 |
| Under the shade of the legendary Buttonwood Tree on May 17, 1792, twenty-four shrewd brokers and merchants seal their historic two-sentence pact - the Buttonwood Agreement - giving birth to what would become the mighty New York Stock Exchange. A timeless moment of handshake finance now celebrating its rip-roaring 234th birthday, with American Originals still ringing the bell strong. Image Credit: GROK (2026) |
In the bustling heart of Lower Manhattan on a spring day in 1792, twenty-four shrewd brokers and merchants gathered near a sturdy buttonwood tree - that iconic American sycamore standing sentinel at what would become the beating pulse of global finance. With a simple two-sentence pact scratched out on May 17, they forged the Buttonwood Agreement, laying the cornerstone for what the world now celebrates as the New York Stock Exchange on its rip-roaring 234th birthday.
No grand hall, no soaring skyscrapers back then - just a handshake deal to trade securities among themselves with a fair quarter-percent commission, cutting out the chaotic curbstone speculators and bringing a dash of order to the young nation’s post-Revolutionary financial frenzy. From those humble outdoor roots under the tree (or right around it at 68 Wall Street), the pact blossomed into the New York Stock & Exchange Board in 1817 and officially roared to life as the NYSE in 1863. Today, it stands as a towering symbol of American commerce, innovation, and resilience.
 |
| Standing proud in the heart of New York’s Financial District, the iconic Charging Bull - forged in bronze by artist Arturo Di Modica and installed in 1989 - charges forward as the ultimate symbol of American financial strength, resilience, and unyielding optimism. Image Credit: Welcome To Times Square (2023) |
Fast-forward two centuries and change, and the NYSE’s “American Originals” - its longest-surviving active listings - tell an epic tale of corporate endurance through wars, panics, booms, busts, and technological revolutions. These trailblazers didn’t just survive; they thrived, merging, evolving, and ringing the opening bell across generations.
Leading the pack with unbreakable Buttonwood-era roots is the Bank of New York Mellon (founded 1784, continuously trading since 1792 - the very first stock on the exchange!). Hot on its heels come legends like JPMorgan Chase (1799 roots), DuPont de Nemours (1802), Colgate-Palmolive (1806), and utility stalwart Consolidated Edison (1823, trading as early as 1824). The roster rolls on with household names: Procter & Gamble (1837), Stanley Black & Decker (1843), Pfizer (1849), American Express (1850), Western Union (1851), Union Pacific (1862), and a powerful lineup of 20th-century titans including Caterpillar, Kimberly-Clark, General Electric, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, General Motors, and IBM.
 |
| Wall Street with the New York Stock Exchange on the right. Image Credit: Wallpapers via FB/META (2026) |
Buttonwood Rules
**(Verse 1)**
Twenty-four brokers under that sycamore shade
1792, Lower Manhattan, they made the trade
No skyscrapers, no lights, just a handshake deal
Quarter-percent commission, keep it real
Cut out the chaos on the curbstone street
Post-Revolution fever, they brought the heat
From a simple pact to the board in ‘17
Now the New York Stock Exchange is turning Two-Hundred and Thirty-Four, living the dream
**(Chorus)**
I got Buttonwood rules, I got Buttonwood rules
One: trade with the crew, never break the rules
Two: roots run deep like BNY Mellon do
Three: don’t go back to the curb, baby, we N-Y-S-E now
I got new trades, I got new trades
American Originals still ringing the bell
From DuPont to Exxon, P&G to GE
We survive every crash, every rally, you see
Buttonwood rules!
**(Verse 2)**
Fast-forward centuries, through the wars and the dips
Bank of New York Mellon still running the script
Colgate, Con Ed, Pfizer, Amex in the mix
Union Pacific rolling, IBM got the fix
Caterpillar climbing, Coca-Cola poppin’
Wall Street survivors, they never stoppin’
From buttonwood shade to digital screens so bright
Two-Hundred and Thirty-Four years strong, we own the night
**(Chorus)**
I got Buttonwood rules, I got N-Y-S-E rules
One: trade with the crew, never break the rules
Two: roots run deep like BNY Mellon do
Three: don’t go back to the curb, baby, we N-Y-S-E now
I got new trades, I got new trades
American Originals still ringing the bell
From DuPont to Exxon, P&G to GE
We survive every crash, every rally, you see
Buttonwood rules!
Happy Two-Hundred and Thirty-Fourth Birthday, N-Y-S-E
Let the opening bell keep ringing, ringing, ringing
ENDS
These enduring icons represent the ultimate Wall Street survivors — corporate athletes that have adapted, pivoted, and delivered value through every twist and turn of American history. From buttonwood shade to towering digital tickers, they embody the spirit that turned a modest brokers’ agreement into one of the planet’s most influential marketplaces.
Here’s to the NYSE on its milestone 234th lap around the sun - we, at MAXINE, wish the next two centuries deliver even more thrilling rallies, record volumes, and American Originals ready to write the next chapter!
TAGS: #NYSE234, #ButtonwoodAgreement, #AmericanOriginals, #WallStreetHistory, #BankOfNewYorkMellon, #LongestSurvivingListings, #FinancialMilestones, #MAXINE
