First Stone Laid for B&O Railroad

On June 21, 1831, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad held a formal ceremony in Baltimore to lay the first stone of its main line, symbolizing the birth of the U.S. railroad industry. Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, placed the stone. The project faced immense engineering challenges, including the need for inclined planes and early steam locomotives like the Tom Thumb. This event launched a network that would connect the eastern seaboard to the Ohio River by 1853, spurring industrial growth and westward expansion. Model railroaders often recreate the early stone viaducts and horse-drawn cars that preceded steam power.