Table of Contents




Dominion Government Telegraph

British Columbia, Canada

Dominion Telegraph System


Telegraph Keys
On display at Prince George Railway and Forest Industry Museum

Heavy gauge Galvanized wire was used, and now it is lying in the bush, and has caused many moose and other animals from getting tangled up in it. Since the value of the wire isn't that much it has been left behind. Something should be done about it, but would be a costly venture I am sure. Maybe need some good hearted soul to walk the whole line and cut the wire into short pieces as they go. Less chance of it causing an environment problem that way than one long piece. Be better if it was hauled out in one chunk.

Key to Stations below:

(1) The Queen Charlotte Islands Line,
(Massett to Queen Charlotte City)

(2) The Kitsumkalum (moved to Terrace) - Stewart Line,
(Serving Rosswood, Alice Arm, Anyox, Naas, and Stewart)

(3) The Skeena River Line,
(Prince Rupert - Hazelton)
built 1901-1902, 202.5 miles

(4) The Yukon Telegraph Line,
(Ashcroft via Hazelton to Dawson City, Yukon Territory)
Started in 1897, completed in Oct 1899
1,845 miles
Connected with the CPR line at Ashcroft.

(5) The New Hazelton - Skeena Crossing Line

(6) The Bella Coola - 150 Mile House Line


Line Cabin near Hazelton, ca 1934
Credit: Jack R. Wrathall / Library and Archives Canada / PA-095720
note- Pole with insulators in rear right

Telegraph Stations

International Morse Code

John Franklin Richardson was an Electrical Engineer who picked the route for the Yukon Telegraph line. (4)
John Franklin Richardson Bio

Grand Trunk Pacific Telegraph System

Along the route of the GTP there was also a Telegraph System from Prince Rupert to Winnipeg
The 2 systems overlapped in a few towns
Later this line became CN Telegraphs

Bulkley Valley and Bulkley River, named after Colonel Charles Seymour Bulkley (Sr.)
who was the Engineer in charge of the Collins Overland Telegraph line, thru that area, ca 1865-67.
The Yukon Telegraph line followed this original trail in many places.
Original name of the Bulkley River- Wet'sinkwha.

Sept 1911, W. W. Wrathall announced the telegraph line from Kitsumkalum to Stewart was completed.
the price for a message 10 words long from Hazelton to Stewart cost $1.25 in 1911 dollars!

Ext Links
not my web sites

Best map of Telegraph Lines in BC
http://www.nwtandy.rcsigs.ca/graphics/yukon-telegraph-lines.jpg

Regional District
http://www.rdks.bc.ca/content/yukon-telegraph-trail

Burns Lake history
http://www.sandercott.com/northbynorthwest/michael_byrnes.php

Misc

http://bcheritage.ca/skeena/telegraph_trail.htm

http://www.telegraphtrail.ca/Home/Home

http://eco.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_04362/3?r=0&s=1

1913 Magazine, great old photos
http://yukondigitallibrary.ca/Publications/TelegraphLineWilderness/1913,%20Telegraph%20line%20in%20the%20wilderness.pdf

Book
Wires in the Wilderness: The Story of the Yukon Telegraph, by Bill Miller
http://books.google.ca/books?id=TSLtYpkG-zwC&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=%22yukon+telegraph+line%22&source=bl&ots=mUPBRiKBbb&sig=bh0g5jTy658u6eyb9YvnY9BVf4c&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rX7DUrmQB4fooASz4YEY&ved=0CC4Q6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=%22yukon%20telegraph%20line%22&f=false

Pictures
http://www.knowalberta.ca/results/f2/type=image/images/favicon.ico/f1/contributor=Glenbow%20Archives/q/yukon/f3/collection=The%20Archives%20Photographs%20Catalogue/;jsessionid=D4ED0E89DDD687849D0D3AC1C84C09FB

of course I have the links on the left as well