Communication – Then and Now
Before October 24, 1861, the fastest means of transcontinental communication was the esteemed relay of riders and horses called the Pony Express.
These mail carriers traveled nonstop along a 2,000-mile route extending from Missouri to California, braving untamed terrain, unfavorable weather, and undoubted fatigue in order to deliver letters and parcels across the United States.
Then, on one fateful autumn day in 1861, the first transcontinental telegraph system was finally completed, using groundbreaking technology invented by Samuel F.B. Morse.
Connecting the eastern United States’ telegraph network all the way to the Pacific, this system was the only method of instantaneous communication between the coasts. It was a success from the start and, in the first week of operation, Western Union charged users one dollar per word (the equivalent of about $25 today). The impact of this development was so instantly massive that the Pony Express officially closed down only two days later.
Fast forward to the late 1900s and we find that most everyone has a mobile telephone, enabling us to talk with whomever, in real time, whenever we need to.
It is difficult, now, to realize how it was a mere fifty years ago.
Oh, how far we have come!
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Love it! I’ve recently been reading a terrific book, ‘Stagecoach Women,’ by a long-respected historian/author (who also happens to live here on Iowa’s lovely Lake Panorama). It is astounding to understand the involvement of women in that era…they “drove stagecoaches, groomed and shod the stage horses, hoisted mailbags and boxes of gold bullion, negotiated contracts, bought and managed stage lines, defended with their six shooters their cargo from bandits, and robbed stages in addition to fulfilling traditional roles as housekeepers, cooks, and laundresses– and oh, yes, mothers to multiple children.” Such a terrific read that other chums might also enjoy!
Thank you so much, Jen, for sharing this! Sounds amazing!