On October 7, 1826, the Granite Railway near Quincy, Massachusetts, began operation as one of the earliest chartered railways in the United States. The line was built to move granite from quarries to a nearby river for shipment to Boston. It used horse-drawn cars on iron-topped wooden rails, showing how rail technology was beginning to spread. The project supported the construction of important buildings, including the Bunker Hill Monument. It also demonstrated the economic value of rail transport compared to road hauling. The railway foreshadowed the rapid growth of the railroad network that would follow in later decades.
