Archives West Finding Aid

The California State Telegraph Company began in 1853. By June 1867, the company was reorganized and subsumed as the Pacific Division of the Western Union Telegraph Company. The agent at this time was Lucien B. Applegate.

According to James Gamble, who was General Superintendent, Pacific Division, of the Western Union Telegraph Company, in an article titled, "Early Reminiscences of the Telegraph on the Pacific Coast (1881)," the history of the California State Telegraph Company began thusly:

"During the early period of its history, say from 1849 to 1853, California was isolated from the rest of the world, there being no telegraphic communication on the Pacific coast whatever. The first movement to put a line of telegraph in operation was made in 1852, when Messrs. Allen and Burham obtained from the Legislature of California a franchise giving them the right to operate a line between San Francisco and Marysville, via San Jose, Stockton, and Sacramento, for the term of fifteen years - this right to be exclusive, provided that the line was completed by the first of November, 1853. The company was organized under the name of the California Telegraph Company; but, owning to disastrous fires in 1852, it was found impossible to carry out the construction of the line under the first organization. In 1853, the company was reorganized, and called the California State Telegraph Company."