Sector San Felipe in Arroyo in Municipio de Arroyo, Puerto Rico — The Caribbean (The West Indies)
Samuel F.B. Morse en Arroyo, P.R.
Samuel F.B. Morse in Arroyo, PR
El día 1ro. de marzo de 1859, Morse inauguraba la primera línea telegráfica en Puerto Rico. Este comunicaba la Hacienda Enriqueta, de Edgard Lind en el sector la Concordia, con su almacén en la playa de Arroyo, hoy Malecón.
Cuenta la tradición oral que cuando Morse vino a visitar a su hija Susan, vio que el recorrido entre la hacienda y el almacén era distante; les recomendó instalar una línea telegráfica para facilitarles la comunicación. Así lo hicieron.
El día antes de la inauguración de la línea telegráfica, Morse se encontraba con su yerno Edward Lind en el almacén, a orillas de la playa, coordinando los últimos detalles. El carruaje de estos estaba cerca de ellos cuando pasaron unos marinos riendo y hablando en vos alta. Los caballos se asustaron y emprendieron loca carrera por toda la calle principal llamada en aquel entonces Isabel II.
Temiendo un percance mayor Morse tenía que prevenir a la gente de la hacienda, pero eso altería la novedad del primer mensaje. Había que actuar con premura y no le quedaba mas remedio que avisarles mediante un mensaje telegráfico. Con mucho pensar Morse
this page online
On March 31, 1859, Morse installed the first telegraph line in Puerto Rico. This sent a message from the Hacienda Enriqueta from Edgar Lind in La Concordia Barrio with its warehouse on Arroyo beach, today Malecón.
According to oral tradition, when Morse came to visit his daughter Susan, he saw that the route between the farm and the store was distant and he recommended installing a line to facilitate communication, so they did.
The day before the introduction of the telegraph line, Morse was with his son-in-law Edward Lind in the warehouse on the shores of the beach coordinating the last details. Their carriage was near them when some marines passed laughing and talking loudly. The horses were startled and ran along what was then called Calle Isabel II.
Fearing a major mishap, Morse had to warn the people at the Hacienda, but that destroyed the novelty of the first message. He had to act quickly and notified them by telegraph. With much thought, Morse sent the message: "Escaped horses from here are going your direction. Stop them."
Erected by Municipio de Arroyo.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Communications • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical date for this entry is March 31, 1859.
Location. 17° 57.719′ N, 66° 3.838′ W. Marker is in Arroyo in Municipio de Arroyo, Puerto Rico. It is in Sector San Felipe. Marker is at the intersection of Calle Esperanza and Calle Morse, in the median on Calle Esperanza. The marker is affixed to the south side of the Morse memorial. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Calle Morse 35, Arroyo PR 00714, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Samuel F.B. Morse (here, next to this marker); Monumento a Korea y Vietnam (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Monumento a los Veteranos (approx. 5.8 kilometers away); Monumento a la Guerra de Corea (approx. 5.8 kilometers away); Memorial for the War with Spain (approx. 5.9 kilometers away); Hector Luis Colon Mendoza (approx. 5.9 kilometers away); Luis Pales Matos (approx. 5.9 kilometers away); Alcaldes de Patillas (approx. 6.9 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arroyo.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 11, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 641 times since then and 457 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 11, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Wide shot of the marker in context. • Can you help?
