Starting the Subway
The construction of the New York City Subway began on March 24th, 1900, when Mayor Van Wyck, dug the first shovel of dirt in front of the City Hall. This day was known as, "Tunnel Day", and all of New York City gathered to see this event that made history. Then in 1904, the subway finally opened in New York City.
The First Subway
The first subway in the world opened in London in 1863, but the New York subway was the first subway in the world with a fully associated express and a local system. It was the first subway system in the United States. The New York Subway became a world pacesetter because of its size and technology. It was also commonly referred to as the "tunneler," the "tube," the "underground," or the "electric railroad."
The Subway Companies
The first subway company was the Interborough Rapid Transit Subway, or the IRT. Two other companies were the IND (the Independant), and the BMT (Brooklin Manhattan Transit Corporation). These companies were in competition until 1913, when the BMT and the IRT worked on the Dual Contracts. The Dual Contracts was a construction project for the city.