Granite Railway Begins Operations

On July 3, 1826, the Granite Railway in Massachusetts commenced operations as America's first railroad to receive a state charter. Engineered by Gridley Bryant, it used horse-drawn cars on wooden rails to transport massive granite blocks for the Bunker Hill Monument. This pioneering effort overcame steep grades with innovative inclined planes and demonstrated the viability of rail transport for heavy industry, inspiring later developments in American railroading and setting standards for track construction.