200 Years of U.S. Railroads

by Jessica Kosinski

The United States as we know it today was practically built on railroad travel. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) was the country’s first major railway. It was chartered in 1827. By the mid-1830s, it had switched from horse-drawn cars to steam engines and was constantly transporting both goods and passengers. However, it was not the first railroad line in the U.S. That title goes to the Granite Railway, which was chartered in my home state of Massachusetts 200 years ago, in 1826.

As someone who grew up with a grandfather who had a constant eye for a bargain and a mom who owned an antiques shop in New Hampshire for 19 years, I love the thrill of the hunt. Whether I’m in an antiques shop or at a yard sale, I never know what I’ll find. In my experience, there are the bright, shiny, flashy antiques. Then there are the antiques that tell great stories. I definitely gravitate more toward those that tell the great stories, and the Granite Railway’s
story is definitely a great one. With that in mind, let’s take a peek at its history, its modern day legacy, and the importance of the general preservation of railroad collectibles.

The Birth of the Granite Railway
The Granite Railway ran from Quincy, Massachusetts, to the banks of the Neponset River in the town of Milton. It was needed because Quincy was home to several granite quarries, but there was no easy way to move the granite. The Granite Railway allowed the easier movement and shipment of it. A lot of the granite made its way to Boston. In fact, some was used when the Bunker Hill Monument was built.

Of course, granite could be transported in horse-drawn wagons at the time, but that was slower. It was also harder, especially depending on the terrain and the weather. There was also an efficiency issue because only so much granite could fit in a wagon at a time. The whole process was streamlined after the railway was installed.

In the early days, despite the streamlined process, it didn’t involve railway cars like we think of today. It consisted of wooden rails capped with iron plating and specially designed railcars. The cars were still pulled along by horses, but the cart designs and the rail design made the process easier. It was the start of guided rail transport, which also helped limit problems with traveling over uneven or difficult terrain.

The Granite Railway’s Impact
The Granite Railway was relatively short and simplistic compared to some of the major railways that came after it. It didn’t even transport passengers originally. However, it still had a huge impact. It was a relatively minor railway at the time, but it was major in the sense that it proved a point. Railways could work in U.S. cities and towns. Not only could they work, but they could be beneficial in many ways that were not even considered yet at the time.

The Granite Railway’s success opened the doors for other railways to suddenly start popping up everywhere. By the time the 1830s and ‘40s rolled around, steam engines were steaming along all over the place. They were providing transportation bridges of sorts between major cities that would otherwise feel isolated.

Imagine, for example, trying to travel from Boston to the American West at a time before trains. That’s a journey that would’ve taken weeks by wagon. Trains cut that travel time drastically. That meant people, mail, and goods could be moved quickly. It helped industrial expansion and also helped families that were spread across the country stay more connected to each other. None of that would have been possible without the establishment of the first railway in the country.

The Local Appeal of the Granite Railway
For those of us who live in Massachusetts, the Granite Railway has a lot of local historical appeal. It’s a piece of history in our own neck of the woods. In fact, the city of Quincy, still called “Granite City” by some, has worked hard to preserve the legacy of the Railway and the quarries. The Quincy Quarries Reservation preserves portions of the historic quarry landscape, including sections of the Granite Railway. Visitors can still see parts of the original railway tracks today.

Any early railroad tool or item found in Massachusetts attics, antiques shops, or flea market stalls could potentially have come from the Granite Railway. That makes those items potentially meaningful to residents of Quincy and the surrounding area, especially. The challenge is that most items related to the railway were not clearly marked, so it can be hard to identify them.

The only thing that is certain is that all railroad items are connected to some part of this country’s 200 years of railroad history. That means they are all symbols of an incredibly important change in cross-country communication and transportation. They are also subtle examples of how creative and resourceful Americans were 200 years ago.

From Industry to Innovation
Speaking of creativity and resourcefulness, relics from the Granite Railway are also impressive due to the massive changes that took place in the railway industry in a short time period. One moment horse-drawn railway cars were pulled down tracks. Then, within a few decades, steam engines were barreling along. There was also a major switch from industrial use only to passenger transportation along with the transportation of goods and building materials.

As far as human transportation went, the railroads definitely became almost mythical in nature. Everyone wanted to ride on a train. Doing so was a symbol of luxury for many travelers, especially when luxury railway cars and elaborate train stations became popular. None of that would have happened without the Granite Railway and similar small railway lines.

Remnants of the Granite Railway
Collecting artifacts from the Granite Railway can be more difficult than collecting railroad memorabilia from larger, flashier railroad lines like the B&O or Pennsylvania Railroad. If you’re looking to collect advertising posters, for instance, you will want to focus on other railway lines that produced those. The Granite Railway artifacts consist more of iron fittings, bolts, and spikes. You might also find related tools that were used in the granite quarries of Quincy like hammers and chisels.

If you are more interested in items that clearly advertise the Granite Railway, focus on paper artifacts. There may not be flashy posters, but many maps were made. There were also engineering drawings, contracts, and more you might be able to find. The other great option is looking for local historical items from the Quincy area that may be connected to the railroad like pictures and prints.

The most important thing to remember when looking for these items is they were never meant to be collectibles. Those who created the railroad were just trying to move some granite faster, not cater to antiques enthusiasts. Since items were all made to be used and were often damaged, you shouldn’t focus too much on looking for perfect condition when you are collecting them. In fact, damage is often a plus because it helps prove authenticity.

Collecting Early Railroad Artifacts
The puzzle of collecting early railroad artifacts from any railroad can be a challenge. Not everything had clear markings. Items were not always meant to survive for one or two centuries. Many of them were considered disposable. Labeling them wasn’t considered a high priority.

Provenance is one of the easiest ways to identify those items.

Value goes up if the history of an item can be verified. Usually that involves a clear paper trail or some sort of other historical proof. For example, maybe an item might appear in a photograph taken of a specific railroad line.

Materials can also give you hints about the age of items. Usually, early iron items associated with the railroad were hand-forged. Hand-forged early iron is often heavy. It also usually shows signs of hammer marks from the forging process.

If you want to collect authentic items from the Granite Railway or any railroad at all, you have to do a fair amount of research. Teach yourself about wear patterns, construction processes, and commonly used materials. You can do that by checking local historical society and library records. Museums are also excellent sources of information. It can be a challenge, but if you are successful you can enjoy a great look back at American railroad history and do your part to help preserve it.

Displaying Your Railroad Collection
Finding Granite Railway artifacts or any other railroad collections is only one half of the challenge. The other half is displaying them well. Many of them look like old, dirty, used tools. They are not always the types of shiny collectibles people tend to decorate their homes with. You can get around that issue in several ways. Here are some ideas:

• Mix and match collectibles with historical photos.
• Use descriptive labels to explain what each item is.
• Set the mood by keeping your collection in a room with stone or wooden features.
• Make shadow box arrangements to protect and display your collectibles at the same time.

Those are only some ideas. You can display your collection in any way you want. The only thing to keep in mind is that you can more easily share your railroad collecting hobby with friends and family members if you can get them interested in it, so don’t be afraid to get creative.

Preserving Railroad History Through Collecting
Two hundred years ago, the railway system caused a transportation revolution in this country, and it all started here in Massachusetts.

The Granite Railway was never meant to inspire luxury transportation. It was only meant to solve a simple granite transportation issue. Nevertheless, it kicked off a massive change in both travel and commerce across the United States. If you are specifically interested in collecting Granite Railway memorabilia, you are a key component of making sure that important story survives to be told to the railroad and history enthusiasts of the future.

As for collectibles from other U.S. railroads, they are just as important. From lanterns to conductors’ pocket watches, they tell their own stories. Imagine the images they saw of mail being loaded and goods being traded. Then there are the passengers, whether traveling for business or family-related reasons. Each of them had their own unique tales to tell, and railroad memorabilia almost keeps those tales alive in its own way.

The history of the railroad wasn’t always pretty, and neither is every single railroad-related collectible. Some can be downright beat up looking. That’s why many wind up hidden away
in back corners of antiques shops, attics, or basements. As we celebrate 200 years of railroad history, remember that and keep your eyes peeled. You never know what railroad-related gems you might find in the strangest of places.

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Jessica Kosinski has been a freelance researcher and writer since 2001. She developed a passion for pre-1990s television and films as a child and she has never grown out of it. Recently, she turned that passion into a retro TV and film blog. Follow along with her at https://medium.com/@jkos_writing, as she dives deep into the characters, actors, quirks, and trivia that brought us some of the greatest films and shows in TV history and also discusses some of the more obscure films and shows most of us may have forgotten.