remarkable american depression era heavily reinforced industrial chicago "money department" steel and iron strongbox designed and fabricated specifically for the railway express agency. the exceptionally well-built all-welded joint steel railroad strong box has a nicely aged surface patina with original yellow paint stenciled lettering partially intact. the opposed wrought iron ring drop handles are fully functional. the thick hinged steel cabinet door retains the original pivoting iron drop handle with lightly incised number identification. the bronze keyplate or escutcheon is mounted tightly in place. the largely concealed barrel hinges remain in excellent working condition. spacious single compartment with original gray paint finish. the exact fabricator is not known. the railway express agency was a national monopoly set up by the united states federal government in 1917. rail express services provided small package and parcel transportation using the extant railroad infrastructure. the united states government was concerned about the rapid, safe movement of parcels, money, and goods during world war i. the first railway express agency in the united states is generally considered to have been started by william harriden, who in 1839 began regular trips between new york city and boston, massachusetts as a courier transporting small parcels, currency and other valuables. william g. fargo, a new york central freight clerk at auburn, n.y., and henry wells, a leather worker at batavia, n.y., organized wells fargo & co. in 1853. other railway express pioneers include henry b. plant, who formed southern express company, alvin adams who founded adams express company, and john warren butterfield. the express business flourished in the latter half of the 19th century, and by 1900 there were four principal railway express companies: adams express company, southern express company, american express company, and wells fargo. in 1913 the u.s. post office introduced its parcel post service, which offered major competition for the express companies. despite this, private railway express business increased steadily through the end of world war i. during world war i, the united states railway administration took over the nation's railroads and the four major and three minor express companies were consolidated as american railway express, inc. in march 1929, the assets and operations of american railway express inc. were transferred to railway express agency, which was owned by 86 railroads in proportion to the express traffic on their lines - no one railroad or group of railroads had control of the agency.