Fort Laramie in Goshen County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Transcontinental Telegraph
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 2, 2015
1. Transcontinental Telegraph Markers
Transcontinental Telegraph
Between July 4 and October 24, 1861, a telegraph line was constructed by the Western Union Telegraph Co. between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, thereby completing the first high speed communication link between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. This service met the critical demand for fast communication between these two areas, this telegraph line operated until May, 1869, when it was replaced by a multi-wire system constructed with the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroad lines.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
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Fort Laramie
and
The Transcontinental Telegraph
The transcontinental telegraph reached Fort Laramie from the east on August 5, 1861. From then until May, 1869, Fort Laramie was a major station on the telegraph line. Soldiers from Fort Laramie protected the line, made repairs, and operated repeater stations from Julesburg, Colorado (150 miles to the east) to South Pass, Wyoming (300 miles to the west).
by the Denver section of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
< Fort Laramie Marker : >
Fort Laramie
A military post of the frontier
June
this page online
This monument is erected by the State of Wyoming and a few interested residents
1913
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Communications. In addition, it is included in the IEEE Milestones in Electrical Engineering and Computing series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 4, 1861.
Location. 42° 12.233′ N, 104° 33.439′ W. Marker is in Fort Laramie, Wyoming, in Goshen County. It can be reached from State Highway 160, on the left when traveling west. Marker is located at Fort Laramie National Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Laramie WY 82212, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Wyoming’s Laramie Basin and in the Westward Expansion Trails Region. It is also in the American Mountain West, on the Great Plains, and specifically on the High Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort Laramie (here, next to this marker); The Pony Express (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named The Pony Express (a few steps from this marker); The Sutlers House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Sutlers Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Bedlam (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Laramie National Historic Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Cavalry Barracks (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Laramie.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 2, 2015
2. Fort Laramie Marker
