Three ledgers from the Boston and Worcester Railroad Corporation containing retained copies of deeds and releases assembled during right-of-way acquisition for construction of the Boston–Worcester rail line in the mid-1800s. The route opened in stages: to West Newton (April 16, 1834), Wellesley (July 3, 1834), Ashland (September 20, 1834), Westborough (November 1834), and finally Worcester (July 4, 1835). The rail bed extending from Boston through Brookline into Newton later became the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Riverside (D) Line, and the rail bed extending to Worcester continued to be used for freight and commuter rail service.