The Janesville telegraph wires later owned by the Western Union Company were erected by the Illinois & Mississippi Company.

The evidence

• “Telegraphic connection was next made with Madison, Mineral Point, Galena and Chicago, with the latter in 1856, after the completion of the railroad from that point. The wires now running into Janesville owned by the Western Union Company were erected by the Illinois & Mississippi Company in 1864. Janesville is now a transfer office, the Northwestern system connecting at this point with the Western Union.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/14-rock-county-ch08-janesville.md, PDF p. 593 / book p. 597

  Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources