The Albany-Hudson Electric Trail takes its name from a 36-mile route that follows the line of an electric trolley that operated from 1899 to 1929, running from downtown Albany through Rensselaer and Columbia Counties to the City of Hudson. The trolley transformed transportation in the area by offering a high-speed alternative to horse and mule travel on muddy roads, and at its height in 1915 it carried 1.4 million riders annually, helping drive major growth in communities along the route. In December 1929, the rise of automobiles and the Great Depression brought the trolley to an end. The former rail corridor is now owned by National Grid and remains an important part of the region's electricity distribution network. Nassau was also shaped by the Kosegarten Brothers Piano Action Factory, whose origins date to 1837 in Albany. After moving to Bunker Hill, several miles west of Nassau, and being destroyed there by fire, the company established a new factory on John Street, where it prospered. By 1915, more than 30 percent of Nassau Village's working population was employed by the firm, whose whistle marked shift changes and also served as the fire department alarm. The Kosegarten building still stands across the street and now serves as a private apartment building.