INFLUENCE OF NINETEENTH AND EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY RAILROAD ACCOUNTING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN ACCOUNTING THEORY*

Abstract

This article is concerned with the problems of nineteenth century railroad asset valuation. The article presents some legal reasons for the early use of depreciation and continues with specific illustrations of railroad financial statements in the 1840s. The article concludes by stating that many of the basic concepts of accounting theory such as disclosure, matching measurement of cash flow had origins in railroad accounting.