The Pacific Telegraph Company was one of the organizations responsible for constructing the

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

line which resulted in the first transcontinental telegraph network in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The company built the section of line between Julesburg,

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the ...

(where it connected with existing telegraph networks to the eastern United States) and

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state ...

. The Pacific Telegraph Company's line was completed on October 17, 1861 (although the first messages were not sent until October 18), allowing telegraphic messages from Salt Lake City to reach the eastern United States. The Overland Telegraph Company's line from

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

reached the telegraph office in downtown Salt Lake City on October 24, 1861, completing the transcontinental network. The Pacific Telegraph Company was absorbed into the

Western Union Telegraph Company The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services company, headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the company chang ...

in 1864.

History

Organization

The

Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860 The Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860 (also known as "An Act to Facilitate Communication between the Atlantic and Pacific States by Electric Telegraph"), was an Act of Congress that authorized the U.S. Treasury to fund the construction of a telegraph li ...

called for the facilitation of telegraphic communication between the east and west coasts of the United States. A contract for construction of the telegraph line, as authorized by the act, was awarded to

Hiram Sibley Hiram W. Sibley (February 6, 1807 – July 12, 1888), was an American industrialist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who was a pioneer of the telegraph in the United States. Early life Sibley was born in North Adams, Massachusetts on February 6 ...

of the

. Sibley and the Western Union would organize other telegraph companies to build the line. On January 11, 1864, the

Nebraska Territorial Legislature The Nebraska Territorial Legislature was held from January 16, 1855 until 1865 in Omaha City, Nebraska Territory. Major issues Slavery In 1854 the Kansas–Nebraska Act created the Nebraska Territory, overturning the Missouri Compromise b ...

incorporated the Pacific Telegraph Company, which was then organized on April 17, 1861, in Rochester, New York. The company's board of directors was largely made up of men who were also directors of the Western Union Telegraph Company. Jeptha H. Wade was elected president of the new company with Hiram Sibley as vice-president. Also serving on the board was Charles M. Stebbins, president of the Missouri and Western Telegraph Company, another company controlled by Western Union interests. The Missouri and Western Telegraph Company had already completed a line from Brownville to

Fort Kearny Fort Kearny was a historic outpost of the United States Army founded in 1848 in the western U.S. during the middle and late 19th century. The fort was named after Col. and later General Stephen Watts Kearny. The outpost was located along the Or ...

(both in

Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebrask ...

), via Omaha. In 1861, this same company would extend the line from Fort Kearny to Julesburg, and it was from Julesburg that the Pacific Telegraph Company would build west to Salt Lake City in Utah Territory. Brownville was stated as the eastern terminus for the telegraph line in Sibley's contract with the federal government.

Construction and operation

Edward Creighton Edward Charles Creighton (August 31, 1820 – November 5, 1874) was a prominent pioneer businessman in early Omaha, Nebraska. The elder brother of John A. Creighton, the Creightons were responsible for founding many institutions that were cen ...

managed construction for the company, which started in Nebraska Territory on July 4, 1861, and simultaneously from Salt Lake City a week later. The Pacific Telegraph Company's line was completed to Salt Lake City on October 17, 1861, and the first messages were sent the following day, October 18.

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as ch ...

, President of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

, sent the first message to company president Jeptha H. Wade, congratulating him on the completion of the work. Afterwards, Frank Fuller, acting governor of Utah Territory, sent a telegram to President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

saying the citizens of the territory were loyal to the United States. The transcontinental telegraph led to the immediate demise of the

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pi ...

Acquisition

The Pacific Telegraph Company was absorbed into the Western Union Telegraph Company on March 17, 1864.

References

External links

Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum: ''Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860''

* ttp://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Milestones:Transcontinental_Telegraph,_1861 History of the first transcontinental telegraph Western Union History of telecommunications in the United States Pioneer history of Omaha, Nebraska Telegraph companies of the United States American companies established in 1861 Telecommunications companies established in 1861 1861 establishments in the United States Defunct telecommunications companies of the United States {{US-telecom-company-stub