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 escribió el mensaje: "Caballos escapados desde aquí van en esa dirección. Deténgalos." Su hija Susan conocía el código y atendió el mansaje. Así detuvieron el carruaje evitando un accidente grave convertiéndose en el primer mensaje telegráfico enviado en Puerto Rico.
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." His daughter Susan knew the code and answered the message. Thus, they stopped the carriage, avoiding a serious accident. This was the first telegraphic message sent in Puerto Rico.
Erected by Municipio
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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. It 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.
Regionally, this marker is on Puerto Rico’s Southern Coastal Zone. Globally, it is one of the Greater Antilles on the Caribbean Sea, on in the Atlantic Ocean, in North America, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a Spanish colony.
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
Credits. This page was last revised on January 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 11, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 2,499 times since then and 200 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 11, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
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