This post covers a CD 701 threadless insulator which was thought to be used on the Magnetic Telegraph Line built in 1845. This line originated in Washington, DC and went to Baltimore, Maryland. A year or so late, additional lines connected Baltimore to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and than Philadelphia to New York, City. Detail covering this insulator is as follows: CD-701 No Embossing - MLOD - Mint Greenish Aqua (With Minor Amber Swirls) Insulator measurements - 102mm Tall x 81mm Wide. I would like to say I found this insulator, but it was actually purchased in the early 1980's from a co-worker who was bottle hunter. As much as he would tell me, is that he located this telegraph line near Levittown, Pennsylvania where it crossed the Delaware River and went North East toward Newark, New Jersey. My friend dug a number of different areas in Mercer Co. and Middlesex Co., New Jersey. Over the years (e.g. mid 1980's), I talked to Claude Wambold about this threadless insulator and he indicated that he also had a CD 701 in amber which was found South of Chester, Pennsylvania. This would be on the Magnetic Telegraph circuit which ran from Philadelphia to Baltimore. Claude believed that the CD 701 was likely used after 1850 as the Magnetic Telegraph expanded the number of circuits. I found another ICON reference to a CD 701 found by Bradford Smith [id=28083130]. Attached is map I found on the internet which shows the routes as of 1846 [id=607207585]. A search of ICON indicated that the CD 780 Bureau Knob might have been one of the earliest insulators used on the Magnetic Telegraph line. References include: [id=222969546] [id=189294208] [id=145121598] and [id=145113639]. Also see a historical 1857 Magnetic Telegraph / telegram which James Doty was kind enough to provide for attachment to this post [id=607260411]. |