Growing up right off of Church Avenue, I have often passed by the large rock at the triangular intersection of Beach Avenue, Transit Street, and June Avenue. I never paid much mind, as it was simply a landmark I was accustomed to seeing, like the Big Blue Bug in Providence. I never even thought to question why it was there, or if it signified anything.

The history of the railroad began in 1873 when the Warwick Railroad was chartered. Construction of the initial line finished on December 3rd, 1874 with the hammering of the final nail. The line was opened to the public the following year, on July 4th, 1875. Subsequently, the line was purchased by the Rhode Island Central Railroad Company in 1879, which in turn was bought by the New York, Providence & Boston Railroad Company. This ownership led to the full extension of the line's run by 1881 from Providence, across the Pawtuxet River, to Buttonwoods. The line was electrified in 1899, ushering in its most prosperous era.

By the turn of the century, the Warwick Railroad was a prominent enough social feature to impact Warwick socially. Rocky Point, for example, benefited greatly from the line. A spur, or extension, line connected the park to Grant's Station in the Longmeadow neighborhood, creating easier access to entertainment, and helping it to grow. Similarly, factory owners would treat workers with rides to the more coastal stations, such as Buttonwoods. In return for helping these areas of entertainment to grow, the increased attraction lured more riders to the line.

In addition to increased travel for entertainment, the line allowed for notable social changes. Workers could use the line to travel around Warwick, no longer necessitating work near one's home. People, therefore, faced more freedom in choosing careers. In addition, these lines provided easier access to education, with a high school being built in the Westcott neighborhood. In a more social sense, increased access to other parts of town lead to the intermingling of social groups, leading to more diverse families and communities.

Unsurprisingly, these social changes, as well as easy travel, made Warwick an increasingly popular place to live. The influx in population led to what is likely the most notable impact of the trolley: the creation of West Warwick. In 1913, West Warwick separated from Warwick. The line still went through the newly created town, allowing residents of either to travel between them.

As interesting as this knowledge may be, how does it impact us today? After all, most of the impacts seem to remain intangible.  The rock I've seen growing up hints at the answer. Much of modern Warwick has roots in the railroad and its impacts. Our city's current topography, or layout, owes its design to the railroad line. That rock on Beach Avenue displays this well. The aforementioned intersection sits where the Conimicut station was located, parallel to Transit Street and June Avenue, both of which run where the line once was.

A more explicit example is the Longmeadow neighborhood, specifically the area around Tidewater Drive. Running along and then cutting through the street is a series of properties that bend where the railroad track once was. Something similar can be seen in the Lakewood area. Unlike the streets it crosses, Monroe Street curves from Washington Street to North Country Club Drive. Where it stands were once larger tracts of land, explaining a seemingly random curve.

Throughout Warwick, small remnants of the Warwick Railroad remain. Although the line's heyday was the Turn of the Century, its story does not end there. In 1949, the cars transitioned to diesel fuel, only for the line to be cut in 1954 so that it no longer crossed the Pawtuxet River. Notably, this is when many of the homes in the city were being constructed, explaining why many neighborhoods show traces of the line in their layouts. By 1965, the Ciba Geigy Chemical Corporation bought the line and extended it once again, so that it just crossed into Warwick by six hundred feet. From then, it served as a short freight line for the transportation of goods.

By my lifetime, only hints of the Warwick Railway have physically remained. However, that does not mean it has had no impact on me. The Warwick I have grown up in owes its character to the line. Physically, many streets and neighborhoods I have regularly seen were shaped by the path of the line. Socially, though, Warwick and West Warwick are as they are today because of the railroad. The diversity and economy of the area are built upon the interconnectivity the line provided. So, although I never knew it, the rock on Beach Avenue has served as a memorial to Warwick's strengths