This month in history: A new age of communication

You might not know that many Goff & Howard team members are avid history aficionados. We revel in the little-known quirks of our world’s past and live each day to make obscure references that only the best and brightest of our fellow history buffs will understand. To share our love of history, GH Spin has graciously given us the space to share the idiosyncrasies of our favorite hobby.

In October 1860 – nearly 150 years ago – the United States finished construction on the first transcontinental telegraph line. Although telegraphic communication had been improving communication between East Coast cities for several years, this telegraph line, which connected Los Angeles and New York, reduced the feelings of isolation that many West Coast citizens were experiencing. The telegraph ushered in a new age of communication and connected a nation that was separated by a vast, largely unsettled midsection.

As we look back on this impressive feat that spanned more than 2,000 miles, we can’t help but think about how the first transcontinental telegraph line spawned a frantic evolution of communication technology. As people got used to a new style of communication that was significantly quicker than the Pony Express, the telegraph gave way to the telephone, and people were able to connect with each other even faster.

And now, in the 21st century, the world could not function without the lightning quick speed of the Internet and its communication glories, such as e-mail, online social networking, and – of course – blogs. The evolution of communication technology has become survival of the fastest, and so, the question now becomes, what will be the next frontier of communication?