February 6

On the 6th in 1815, John Stevens was given the first railroad charter in the United States. He would use this charter to form the New Jersey Railroad Company, which operated a railroad between Camden and Amboy, New Jersey. In 1806, he built the Phoenix, a screw-driven steamer. In 1809, the Phoenix would operate between Hoboken and Philadelphia making it the first steamship to navigate in ocean waters. The company would expand to become the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company.