Ezra Cornell

Events

1

Episodes

3

Years

1861

Every event in Historedia whose sources name Ezra Cornell, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

1. Western Union completes the first transcontinental telegraph

   1861

   Role: Founder of Western Union

   1. 1July 4, 1861 – October 1861 · Construction routeConstruction Crew Activity

      Creighton's crew began erecting poles in July 1861, planting 27,500 poles by October 1861.

   2. 2October 24, 1861 · Salt Lake CityCompletion of the Transcontinental Line

      Western Union completed the first transcontinental telegraph on October 24, 1861, connecting eastern networks to California via Salt Lake City.

   3. 3October 24–31, 1861 · National networkInitial Operation and Costs

      First messages sent to President Lincoln; initial charges were $1 per word, exceeding the 30-cent statutory limit.

Sources

1. First transcontinental telegraph Wikipedia, revision of 2025-09-21
2. Western Union Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-09