Editing IRT Flushing Line (section)

===Origins===
The earliest origins of the Flushing Line emerged on February 22, 1885, with the founding of the '''East River Tunnel Railroad'''. The railroad would construct the [[Steinway Tunnel]] under the East River, connecting the [[Long Island Rail Road]] in Queens with the [[New York Central Railroad]] in Manhattan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1885/02/22/103628293.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819015807/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1885/02/22/103628293.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 19, 2021|title=Tunnel Under the East River.|date=February 22, 1885|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 9, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> However, the East River Tunnel Railroad Company went out of business. On July 22, 1887, [[Walter S. Gurnee]] and [[Malcolm W. Niven]] founded the New York and Long Island Railroad Company (NY&LIRR). They soon began planning for the tunnel.<ref name=":6" />

To run from West 42nd Street and Tenth Avenue to Van Alst Avenue after crossing under the East River, the builders planned for the remainder of the line to be constructed on private lands, and numerous alterations were made to the proposal.<ref name=":6" /> In 1890, [[William Steinway]] advised the company to utilize electricity to power the tunnels, believing that the construction of the tunnel would increase the value of his properties in the vicinity.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1890/12/28/106045783.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222050527/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1890/12/28/106045783.pdf|archive-date=December 22, 2019|title=Rapid-Transit Systems; One Plan or Parts of Several May Be Adopted. the Availability and Utility of a Roomy Tunnel – Speed, Light, and Cleanliness Obtainable by the Use of Electricity.|date=December 28, 1890|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 9, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

On June 3, 1892, construction of the tunnel commenced near the intersection of 50th Avenue and Vernon and Jackson Avenues.<ref name="Hood2004">{{cite book |last=Hood |first=Clifton |title=722 Miles: The Building of the Subways and How They Transformed New York |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Az6dEkuGhccC |access-date=August 26, 2009 |edition=Centennial |year=2004 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore |pages=163–168 |isbn=978-0-8018-8054-4 }}</ref>{{rp|164}} However, several failures and hindrances, which included an underground spring preventing the extraction of rubble, resulted in the termination of the project on February 2, 1893.<ref name=Hood2004/>{{rp|165}} Several calls for the resumption of the project between 1893 and 1896, in addition to a proposed extension to New Jersey, were futile.<ref name="nycsubway.org">{{cite web|last1=Feinman|first1=Mark S.|last2=Darlington|first2=Peggy|last3=Pirmann|first3=David|title=IRT Flushing Line|url=http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/IRT_Flushing_Line|website=www.nycsubway.org|access-date=April 21, 2013}}</ref> Work resumed in 1905,<ref name="Rogoff"/> and test runs with streetcars began in 1907. Though the streetcar tests were successful, the tunnel remained closed to passengers.<ref name=":6" /> The tunnel opened for subway use on June 22, 1915, with service running between [[Grand Central–42nd Street (New York City Subway)|Grand Central]] and [[Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue (IRT Flushing Line)|Vernon–Jackson Avenues]].<ref name="nyt-1915-06-23">{{cite news|title=Queensboro Tunnel Officially Opened — Subway, Started Twenty-Three Years Ago, Links Grand Central and Long Island City — Speeches Made in Station — Belmont, Shonts, and Connolly Among Those Making Addresses — $10,000,000 Outlay|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1915/06/23/100163384.pdf|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 23, 1915|page=22|access-date=October 2, 2011}}</ref>

The Flushing Line was extended one stop from Vernon–Jackson Avenues to Hunters Point Avenue on February 15, 1916.<ref name="NYTextensionopen">{{Cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/02/16/100192409.pdf|title=Subway Extension Open – Many Use New Hunters Point Avenue Station|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 16, 1916|page=22|access-date=August 31, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=05clAQAAIAAJ|title=Documents of the Senate of the State of New York|last=Senate|first=New York (State) Legislature|date=January 1, 1917|language=en}}</ref> On November 5, 1916, the Flushing Line was extended two more stops to the east to the [[Queensboro Plaza (New York City Subway)|Queensboro Plaza]] station.<ref name="HathiTrust 2013"/><ref name="nyt-1916-11-05">{{cite news|title=New Subway Link|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/11/05/104027201.pdf|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 5, 1916|page=XX4|access-date=October 2, 2011}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> At this point, the Flushing Line between Grand Central and Queensboro Plaza was called the ''Queensboro Line''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MrAjAQAAMAAJ|title=Minutes and Proceedings|publisher=New York City Transit Authority|date=January 1, 1955|language=en}}</ref><ref name="HathiTrust 2013">{{cite report |title=1916–1917 Annual Report of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company for the Year Ended June 30, 1917 |publisher=Interborough Rapid Transit Company|hdl=2027/mdp.39015016416920 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>