Thomas Durant isn't just one of Hell on Wheels' most compelling characters -- he was actually a fascinating real-life player in the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. Click through to see a gallery of images provided by the University of Iowa Libraries Levi Leonard Papers. Images include a shot of the stock that made Durant famous and a receipt for extravagant purchases at Tiffany's.

To see more artifacts from the Hell on Wheels era, check out the University of Iowa Libraries Levi Leonard Papers.