New York Subway Opens First Line

August 25, 1904, saw the ceremonial opening of the IRT's first subway line from City Hall to 145th Street in Manhattan. Chief engineer William Barclay Parsons oversaw construction of the 9-mile route using cut-and-cover methods amid dense urban obstacles. The line featured innovative electric multiple-unit trains built by the Jewett Car Company and rapidly carried over 100,000 passengers on opening day. It alleviated severe street congestion and set standards for underground rapid transit worldwide. The event coincided with broader Progressive Era infrastructure investments and helped shape New York's vertical growth. Today, the original stations remain integral to the world's largest subway system.