the history of the 19th century in the valley, revolved about the gotthard road (built 1820-30) and the gotthard rail tunnel (1871–1881). the railway encouraged the founding various hotels (including the hôtel suisse in 1905) and the spread of crafts and small industries. in 1889, faido was the first town in ticino with electric lighting. like most of the leventina, many inhabitants emigrated to france, england, australia and america. however, faido also experienced an immigration of artisans and the establishment of small industrial enterprises, some of them as branches of government-operated enterprises. most of these small businesses have since disappeared or moved. before world war i, the village was, especially with milanese families, a popular and bustling holiday resort. the leventiner hospital s. croce was built in 1917 on the initiative of the clergy. it is a retirement home since 1992. the current district hospital was built in 1923 at the request of residents and civic communities of the levantine. in 1976 faido fought successfully against the fragmentation of the municipal area by the highway and got a bypass tunnel.