On the first of May 1857, a special train carrying a hogshead of water from Charleston Harbor arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, to celebrate the official opening of the first railroad to span the country from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic coast. 25,000 people watched as the water was pumped into the river in a ceremony dubbed the 'Marriage of the Waters.' Fought for, fought against, and fought over, few developments have had such a crucial part in the events of the region that it served as did the Memphis & Charleston Railroad.