National New York Central Railroad Museum

1851 Twelve men are convicted of conspiring to burn down the Michigan Central Depot in Detroit in protest over high rates and autocratic business dealings by the railroad. This event will become known as "The Great Railroad Conspiracy".

1852 The Michigan Southern Railroad (later MS&NI, LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS) reaches Chicago. The rush to beat the Michigan Central into Chicago has left a break in Michigan Southern's line between Laporte and Michigan City. Michigan Southern travelers are forced to take a stagecoach between those two cities.

January 24, 1853 The Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad Company (later LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS) opens, forming the last link in the chain of roads from Chicago to New York and Boston.

June 30, 1889 The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad (The Big Four) is formed from the merger of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railway, the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago Railway and the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railway.

1891 The "Empire State Express" goes from New York City to East Buffalo, 436 miles, in a record 7 hours 6 minutes (61.408-mph).
Also in 1891, the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad leased the Rome Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad, whom had a lease on the Utica & Black River Railroad.

1893, the Mohawk & Malone Railway was leased by the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad.

1899 The New York Central leases the Boston & Albany.
The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis is formed to handle switching and transfer chores in St. Louis. The sponsoring railroads are the Missouri Pacific, Iron Mountain & Southern, Wabash, Ohio & Mississippi, Louisville & Nashville and the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis.

August 16, 1904 Construction begins on New York City's new "Grand Central Station". When completed in 9 years, the building will become known as "Grand Central Terminal".

In 1913, the Rome Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad merged into the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, as was the Utica & Black River Railroad. The portion of track from Utica to Remsen became the Lyons Branch.

December 16, 1915 The United States Attorney General rules that New York Central's ownership of the Nickel Plate violates U.S. anti-trust laws and orders divesture.

December 28, 1917 President Woodrow Wilson uses the Federal Possession and Control Act to take possession of "each and every system of transportation...within the boundaries of the United States." This creates the U.S. Railroad Administration.

March 20, 1920 The United States Railroad Administration is abolished, returning control of all railroads to their owners.

January 11, 1922 The Van Sweringen brothers buy the Lake Erie & Western from the New York Central and align it with the Nickel Plate, which they also own.

February 16, 1925 A new bridge is opened over Niagara Falls, replacing the previous span built in 1855. The bridge is part of the NYC/CS/MC route from New York to Michigan via Ontario.