The Telegraph in Western Towns

The telegraph brought a much-needed form of communication to the West. It enabled them to get in touch with those across the country much faster and easier than ever before. Samuel Morse sent the first message by telegraph on May 24, 1844, proving that it could be done. On October 24, 1861, the wires connected the entire country. However, this contributed to the demise of the short-lived Pony Express.

The service could be expensive. Senders tried to keep their telegrams short because they paid according to the length of the message. In 1880, a short message would cost from twenty-five cents to a dollar. A dollar in 1880 would equal around thirty-one dollars today in spending power. If the message was long, the expense could mount up quickly.

1880 Town in Midland, South Dakota, had a Western Union office so close to the train station that it almost seemed an extension of it. Businesses and law enforcement often relied on telegraphs, as well as citizens with a need to contact someone fast. Remarkably, considering the proliferation of telephones, Western Union didn't close its last office until January 27, 2006. 

In my upcoming novel in the Westward Home and Hearts series, Morrow's Mishaps, Morrow uses the telegraph when she needs to communicate with the matchmaker and then with her intended. She found the service invaluable to making quick plans and not having to wait the weeks it would take to send a letter and get a reply. Morrow's Mishaps won't publish until November, but in the meantime, check out my two other books in the series. Willa's Woes published in January, and Daphne's Determination will be released in July and is on preorder now.

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