How a Telegraph Cable Launched Tiffany & Co. to Fame

New York City, New York. There are times when global change can impact you in ways you did not expect. Think about how the internet completely revolutionized the way we communicate, shop, and even find love. Or how the smartphone put the world at our fingertips, changing our daily lives in ways we couldn't have imagined. Or recently, how the COVID-19 pandemic changed how we work. These are things you have experienced firsthand, so what it feels like.

TIMELINE
1812: For context, Charles was born into a Connecticut cotton mill family on February 15, 1812, which meant he had zero formal business education.
1837: When Charles Louis Tiffany founded his store in 1837, it was considered a haven for affluent New Yorkers.
1854: Field became intrigued by telegraphy after meeting electrical engineer Frederick Newton Gisborne in 1854.
1858: The last decipherable message was sent on September 1, 1858.
1971: Tiffany's market insight was actually spot on, as recounted in Joseph Perlette's 1971 book, The Tiffany Touch.
1974: Later, in 1974, George McGowan of Lake George, New York, found nearly 40 crates of souvenirs, each containing a hundred pieces.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of New York City is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 158 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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