The Tale of William Byers and His Electrifying Adventures in Telegraphy!
Our intrepid Denver promoter wasn’t content with just slinging ink; he had to go and tangle himself up in wires too. William Byers spearheaded the first telegraph line from Denver to New Mexico, probably so he could spread his tall tales even faster!
In a stroke of genius (or madness, depending on who you ask), Byers decided that Denver needed to be connected to the rest of the civilized world. So, what did he do? He rolled up his sleeves and built the first telegraph line from Denver to New Mexico, of course! Because nothing says “I’m committed to this project” like personally trudging along the entire path with your crew, probably cursing every cactus and rattlesnake along the way.
But wait, there’s more! Our boy Billy didn’t stop at just one line. Oh no, he went and helped organize the company that built the very first telegraph line in the entire state of Colorado. Talk about being a trailblazer – or should we say, wire-blazer?
Now, you might think Byers was content with just connecting Denver to the outside world. But no! He had to go and get himself mixed up in all sorts of other ventures. Railroads, tramways, land development – you name it, Byers had his fingers in that pie. It’s like he was trying to single-handedly drag Colorado into the modern age, one telegraph pole at a time.
So there you have it, folks. William N. Byers: newspaper man, city booster, and the guy who made sure Denverites could send a telegram faster than you can say “Stop. Send money. Stop.” Now that’s what I call a shocking development!
Sources
Denver Public Library. “WILLIAM N. BYERS AND FAMILY PAPERS.” Accessed February 19, 2025. https://archives.denverlibrary.org/repositories/3/resources/8333
Colorado Encyclopedia. “William N. Byers.” Accessed February 19, 2025. http://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/william-n-byers
University of Colorado Boulder. “William N. Byers Papers.” Accessed February 19, 2025. https://archives.colorado.edu/repositories/2/resources/2017
Shore Heritage. “William Newton Byers – Our Family Heritage.” Accessed February 19, 2025. http://www.shoreheritage.com/notes/byers02.html
Nebraska State Historical Society. “William N. Byers.” Accessed February 19, 2025. https://history.nebraska.gov/publications_section/william-n-byers/
Denver Public Library. “William N. Byers and family papers, 1850-1938.” Accessed February 19, 2025. https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/data/13280346
