 At mid-century, rail surpassed the canal as the most efficient mode of transport and the construction of two railroads across Somerville in 1845 and 1854, along with the opening of a station at Sullivan Square, brought even more development to the area.It was not until the construction of the McGrath Highway in 1925 that full industrial development, albeit short-lived, took hold in Somerville.The Ford Motor Company built an assembly plant here in 1926, which would, over time, lend Assembly Square its name.