 By 1853, forty miles were in operation, and the city of Memphis felt the zeitgeist of the railroads production which opened their eyes to greater railroad ventures.One way in which the railroad connected the entire state of Tennessee was the state law that required railroads “provide, at or near every town containing as many as three hundred inhabitance, a waiting room for the use and accommodations of passengers.” Memphis, being on the western most border of the state, helped to provide rail access to the very small cities and towns located all along the southern border of the state.In May 1857, more than 30,000 southerners gathered to celebrate the completion of the first railroad connecting the Atlantic Coast to Memphis, and to witness its first full journey which would lead to prosperity.