not sure of the exact age, but looks to be 1920's-1950's, but we are not 100% sure.  The painted wood is roughly 3/4" (1.25" with tacked on frame border) thick and very sturdy and is 3-4 boards smoothly glued together and is very flat and well done.
The sign looks like it was first background painted and then had an old engraved block stamping method applied and perhaps some hand applied stenciling.  We tried to capture the texture of paint in pictures.  This would have been a technique still in use earlier in 1900's, but the estate did not provide much information on sign or perhaps the family did not know where it came from.  Please review all pictures taken for your consideration.  The sign is exactly as pictured.  There are some scuffs and minor dings but still has great display quality as shown.
We searched over 20+ years of online sales information and could not find one like this or anywhere else and we are extreme researchers.  This was a very historically important train as any Google or online search will show.  It was one of the first actual railway trains in the US but there are different opinions on which was actually the first.  Anyway, it was a wood fueled steamer (hence the car carrying wood behind engine).  The steam engine was made by at the West Point Foundry and named the "DeWitt Clinton" (in honor of the former Governer of NY) for the Mohawk and Hudson Railway. The Mohawk and Hudson Railway was actually incorporated in 1826, but it took them a while to secure funding for the railway and tracks. Its name derived from the two tributaries that it hoped to connect, namely the Hudson River in Albany and the Mohawk River in Schenectady.  The initial journey for the train was credited as July 31st, 1832.  It was designed to compete with the Erie Canal route and was the first to pull actual passenger cars that were modified from old carriages.  This was considered a major event of the day as can be imagined, but the fairs were so high at the time only the very wealthy could afford the journeys. Much more can be found online.
The actual original model of this train was not preserved, but a new exact replica was commissioned for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago.  After being used for a number of years for promotional purposes, it was eventually purchased by Henry Ford in 1934 and resides in the museum today.  We read that had been used for touring after those years as well.
Based on our extensive research, we think this sign may have once been the display sign at the Henry Ford Museum or used with the train in some of it's travels.  Despite some minor wear, you can tell the sign was well crafted and made for a purpose.  We found that in the 1930's at least, there used be contests for people to build models of this train in the as we have found some of those models selling for over 00 at various auctions.  Perhaps the sign was a display from such a contest or other.
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