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Alta California Telegraph Company Stock & Telegram, California Gold Rush [167567]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Paper Start Price:250.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 1,000.00 USD
Alta California Telegraph Company Stock & Telegram, California Gold Rush [167567]
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Lot of 2. 1) Very rare stock! Pre-Transcontinental Telegraph! Gold Rush era. Certificate No. 686, issued for one shares to (blank) on December 1st, 1853 in Sacramento City. Signed by president Justin E. Strong and secretary Hawkins. Not cancelled. Black border and print. No printer listed. 5 x 13" 2) Telegram dated Volcano, 1860. Message sent from Geo. Johnson & Co. to Thos. Fiske & Co. (Bankers in Sacramento) requesting $2,500 to be sent by express! (These would be gold coins). The top of the form says the company connects "San Francisco, Sonora, Downieville, Carson City..." Volcano is located in Amador County. This rare telegraph form does have staining.

The company completed a line from Sacramento to Nevada City with subsequent connections to mining camps. Eventually, they headed towards the Bay Area which put them into direct competition with California State Telegraph Co. When Alta laid a line down from Oakland to San Francisco (through the San Francisco Bay), they were sued by California State Telegraph and lost. Eventually, they consolidated.

The Sacramento Daily Union of August 24, 1852 had an article on the wonders of the "electric telegraph." It went on to report that "Justin E. Strong and John. K. Johnson. Jr.. both of Sacramento; in the State of California, being desirous to organize a company under the general law for incorporating Telegraph Companies in California, for the construction of an Electric Telegraph line from Sacramento to Nevada [City] via Mormon Island,| Auburn and Centreville, and from Mormon Island to Placerville via Coloma."

Date: 1853-60
Country (if not USA):
State: California
City: Sacramento
Provenance: