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Had Richard Respess realized his dream shortly after the turn of the 20th century, there might not be an Army installation where Fort Meade stands today. Respess wanted to start a city between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., on part of the land where the fort now sits. "'It would not be a suburb of either (Baltimore or Washington),' he said, 'but rather a community of separate colonies grouped with respect to ethnic origins, each governing themselves by appointed representatives,'" according to a 1967 Soundoff! article written by John E. Merriken. Brush was cleared and a few small buildings erected, but the idea never took off.
This certificate has the very unusual Richard Respess backward and forward name logo and a vignette of a ship in a busy harbor with a train and a horse drawn cart. Respess has signed the certificate three times: twice on the front as owner and president and once on the back. Large attached gold seal. This is certificate number 7. Issued uncancelled. Never seen before. Extremely rare. Dated 1906, fine, printed in Baltimore.
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