Oct 27, 2014

The first subway line, which connected City Hall with Harlem, opened on Oct. 27, 1904. That four-track line ran under Park Avenue South to Grand Central, across 42nd Street to Times Square, and up Broadway to 145th Street.

“The subway system has come a long way since that fall day in 1904,” said New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco in a news release about the anniversary. “More than 100 years ago, you could only take the subway for that one stretch in Manhattan. Now we can get from the top of the Bronx to the beaches of Far Rockaway with just one swipe of a MetroCard. It’s remarkable how the system has evolved over the years, and we’re excited to show customers what the future will bring with the opening of Fulton Center and the 7 Line extension to the far west side on the horizon.”

Here, we dug up a collection of photos from the Library of Congress and the Detroit Publishing Company that shows the construction and early years of the New York subway system.

: City Hall station, platform and gustavino vaults. Interborough Rapid Transit Subway (Original Line), New York, New York County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: Interior view of original sash windows inside signal tower, looking southwest. Stillwell Avenue Station, Intersection of Stillwell & Surf Avenues, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: Underside of tracks showing columns, concrete-encased I-beams, and ramps near storage room, looking southwest. Stillwell Avenue Station, Intersection of Stillwell & Surf Avenues, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: Underside of Track D along Stillwell Avenue showing steel I-beams, lateral supports, and columns. Looking north. Stillwell Avenue Station, Intersection of Stillwell & Surf Avenues, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: Original ticket booth and concession booths along east wall inside station, looking southeast. Stillwell Avenue Station, Intersection of Stillwell & Surf Avenues, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: Interior of waiting room showing original ceiling, looking west. Stillwell Avenue Station, Intersection of Stillwell & Surf Avenues, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: 96th Street station, Uptown control area, Interborough Rapid Transit Subway (Original Line), New York, New York County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: 207th street station, tracks and platforms. Interborough Rapid Transit Subway, New York, NY. (Library of Congress)

: City Hall station control room, Interborough Rapid Transit Subway (Original Line), New York, New York County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: Oblique view of north and east elevations of signal tower, looking southwest. Stillwell Avenue Station, Intersection of Stillwell & Surf Avenues, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: Jackson Avenue, Bronx, elevated station. Interborough Rapid Transit Subway (Original Line), New York, New York County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: Mott Avenue Station, Interborough Rapid Transit Subway (Original Line), New York, New York County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: Mott Avenue Station, Interborough Rapid Transit Subway (Original Line), New York, New York County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: Sub-station number 17, west facade. Interborough Rapid Transit Subway (Original Line), New York, New York County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: 59th street station, Columbus Circle. Faience plaque depicting Christopher Columbis’ ship. Interborough Rapid Transit Subway (Original Line), New York, New York County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: 116th Street, Columbia University station. Platform and stairs to mezzanine. Interborough Rapid Transit Subway (Original Line), New York, New York County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: 116th Street, Columbia University station. Platform and stairs to mezzanine. Interborough Rapid Transit Subway (Original Line), New York, New York County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: In the subway, New York, N.Y., 1904. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: Concrete stairway under construction, 23rd Street subway station, New York, between 1900 and 1906. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: 28th St. subway station, New York, between 1900 and 1906. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: 28th St. subway station, New York, 1904. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: 28th St. subway station, New York, between 1900 and 1906. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: Ticket office, City Hall subway station, New York, 1904. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: City Hall subway station, New York, between 1900 and 1906 (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: Construction work, Brooklyn Bridge subway station, New York, 1904. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: Construction work, Brooklyn Bridge subway station, New York, 1904. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: 14th St. subway station, New York, 1904. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: Atlantic Avenue subway entrance, Brooklyn, N.Y., between 1910 and 1920. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: Broadway at night from Times Square, New York, N.Y., between 1900 and 1915. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: Atlantic Avenue subway entrance, Brooklyn, N.Y., between 1910 and 1920. (Detroit Publishing Company/Library of Congress)

: Aerial view of the Stillwell Avenue Station, looking west. Intersection of Stillwell & Surf Avenues, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. The Stillwell Avenue Station was built as part of a massive expansion and unification of New York City’s subway system known as the Dual System of Rapid Transit, which was one of the largest civil works projects ever undertaken and created the largest subway system in the world. The station was built by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, at that time the world’s largest and most complete city transportation system, and united four major transit lines, stimulating massive residential and commercial development of the area. The initial construction took place between 1916 and 1919 with subsqeuent work taking place in 1925. (Library of Congress)

: Aerial view of the Stillwell Avenue Station, looking northwest. Intersection of Stillwell & Surf Avenues, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. The station was built by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, at that time the world’s largest and most complete city transportation system, and united four major transit lines, stimulating massive residential and commercial development of the area. The initial construction took place between 1916 and 1919 with subsqeuent work taking place in 1925. (Library of Congress)

: Elevated view along Stillwell Avenue showing west expanse of station, looking northeast. Stillwell Avenue Station, Intersection of Stillwell & Surf Avenues, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. (Library of Congress)

: View from center platform toward signal department building along tracks, looking north. Stillwell Avenue Station, Intersection of Stillwell & Surf Avenues, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY. (Library of Congress)

Building the New York subway system, 110 years ago

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