FACTBOX: A brief history of Lehman Brothers

(Reuters) - U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers has seen its shares shed three-quarters of their value this week as it announced a record $3.9 billion loss and a restructuring plan. The bank faces the prospect of being acquired by rivals, raising the specter of an end to its 158-year history.

Here is a brief history of the company:

1844

Henry Lehman, an immigrant from Germany, opens a small dry goods store in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1844.

1850

Henry is joined by brothers Emanuel and Mayer and they name the business Lehman Brothers.

1858

The Lehmans -- who take cotton from farmers to settle accounts and trade the cotton for money and merchandise -- open a New York office.

1860s

After the Civil War, they move to New York and establish the New York Cotton Exchange.

1887

Become members of the New York Stock Exchange

1889

Lehman underwrites its first public offering, for the International Steam Pump Company.

1929

The Lehman Corporation is created, a closed-end investment company.