1800’s translation please!

[MTrailroader]

Hello all!

          I am a railroader in Montana and the line I work on dates back to the 1800’s. One section of track is only accessible by rail and follows the Yellowstone river. There is a large rock next to the track with lettering carved into it. I was hoping someone could help me translate this as I think it is a very important artifact to preserve as history of the country and the railroad. 

Thanks!

[MTrailroader]

Here is another section of the rock with separate lettering carved in.

Thanks again!

[889]

This is Japanese.

 

The first photo:

大日本廣鳥縣 Great Japan, Hiroshima Prefecture

松太郎 Matsutarō (a name)

 

There's more, probably including a date, but it's not clear.

 

Not positive about the second photo. Maybe 工屋大和.

[MTrailroader]

Thanks this is great. I’ll have to research more into it. 

[Lu]

I can't help with your question, but thanks for posting it, that looks amazingly interesting. Can you tell more about the place where you found it, and about the history of that railroad? If I'm ever near there (wherever 'there' is), I want to go see it.