Old Wire Road

The Old Wire Road is a historic road in Missouri and Arkansas.^[1] Several local roads are still known by this name. It followed an old Native American route, the Great Osage Trail across the Ozarks and became a road along a telegraph line from St. Louis, Missouri, to Fort Smith, Arkansas. This route was also used by the Butterfield Overland Mail.^[2][3] It was known simply as the "Wire Road" while the telegraph line was up, but when the line was later removed, it became known as the "Old Wire Road". In St. Louis, where the road begins at Jefferson Barracks, it is called Telegraph Road. From St. Louis to Springfield, Missouri, it became designated Route 14 which, in turn, later became U.S. Route 66 and still later Interstate 44.^[4]

The 3000 block of Old Wire Road (Arkansas Highway 265) in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

At Springfield, it turned southwest and passed through what is now Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. From the Battlefield it meandered southwest through Christian and Stone counties in Missouri towards the Arkansas state line. It passed near Pea Ridge, Arkansas, and through Fayetteville, Arkansas, on its way to Fort Smith, Arkansas.^[5]

It was used as part of the Trail of Tears and during the Civil War, when Confederate soldiers often cut the telegraph line.

The “old wire road” is most often cited in southwest Missouri as the route later used by Route 66, now I-44. The wire road got its name from the federal or military telegraph built in 1858.^[6] It followed the route of the Springfield-St Louis road authorized by the state legislature on February 6, 1837. The road connected with the St. Louis-Jefferson City state road at Gray Summit. Hence traffic entered St. Louis on what is now Rt 100, following Manchester Rd.

The federal telegraph line turned south at Springfield following the Butterfield Overland Mail route to Ft. Smith. County histories show the wire road name used further east in Pulaski ^[7]and Crawford Counties.^[8]

In Crawford County the term Springfield Road was more common. No use of “wire road” was found in Franklin or St. Louis Counties.

The telegraph was a significant new technology during the Civil War. Lincoln spent much time in the telegraph office to follow battle results. U.S. Military Telegraph Corps crews followed battles. On July 1, 1864, the US had 4955 miles of military telegraph. After the war, those telegraph lines were turned over to commercial companies. In Missouri, the wires were removed leaving the poles. This became the old wire road.^[9]

The route of the telegraph to St. Louis from Crawford Co is unknown. Railroads often found telegraphs well suited to their routes. Telegraph arrived in St. Louis from the east in 1847.^[10]

The Pacific Railroad began construction in St. Louis on July 4, 1851. The southwest branch of the Pacific railroad was authorized in 1852 and reached Cuba, MO in 1859.^[11] but did not reach Rolla until 1861.^[12] It branched from the Pacific Railroad route from St. Louis to Jefferson City at Pacific, MO and followed the St. Louis-Springfield Road to Springfield.

The federal telegraph is said to originate at Jefferson Barracks south of St. Louis. There is a telegraph road there. Known after 1850 as Telegraph Road it follows Old King’s Trace or King’s Highway from Cape Girardeau through Perryville and Ste. Genevieve to St Louis. It is part of the telegraph line to New Orleans. The line was completed to the St Louis Office on Main & Olive on March 6, 1850, and opened formally to Cape on March 20.^[13]

The federal telegraph line served St. Louis, Rolla, Lebanon, Marshfield, Springfield and Ft. Scott.^[14] Springfield did not receive commercial telegraph until 1860--from Jefferson City via Bolivar.^[15] long before arrival of the railroad in 1870.^[16]

In 1850 a telegraph line was organized west from St Louis to Jefferson City. An office was opened at Union, MO on December 29. The line opened to Jefferson City 8 days later. The state legislature created a telegraph office in the state capitol. The line was extended to Boonville on February 7, 1851, and reached St. Joseph in October by way of Arrow Rock, Marshall, Lexington, Independence, Brunswick, Liberty, and Weston. It was incorporated as the St Louis and Missouri River Telegraph Co, on March 3, 1851. The wire was strung on trees with attached glass insulators. Service was unreliable due to poor maintenance.

In 1856, the Pacific Railroad agreed to build and maintain the telegraph from St Louis to Jefferson City. Construction began in January, 1857. The line reopened January 30, and was extended to Boonville.^[17]

Parts of the federal telegraph line may have followed the railroad which was under construction at the time. After Confederate General Sterling Price attacked Franklin (now Pacific, MO) from Potosi in October 1864, the federal line to Rolla had to be repaired. That implies the federal line followed the railroad.^[18]

Another wire road connected Kansas City and Ft. Leavenworth with Ft. Smith. The military telegraph ran from KC to Ft Scott via Westport, Olatha, Paola, and Mound City. A branch from Olatha reached Ft Leavenworth using poles from Lawrence.^[19]

St. Joseph also had military telegraph. It closed in August, 1865. ^[20]

Capt RC Clowry, Asst Quartermaster was superintendent of the Military Telegraph in Missouri. He operated 1700 mi of telegraph with 300 to 500 men. He was promoted to Major in 1865.^[21]

In 1865, Federal telegraph lines in Missouri District (including Kansas and Arkansas) and their mileage were listed as:^[22]

St. Louis to Ft Scott 403 Allen (near Moberly) via Boonville and Weston to St. Joseph 296 St. Louis to New Madrid 206 St. Louis to Macon 168 Little Rock to White River mouth 152 Ft. Leavenworth to Ft Scott 120(?) Bloomfield to Cape Girardeau 45 Little Rock to Pine Bluff 45 Jefferson City to Syracuse 43 Pilot Knob to Patterson 28 St. Louis City lines 10

Before highways were identified by number, routes were named and marked by symbols painted on telephone poles. In 1917, the Springfield-St. Louis Rd. became known as the Ozark Trail. Its symbol was an orange band with a black circle in the middle and the letters OT on the circle.^[23]

Newspapers published a few news items from the Federal telegraph line. St Joseph Weekly Herald Thur Oct 30, 1862. Telegraph from commander at Lebanon. About 150 rebels crossed Springfield Rd abt 20 mi west of Lebanon yesterday at 4 pm. Maybe at least 500 men. 1/4 to ½ armed.