According to records at the time, between 100,000 and 250,000 people rode the first subway cars on Sept. 1.

"Everything went as smooth as the proverbial clockwork, and the opinion heard on all sides was that, as far as it goes, the subway is an unqualified success," wrote The Boston Daily Globe on Sept. 2.

The New York Times wrote, "That so conservative an American town should happen to be the pioneer in adopting this is viewed as remarkable."