The Boston Corporation obtained an Act for the building of a dock in Boston in 1881. Construction began in early 1882 and was influenced by the arrival of the Great Northern Railway to Boston. The first ship entered the seven acre basin on 15 December 1884. The facilities included an hydraulic coal tip, hydraulic cranes and two grain warehouses. The chief imports were grain, fruit, timber and oilseed while oilcake, potatoes, iron and coal were the chief exports. Fishing came to dominate the industry in the port. The buildings and structures that were located there included a fish quay, which was established by the 'Boston Deep Sea Fishing and Ice Company Ltd' who stated that they had a 'fish market, ice houses, workshops and offices on the dock quay'. Some of the nineteenth century buildings still survived in the 1960s. {1}{2}[5] The dock was designed by William Wheeler, the Borough Surveyor, and the channel to the Wash was straightened and deepened. Few original buildings survive around the 7 acre basin except the now disused Hydraulic Engine House. The entrance lock is 300 feet by 50 feet (91.4m by 15.2m) but there are plans to enlarge it to accommodate modern shipping. {4}