Book excerpt: Nottingham continued to grow rapidly, especially after 1845 when a great deal of land around it was released for building. Nottingham gained gas street lighting in 1819. However like all towns in the early 19th century Nottingham was a dirty, unsanitary place. There was a cholera epidemic in 1833, which killed 330 people. However life in 19th century Nottingham gradually improved. In the mid-19th century the piped water supply was taken over by the corporation and was greatly expanded. After 1835 Nottingham had its first proper police force and a new prison was built in 1846. Meanwhile the railway first reached Nottingham in 1839. The first public library in Nottingham opened in 1868 and University College was formed in 1881, when ""Nottingham Old And New"" was published.