The Nantucket Railroad operated for 36 years from 1881 to 1917. It started from Steamboat Wharf and traveled along the Easy Street basin across this site, ultimately transporting passengers to summer resort hotels and cottages in Surfside, Tom Nevers, and 'Sconset. When automobiles were allowed on island in 1918, the railroad was shut down and the rails, cars, and engines were sent to France to support the war effort.