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An early Christmas gift arrived at the Saluda Historic Depot on Wednesday, November 29, when Depot volunteer John Pezzano trained all Depot volunteers on the history and use of the telegraph.  

Pezzano and Jeff Hellstrom installed a telegraph station in the Depot for visitors. There, visitors will have an opportunity to use a century-old original telegraph, learn a bit about Morse Code, some history of telegraphy and how to actually use a telegraph to send messages. 

In 1837, Samuel Morse developed and patented a recording electrical telegraph.  Morse and his assistant, Alfred Vail, developed the Morse Code signaling alphabet. This was our great-great-grandfather’s version of texting.  

By 1861, it was possible to send telegraph messages across the country from local telegraph stations for a fee. The railroad quickly adopted the use of the telegraph to help with routing rail traffic.

Saluda Historic Depot thanks Tom Jepsen, John Wilkinson, John Pezzano and Jeff Hellstrom for their donations of equipment and time to create the Depot’s telegraph station.     

 

Submitted by Nita High