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First transcontinental telegraph

January 13, 2023

The first transcontinental telegraph (completed October 24, 1861) was a line that connected the existing telegraph network in the eastern United States to a small network in California, by means of a link between Omaha, Nebraska and Carson City, Nevada, via Salt Lake City. It was a milestone in electrical engineering and in the formation of the United States of America.[1] It served as the only method of near-instantaneous communication between the east and west coasts during the 1860s. For comparison, in 1841, the news of the death of President William Henry Harrison had taken 110 days to reach Los Angeles.[2]

Monument in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, marking the approximate location where the first transcontinental telegraph line was completed.

Background

After the development of efficient telegraph systems in the 1830s, their use saw almost explosive growth in the 1840s. Samuel Morse's first experimental line between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore—the Baltimore-Washington telegraph line—was demonstrated on May 24, 1844.[3] By 1850 there were lines covering most of the eastern states,[4] and a separate network of lines was soon constructed in the booming economy of California.

California was admitted to the United States in 1850, the first state on the Pacific coast. Major efforts ensued to integrate California with the other states, including sea, overland mail pioneered by George Chorpenning, the Pony Express, and passenger services such as Butterfield Overland Mail. Proposals for the subsidy of a telegraph line to California were made in Congress throughout the 1850s, and in 1860 the U.S. Post Office was authorized to spend $40,000 per year to build and maintain an overland line. The year before, the California State Legislature had authorized a similar subsidy of $6,000 per year.

Construction

Construction of the first transcontinental telegraph was the work of Western Union, which Hiram Sibley, Jeptha Wade, and Ezra Cornell had established in 1856 by merging companies operating east of the Mississippi River.[5] A second significant step was the passing of the Telegraph Act by the Congress in 1860, which authorized the government to open bids for the construction of a telegraph line between Missouri and California and regulated the service to be provided. Eventually, the only bidder would be Sibley, because all competitors—Theodore Adams, Benjamin Ficklin and John Harmon—withdrew at the last minute. Later they joined Sibley in his effort.[6]

Similar to the First transcontinental railroad, elimination of the gap in the telegraph service between Fort Kearny in Nebraska and Fort Churchill in Nevada was planned to be divided between teams that would be advancing the construction in opposite directions. The Pacific Telegraph Company would build west from Nebraska and the Overland Telegraph Company would build east from Nevada's connection to the California system.[7] James Gamble, an experienced telegraph builder in California, was put in charge of the western crew, and Edward Creighton was responsible for the eastern crew. From Salt Lake City, a crew in charge of James Street advanced westward, and W.H. Stebbins's grew eastward toward Fort Kearny. Creighton's crew erected its first pole on 4 July 1861. When the project was completed in October 1861, they had planted 27,500 poles holding 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of single-strand iron wire over a terrain that was not always inviting.[8] California Chief Justice Stephen Field sent one of the first messages from San Francisco to Abraham Lincoln, using the occasion to assure the president of California's allegiance to the Union.[9] The construction coincided with Civil War combat to the southeast. The entire cost of the system was half a million dollars (equivalent to $15.1 million in 2021).[10]

Operation

 
Route of the first transcontinental telegraph

Difficulties did not stop with the completion of the project. Keeping it in operation faced multiple problems: (a) inclement weather in the form of lightning bolts, strong winds, and heavy snow damaged both poles and the wire; (b) rubbing on the poles by bison from time to time sent down sections of the telegraph, eventually contributing to their demise; (c) the system had to be rerouted through Chicago to avoid Confederate attempts to cut the line in Missouri to disrupt communications among Union forces; (d) Native Americans soon started to do the same farther west as part of their hostilities with the Army.[11]

Financially, the First Transcontinental Telegraph was a big success from the beginning. The charge during the first week of operation was US$1 (equivalent to about $30 in 2021) per word, whereas the Telegraph Act of 1860 had specified 30 cents.[10]

The telegraph line immediately made the Pony Express obsolete, which officially ceased operations two days later. The overland telegraph line was operated until 1869, when it was replaced by a multi-line telegraph that had been constructed alongside the route of the First transcontinental railroad.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Milestones:Transcontinental Telegraph, 1861". IEEE Global History Network. IEEE. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  2. ^ Peters 1996, pp. 173.
  3. ^ (27 May 1844). The Magnetic Telegraph – its Success, New York Daily Tribune (report on transmissions sent on May 25 and published in the Baltimore Patriot)
  4. ^ Nonnenmacher, Tomas. "History of the U.S. Telegraph Industry". EH.net. Economic History Association. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  5. ^ Peters 1996, pp. 178−179.
  6. ^ Peters 1996, pp. 180.
  7. ^ Murphy, Miriam B. (October 1995). "The Telegraph was the Information Highway of the 1860s". Utah History to Go. Utah State Historical Society/Utah State History. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  8. ^ Peters 1996, pp. 182−186.
  9. ^ Peters 1996, pp. 190.
  10. ^ a b Peters 1996, pp. 192.
  11. ^ Peters 1996, pp. 187−189.

Bibliography

  • Peters, Arthur K. (1996). Seven Trails West. Abbeville Press. ISBN 1-55859-782-4.
  • Jepsen, Thomas (1987). "The Telegraph Comes to Colorado: A New Technology and Its Consequences". Essays and Monographs in Colorado History. 7: 1–25.

External links and sources

  • Contemporary account of the construction of the transcontinental telegraph
  • History of the first transcontinental telegraph
  • Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum: Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860

January 13, 2023
first, transcontinental, telegraph, first, transcontinental, telegraph, completed, october, 1861, line, that, connected, existing, telegraph, network, eastern, united, states, small, network, california, means, link, between, omaha, nebraska, carson, city, nev. The first transcontinental telegraph completed October 24 1861 was a line that connected the existing telegraph network in the eastern United States to a small network in California by means of a link between Omaha Nebraska and Carson City Nevada via Salt Lake City It was a milestone in electrical engineering and in the formation of the United States of America 1 It served as the only method of near instantaneous communication between the east and west coasts during the 1860s For comparison in 1841 the news of the death of President William Henry Harrison had taken 110 days to reach Los Angeles 2 Monument in downtown Salt Lake City Utah marking the approximate location where the first transcontinental telegraph line was completed Contents 1 Background 2 Construction 3 Operation 4 See also 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External links and sourcesBackground EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed October 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message After the development of efficient telegraph systems in the 1830s their use saw almost explosive growth in the 1840s Samuel Morse s first experimental line between Washington D C and Baltimore the Baltimore Washington telegraph line was demonstrated on May 24 1844 3 By 1850 there were lines covering most of the eastern states 4 and a separate network of lines was soon constructed in the booming economy of California California was admitted to the United States in 1850 the first state on the Pacific coast Major efforts ensued to integrate California with the other states including sea overland mail pioneered by George Chorpenning the Pony Express and passenger services such as Butterfield Overland Mail Proposals for the subsidy of a telegraph line to California were made in Congress throughout the 1850s and in 1860 the U S Post Office was authorized to spend 40 000 per year to build and maintain an overland line The year before the California State Legislature had authorized a similar subsidy of 6 000 per year Construction EditConstruction of the first transcontinental telegraph was the work of Western Union which Hiram Sibley Jeptha Wade and Ezra Cornell had established in 1856 by merging companies operating east of the Mississippi River 5 A second significant step was the passing of the Telegraph Act by the Congress in 1860 which authorized the government to open bids for the construction of a telegraph line between Missouri and California and regulated the service to be provided Eventually the only bidder would be Sibley because all competitors Theodore Adams Benjamin Ficklin and John Harmon withdrew at the last minute Later they joined Sibley in his effort 6 Similar to the First transcontinental railroad elimination of the gap in the telegraph service between Fort Kearny in Nebraska and Fort Churchill in Nevada was planned to be divided between teams that would be advancing the construction in opposite directions The Pacific Telegraph Company would build west from Nebraska and the Overland Telegraph Company would build east from Nevada s connection to the California system 7 James Gamble an experienced telegraph builder in California was put in charge of the western crew and Edward Creighton was responsible for the eastern crew From Salt Lake City a crew in charge of James Street advanced westward and W H Stebbins s grew eastward toward Fort Kearny Creighton s crew erected its first pole on 4 July 1861 When the project was completed in October 1861 they had planted 27 500 poles holding 2 000 miles 3 200 km of single strand iron wire over a terrain that was not always inviting 8 California Chief Justice Stephen Field sent one of the first messages from San Francisco to Abraham Lincoln using the occasion to assure the president of California s allegiance to the Union 9 The construction coincided with Civil War combat to the southeast The entire cost of the system was half a million dollars equivalent to 15 1 million in 2021 10 Operation Edit Route of the first transcontinental telegraph Difficulties did not stop with the completion of the project Keeping it in operation faced multiple problems a inclement weather in the form of lightning bolts strong winds and heavy snow damaged both poles and the wire b rubbing on the poles by bison from time to time sent down sections of the telegraph eventually contributing to their demise c the system had to be rerouted through Chicago to avoid Confederate attempts to cut the line in Missouri to disrupt communications among Union forces d Native Americans soon started to do the same farther west as part of their hostilities with the Army 11 Financially the First Transcontinental Telegraph was a big success from the beginning The charge during the first week of operation was US 1 equivalent to about 30 in 2021 per word whereas the Telegraph Act of 1860 had specified 30 cents 10 The telegraph line immediately made the Pony Express obsolete which officially ceased operations two days later The overland telegraph line was operated until 1869 when it was replaced by a multi line telegraph that had been constructed alongside the route of the First transcontinental railroad See also EditAustralian Overland Telegraph Line a north south Australian telegraph line completed in 1872References Edit Milestones Transcontinental Telegraph 1861 IEEE Global History Network IEEE Retrieved 27 July 2011 Peters 1996 pp 173 27 May 1844 The Magnetic Telegraph its Success New York Daily Tribune report on transmissions sent on May 25 and published in the Baltimore Patriot Nonnenmacher Tomas History of the U S Telegraph Industry EH net Economic History Association Retrieved 14 October 2021 Peters 1996 pp 178 179 Peters 1996 pp 180 Murphy Miriam B October 1995 The Telegraph was the Information Highway of the 1860s Utah History to Go Utah State Historical Society Utah State History Retrieved July 7 2018 Peters 1996 pp 182 186 Peters 1996 pp 190 a b Peters 1996 pp 192 Peters 1996 pp 187 189 Bibliography EditPeters Arthur K 1996 Seven Trails West Abbeville Press ISBN 1 55859 782 4 Jepsen Thomas 1987 The Telegraph Comes to Colorado A New Technology and Its Consequences Essays and Monographs in Colorado History 7 1 25 External links and sources EditContemporary account of the construction of the transcontinental telegraph History of the first transcontinental telegraph Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title First transcontinental telegraph amp oldid 1129131536, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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