We’re right in the middle of our theme week all about Rochester! A lot of very well-known companies were founded in Rochester – Kodak, Xerox, Wegmans, Bausch & Lomb, and Paychex to name a few. But there’s another company that a lot of people forget was started here: Western Union! It was founded in 1851 here in Rochester. Just 10 years later, Western Union had completed the first transcontinental telegraph, making near-instantaneous communication possible between the East and West Coast. They expanded beyond telegrams in the late 1800s, launching the first stock ticker in 1866 and wire money transfers in 1871. By 1900, Western Union operated a million miles of telegraph lines and 2 international undersea cables. The telegraphy industry declined after 1945 thanks to the increasing popularity of the telephone. Western Union sent its last telegram in 2006. But it’s still going strong with wire money transfers, averaging 24 transactions every second. Learn more here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd_9tC-jbsU