Sure it does. Shires go back a ways, but they were not bred in quantity until the 1850s or so. "In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there were large numbers of Shires, and many were exported to the United States."
Before and after that period, those big guys were an exotic breed. That's the railroad but pre-truck period.
(I've owned a Percheron, and have known some Shires.)
When you cite a source for something, the source should justify the thing you're claiming. The relevant part of your post to the thread was that "The 19th century solution was to develop a bigger breed of horse." It is entirely contrary to what the Wikipedia article says - "The breed was established in the mid-eighteenth century, although its origins are much older".
(relatives have owned Friesian's and Clydesdale's and Norwegian Fjording Horses, but it's neither here nor there)
(I've owned a Percheron, and have known some Shires.)