Misplaced Pages

#226773

32-426: 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 reached the telegraph office in downtown Salt Lake City on October 24, 1861, completing the transcontinental network. The Pacific Telegraph Company

64-680: A damper on the celebrations surrounding the telegraph's completion. Later that evening, messages were also sent from California to Abraham Lincoln , President of the United States at the time. The transcontinental telegraph led to the immediate demise of the Pony Express . The Overland Telegraph Company was absorbed into the California State Telegraph Company in November 1861, (as the officers of

96-607: A part of the Western Union Telegraph Company in 1867. The Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860 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 of the Western Union Telegraph Company . Sibley and the Western Union would organize (and receive help from) other telegraph companies to build

128-439: A telecommunications company is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . California State Telegraph Company The California State Telegraph Company was a business originally organized to provide telegraph service between San Francisco and Marysville , California . By the spring of 1861, the company had expanded its service area south to Los Angeles , north to Yreka , and east to Fort Churchill by absorbing

160-596: The California State Legislature passed an act to grant an exclusive franchise for the construction and operation of a telegraph line between San Francisco and Marysville . This special charter was granted to Oliver C. Allen and Clark Burnham who formed the California Telegraph Company, which began construction on the line that fall. While the company was able to erect some poles, a fire and lack of funding put an end to

192-713: The Central Overland Route to Salt Lake City . Because the company's line would extend into Utah Territory, the Utah Territorial Assembly incorporated the "Placerville, Humbolt and Salt Lake Telegraph Company," which was controlled by the same interests as the California company. Frederick Bee served as president of the company. The first telegraph poles were erected by this company on September 2, 1858, in Placerville. The line

224-861: The Overland Telegraph Company in April 1861 to build the telegraph line from Fort Churchill east to Salt Lake City. There it would meet the line of the Pacific Telegraph Company and complete the First transcontinental telegraph . In 1866, the Western Union Telegraph Company acquired a controlling interest in California State Telegraph Company. Then in May 1867, the State company ceased operating with

256-547: The California State Telegraph Company's interests incorporated the Overland Telegraph Company in April 1861. The following month, the Overland Telegraph Company was officially organized with Horace W. Carpentier as president, James Gamble as Superintendent and James Street as General Agent. Construction started on June 20, 1861 at Fort Churchill and simultaneously from Salt Lake in July. James Gamble—who

288-465: The Morse patent, the State company was able to acquire and consolidate these companies. The consolidation would also allow for the necessary capital for building a telegraph line to the eastern United States. The State company re-incorporated in April 1861, with their articles of incorporation now reflecting their larger service area. The consolidations were completed by May 1861. The companies acquired by

320-671: 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. Edward Creighton 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

352-609: The State company at this time were: The Northern California Telegraph Company was initially organized in 1856 to build and operate a telegraph line north from Marysville to Yreka , in Siskiyou County . The line from Marysville to Shasta was completed on April 17, 1858. Originally, the company planned to build from Shasta to Yreka by way of the Sacramento River , but the route was changed to run via Weaverville , Trinity Center and Scott Valley . In August 1858

SECTION 10

#1732765675227

384-562: The U.S. Circuit Court issued an injunction preventing the Alta company from using technology based on the Morse patent. The local newspapers speculated that this would result in the merger of the two companies. Faced with ongoing legal warfare, the Alta company capitulated and merged with the State company in 1860. During the 1850s, other telegraph companies had been organized to provide service to different parts of California and into neighboring Utah Territory . Using their exclusive rights to

416-504: The Utah Territory were sent via the new line on the evening of October 24, 1861, completing the transcontinental network. (The section of line between the eastern United States and Salt Lake City had been completed by the Pacific Telegraph Company a few days prior.) Soon after the line's completion, the Overland Telegraph Company was absorbed into the California State Telegraph Company , which itself became

448-533: 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 (both in Nebraska Territory ), via Omaha . In 1861, this same company would extend the line from Fort Kearny to Julesburg, and it was from Julesburg that

480-492: The cables resulted in poor connections, and in 1857 it was decided that a new cable, strung on poles around the bay, would replace the connection between Oakland and San Francisco. As the State company owned the exclusive franchise for telegraphic communications between San Francisco and Marysville, they filed suit against the Alta company. This suit was not resolved until 1863, when the Supreme Court of California upheld

512-464: The citizens of the territory were loyal to the United States. The transcontinental telegraph led to the immediate demise of the Pony Express . The Pacific Telegraph Company was absorbed into the Western Union Telegraph Company on March 17, 1864. This article about a telecommunications corporation or company in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Overland Telegraph Company The Overland Telegraph Company

544-497: The construction. The following year, in 1853, the company was re-organized and re-incorporated under the name “California State Telegraph Company” which acquired the franchise granted to Allen and Burnham. This company began construction on September 1, 1853, and completed the line several weeks later, on October 24. The new line allowed telegraphic communication between San Francisco and Marysville, via San José , Stockton , and Sacramento . The Alta California Telegraph Company

576-469: The first messages were sent on the evening of October 24, 1861. At 5:13 pm (Salt Lake City time), James Street sent the first message to California from Utah Territory. It was addressed to company president Horace Carpentier, advising him the line was complete and to go to the nearby telegraph office. Less than two hours later, Brigham Young , President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , sent

608-422: The legality of the franchise. From their beginnings, both the State and Alta companies used telegraphic instruments based on Samuel Morse's patents without proper authorization, although the State company eventually purchased the exclusive right to use Morse's patent in California. After the purchase, the State company and Morse sued the Alta company for using Morse's technology without permission. In July 1860,

640-551: The line reached Yreka, putting northern California in communication with Marysville. Later in 1858, the company completed a line between Marysville and Sacramento. The Northern company did not have the right to use Morse's equipment in California and was sued by the State company and Morse in December 1860. By May 1861 the Northern company's line had become part of the State company. The Pacific and Atlantic Telegraph Company

672-564: The line. On January 11, 1864, the Nebraska Territorial Legislature 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

SECTION 20

#1732765675227

704-413: The line. The California State Telegraph Company had recently consolidated all the existing telegraph companies in California, and was tasked with building the section of transcontinental telegraph line from their existing infrastructure in California and Nevada Territory towards Salt Lake City (where it would meet the line being constructed by the Pacific Telegraph Company ). To oversee the construction,

736-531: The next message. Also addressed to Carpentier, this congratulatory message received a response, resulting in the first back-and-forth communication between San Francisco and Salt Lake City. Shortly thereafter, a message was forwarded to San Francisco informing them that Colonel Edward D. Baker —a former politician in California—had been killed at the Battle of Ball's Bluff a few days prior. News of this event put

768-638: The other telegraph companies in California (partly through enforcement of its right to the Morse telegraph patent ). In 1861, the company formed the Overland Telegraph Company , which was responsible for constructing part of the telegraph line which resulted in the first transcontinental telegraph network in the United States . The California State Telegraph Company was absorbed into the Western Union Telegraph Company in 1867, with its lines becoming part of Western Union's Pacific Division. On May 3, 1852,

800-399: The two companies were the same, it was said the companies were "substantially the same concern"). In 1866, the Western Union Telegraph Company acquired a controlling interest in California State Telegraph Company. Then, in May 1867, the California State Telegraph Company ceased operating with the public and its lines became part of Western Union's Pacific Division. This article about

832-442: Was absorbed into the Western Union Telegraph Company in 1864. The Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860 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 of the Western Union Telegraph Company . Sibley and the Western Union would organize other telegraph companies to build

864-532: Was another early telegraph company in California. This company initially operated a line between Sacramento and Nevada City , eventually extending their service to other mining towns and cities in the state. In July 1856, the company completed a line between San Francisco and Sacramento. This connection reached San Francisco via Benicia and Oakland (having to cross both the Carquinez Strait and San Francisco Bay by means of submarine cable). At times

896-571: Was completed to Genoa on November 29, 1858, to Carson City in August 1859 and terminated at Fort Churchill in October 1860. The Placerville and Humboldt company did not have the right to use Morse's equipment in California and was sued by the State company and Morse in May 1860. In April 1861, plans were underway to consolidate the Placerville and Humboldt company with the State company. California State Telegraph Company interests organized

928-422: Was completed to Salt Lake City on October 17, 1861, and the first messages were sent the following day, October 18. Brigham Young , President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , 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 saying

960-435: Was managing the work—wrote, "The line was first measured and staked off; the hole-diggers followed; then came the pole-setters, and next the wire party." Between three and eight miles of line were strung per day. The older telegraph line (originally built by the Placerville and Humboldt Telegraph Company) between Placerville, California and Fort Churchill was also replaced. Once the line had been completed to Salt Lake City,

992-459: Was one of the organizations responsible for constructing the telegraph line which resulted in the first transcontinental telegraph network in the United States . The company built the section of line between Fort Churchill , Nevada Territory (where it connected to existing telegraph networks in California) and Salt Lake City , Utah Territory . The first messages between California and

Pacific Telegraph Company - Misplaced Pages Continue

1024-494: Was organized to build and operate a telegraph line between San José and Los Angeles , and then continue it to the eastern United States alongside the Butterfield Overland Mail route. The line was completed to Los Angeles on October 15, 1860, but went no further. The Placerville and Humboldt Telegraph Company was organized in 1858 to build and operate a telegraph line from Placerville , California along

#226773