In the 1840's the telegraph industry had grown to unbelievable size in the eastern section of this country. Most major American cities east of the Mississippi were linked with the "magic wire". 

In the late 1840's, with the discovery of gold in California, there was a massive movement of people to the west coast. With this drastic increased population, a need for organization was realized, and in 1849 the State of California entered the Union. In the early 1850's, after the State and its residents had become somewhat settled and organized, a handful of men set out to link the important cities with telegraph lines. 

In May, 1852, Oliver Allen and Clark Burnham were granted permission from the State to build a line between San Francisco and Marysville. One requirement was that the line had to be in operation by November 1, 1853. Thus the California Telegraph Company was formed. The newly formed company met with many difficulties, and financially the promoters became unable to complete the line. In June, 1853, a reorganization of the old company brought forth a new organization known as the California State Telegraph Company. James Gamble, who had worked under Judge Caton and his famous Illinois and Mississippi Telegraph Company, was hired to supervise the construction. Gamble, with a small band of men, set out to complete the line, which was 200 miles in length. With his experience, he was able to complete the line on October 25, 1853. This was within one week of the time allowed by the State. At once the newly completed line met success financially. 

With the success of the California State Telegraph Company, it was inevitable that other lines would also spring up. The Alta Telegraph Company was formed, and in January 1854 its line linked Sacramento with Mormon Island, Diamond Springs, Placerville, Coloma, Auburn, Grass Valley and Nevada City. 

In the late 1850's, with the telegraph industry developed well in California, interest rose in linking that state with the eastern part of the country with a telegraph line. Hiram Sibley, a well known telegraph personality who was associated with Western Union, had visions of a transcontinental line for some time, but other more important matters shadowed his dream, at least temporarily. The idea of a line through vast plains, mountain ranges, and unsettled territory seemed too risky a venture to most people at that time.

In May, 1858, the Placerville, Humboldt & Salt Lake Telegraph Company was organized, with Frederic and Albert Bee the main promoters. The line was to have been built from Placerville to Salt Lake City. Federal Government aid was sought, without success, due primarily to the conflict of racism between the North and South. However, the State government was more cooperative. The California Legislature passed an act in April, 1859, pledging a subsidy of $6,000 per year for ten years to the first telegraph company to be linked with an eastern line. With this news, the Bee brothers built their line through Virginia City to Fort Churchill. However, that line was poorly constructed and became another lost dream. 

The Pacific and Atlantic Telegraph Company also had a design in building a line eastward. Its lines started in San Francisco and traveled along the Butterfield overland stage route. It reached Los Angeles in 1859. This line may have used the CD 1000.5 "sleeve type" insulator. I have often heard that type of insulator referred to as the "Pacific and Atlantic". I'm not familiar with the extent of that company's lines. It was consolidated into the California State Telegraph Company, along with some other telegraph companies, in 1860. Its hopes of linking California with the East also soon dwindled. (If anyone has any information on the "Pacific and Atlantic" insulators, please inform me of their location of actual use.) 

Finally, after much debate in Congress, the Pacific Telegraph Act was made into law on June 16, 1860. This act, with many requirements to be carried out by line contractors, allowed the building of a telegraph line to link San Francisco with a point on the boundary of the State of Missouri. Bids to build the line were accepted, with a maximum bid of $40,000 allowed. Hiram Sibley, with Western Union, made a bid of $40,000, which was accepted. There were three lower bids, but each of these was withdrawn by their bidders, and Sibley's bid became the one accepted. With the bid accepted, Western Union quickly set out to get the work under way. 

Jeptha Wade was sent to California to organize the competing lines there, and Sibley sought aid from other telegraph companies in the east to help by drawing up contracts for their lines to link with the transcontinental line. Wade was successful in California, as he convinced the competing telegraph companies there to consolidate and help Western Union build the western section of the line. The newly formed consolidation became known as the California State Telegraph Company. (For a detailed story on Jeptha Wade, see August and October 1978 issues of Crown Jewels magazine.) Western Union decided it would be best if the construction of the line, which was over 2000 miles in length, were completed in sections under different groups. The Overland Telegraph Company was formed to build the section between Carson City and Salt Lake. The Pacific Telegraph Company was to build the section between Salt Lake and Omaha. The Missouri and Western Telegraph Company line between St. Louis and Omaha would form the final link between the East and the West. 

During the summer of 1860 Edward Creighton surveyed the possible routes of the line. Under his superintendence, it was decided to build the line from Omaha, Nebraska, along the Platte River, from Fort Kearney to Fort Laramie, then along the Sweetwater River, through South Pass, and eventually to Salt Lake. At the same time, the Overland Telegraph Company, under the superintendence of James Gamble, was to build the section of line eastward from the California State line, at Carson City, through Ruby Valley, Egan Canyon and Deep Creek and on to Salt Lake, where it was to join with Creighton's line. Materials to be used on the line included high quality galvanized iron wire, a minimum of 25 poles per mile, and the best insulation possible. The "Wade" type insulator was specified on the eastern section, which is understandable, with Wade's influence on the project. 

"Wade Type" Insulator.

Paul Plunkett Photo
Wood covered Wades. On left, "used" condition.
On right, "new" condition.

With all the specifications drawn up, actual construction got under way in the spring of 1861. On May 27, 1861, James Gamble left Sacramento with his supply train of 25 wagons of telegraph materials, 50 men, 228 oxen, and 18 mules and horses. They set out to cross the Sierra Nevadas and reach Carson City in just a little over two weeks. However, difficulties arose, and it was late June before they reached their destination and work could begin. While that group was headed eastward to start its work, another group was to start at Salt Lake and build the line westward until it met Gamble, to complete the western section. 

Paul Plunkett Photo 
"Dot-Dash" Wade. 

At the same time another party was to have begun at Salt Lake to build the line eastward until it met Edward Creighton, who had started in Omaha and was constructing the line westward. Creighton's task of completing the eastern section became even more demanding when, on June 15, the telegraph line which was to link Omaha with the east was torn down in a Civil War campaign. The line between Omaha and St. Louis could no longer be depended on for an eastern link, so it was decided that a new section would have to be built between Omaha and Chicago. This would be farther north, where there would be less chance of destruction by Confederate raiders. 

It was hoped to complete the line by the winter of 1861. The first pole set on the eastern section out of Omaha was on July 4th. From that day on the men worked from daylight until dark to complete the line. The problems which arose were many. Some areas were without the proper timber needed for supplying poles, and in some cases poles had to be hauled in from several hundred miles. Water had to be transported with the construction gang to meet their needs. It's reported that wire and insulators for the western section had to be shipped from New York via Cape Horn to San Francisco, and then taken over the Sierra Nevadas to be used; or sent from the east, up the Missouri River and across the plains for hundreds of miles to Salt Lake. Another problem feared by the promoters of the line was the trouble that might be caused by the Indians in the western section. However, good relations were shared by the construction crew and the Indians. Gamble reported that the Indians gained respect for the telegraph after an incident that happened one day as a thunderstorm was approaching. The telegraph men, wearing gloves, were not affected by current traveling through the wires as lightning struck in the distance. However, a helpful Indian, standing on the ground, grasped the wire with his bare hands and received a shock that sent him scurrying away! 

The Pony Express, which linked St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, also played a role in the building of the telegraph line. Before the start of the telegraph construction, the Pony Express carried messages the entire distance from Missouri to California. After construction began, the Pony Express route became shorter each day, as messages were sent by telegraph as far as the line was completed, and from there the messages went by "Express". As the lines moved closer to each other, the trip on horseback became shorter. This was beneficial to both concerns. The Pony Express could deliver its messages quicker, and the telegraph men knew the location and progress of the other telegraph section workers. 

All went on without any great trouble, and a friendly race became evident, to see which section would be completed first. The race seemed very close for some time. However, the western section crew became aware of the fact that poles would not be supplied on time for the last remaining 50-60 miles between Ruby Valley and Schell Creek. There were mountains in the area with sufficient trees, but it was October, and the workers sent for the job of cutting them for poles feared they would be caught in a storm on the way back down. Gamble, learning of this, went to the area himself and convinced the workers to transport the needed poles down the mountain. His traveling with them gave them the needed assurance, and twenty wagon loads of poles were taken down the mountain to the line site, where construction got under way once again. On October 18, 1861, Creighton's section was completed; and six days later, on October 24, Gamble's western section was complete, linking the east and west with a telegraph line. That evening Stephen J. Field transmitted the following message to Abraham Lincoln:

Another great work of the age had been completed. The benefits from the new line were soon realized by nearly all Americans. News could be sent from coast to coast in an instant. Western Union became aware at once of the financial benefits which could be expected. In fact, the line was much more of a success than most people thought it would be. 

As stated earlier, the section of line between Omaha and St. Louis was in a region of Civil War conflict. The new northern route between Omaha and Chicago was completed in January, 1862, by the Illinois & Mississippi Telegraph Company. This northern route assured the people it would not be in danger from southern sympathizers. 

The type of insulators used on the eastern section was the Wade, as mentioned earlier. Those used on the western section may also have been Wades, but I'm not sure. I recall a lady finding a dot-dash Wade in the vicinity of the western line. If anyone knows what types were used, please notify me of it. Also, if any other types are known to have been used on the eastern section, let me know. James Gamble made mention of insulators and wire being shipped from New York City for the western section. The insulators may or may not have been from a New York City supply house. They could have been made elsewhere and shipped from there. Chester was in business in New York at the time. I've heard of CD 735 Chesters being found in California, but what about Nevada and Utah? I'd really appreciate it if anyone with some knowledge on the subject would contact me and let me know. 

Thanks to the Paul Plunkett family for the Wade photos. I'd also like to make mention that all the nice photos used in the Wade article in the October issue were theirs. Somehow, full credit to them failed to be mentioned. 

To all collectors, let me hear from you.