Western Union

U.S. telegraph company which had telephone ambitions
Enos M. Barton Enos M. Barton Thomas Edison Thomas Edison Ezra Gilliland Ezra Gilliland Elisha Gray Elisha Gray William Orton William Orton George May Phelps George May Phelps
From Wikipedia
The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Denver, Colorado. More on Wikipedia →
Phelps/Western Union Double Crown Telephone
Phelps/Western Union Double Crown Telephone
1878
American Speaking Telephone Co. magneto phone
American Speaking Telephone Co. magneto phone
1879
American Speaking Telephone Co. Phone
American Speaking Telephone Co. Phone
1879
Western Union carries nine million messages and launches money orders
Western Union carries nine million messages and launches money orders
1870
Edison telegraph stock ticker printer launches
Edison telegraph stock ticker printer launches
1871
Gray and Barton incorporate Western Electric, with funding from Western Union
Enos M. Barton Elisha Gray
1872
Western Union deploys the Stearns Duplex Telegraph
Western Union deploys the Stearns Duplex Telegraph
1872
Western Union contracts with Thomas Edison and Elisha Gray to solve telegraph multiplexing
Thomas Edison Elisha Gray
1873
Elisha Gray demonstrates his 'harmonic telegraph' to Western Union
Elisha Gray demonstrates his 'harmonic telegraph' to Western Union
1873
Western Union's Orton testifies in Congress against Hubbard's proposed telegraph competitor
Gardiner Greene Hubbard William Orton
1874
Edison develops the quadruplex multiplexing telegraph
Thomas Edison
1874
Western Union rates range from four to 25 cents per word based on distance
Western Union rates range from four to 25 cents per word based on distance
1874
Bell pitches his harmonic telegraph to Western Union's Orton, who declines
Bell pitches his harmonic telegraph to Western Union's Orton, who declines
1875
Orton engages Thomas Edison to investigate harmonic telegraphy for Western Union
Thomas Edison William Orton
1875
Phelps' "Electro-Motor Printing Telegraph" enables 60 WPM speed
Phelps' "Electro-Motor Printing Telegraph" enables 60 WPM speed
1875
Western Union begins paying Edison to develop a 'speaking telegraph"
Thomas Edison
1876
Western Union's Orton declines to buy Bell's patent for $100k
Gardiner Greene Hubbard William Orton
1876
Western Union creates the American Speaking Telephone Co.
1877
Bell sues Western Union for patent infringement
Bell sues Western Union for patent infringement
1878
Bell wins its patent lawsuit against Western Union
Bell wins its patent lawsuit against Western Union
1879
Western Union sells its phone network to Bell
William Orton
1879
Bell acquires Edison's carbon microphone patents from Western Union
Bell acquires Edison's carbon microphone patents from Western Union
1879
Western Union carries 29 million telegraph messages per year
Western Union carries 29 million telegraph messages per year
1880
Western Union carries 55 million telegraph messages per year
Western Union carries 55 million telegraph messages per year
1890
AT&T buys Western Union controlling interest, gaining access to its network
AT&T buys Western Union controlling interest, gaining access to its network
1909
AT&T divests Western Union
AT&T divests Western Union
1913
Enos M. Barton
Enos M. Barton
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Ezra Gilliland
Ezra Gilliland
Elisha Gray
Elisha Gray
William Orton
William Orton
George May Phelps
George May Phelps
Western Union Annual Report 1869
Western Union Annual Report 1869
1869
Western Union Annual Report 1873
Western Union Annual Report 1873
1873
AI-generated Western Union rate/pricing card
AI-generated Western Union rate/pricing card
1874
Western Union Charleston West Virginia office, 1880
Western Union Charleston West Virginia office, 1880
1880
Western Union telegraph operator
Western Union telegraph operator
1923